30 Weeks... Yeesh!

I can not believe I'm 30 weeks! 31 in two days! This is just flying by, but at the same time seems to be DRAGGING along... I am definitely ready to get this girl in my arms and out of my stomach! Haha.

Here are some pictures of the nursery's progress... it still needs a lot of work, but it's coming together!

Proud Father & Fireman!

Well it's unofficially-official... Erik got a job as a firefighter! Everyone knows how long he's been trying for this, how hard he has worked and how this is such an answered prayer. I am so happy for him and am glad that he is finally has his dreams in his grasp.

What an amazing year for us! So many changes, and so many blessings.

We Have Paint!!!

I can officially get started on the nursery! We sold all of our guest room furniture and after tomorrow night will have an empty room. My FABULOUS mother-in-law bought the paint for Dillyn's room as part of my birthday gift on Saturday. We are doing a dark pink bottom, white chair rail, and the top half in a light pink. We are also putting in new base boards, crown molding and a new closet door. It will all be so sparkling when she gets here!

Oh and I had a sonogram on my gall bladder last Thursday. The sonographer says it is completely healthy... which is great... but says that my kidney is enlarged... SOOO I really don't know what that means or if there's anything that can be done about it. I should hear from my doctor soon.

I read today that at 26 weeks the pregnancy is 2/3 of the way over! Wahoo.

25 Weeks and Counting...

Week 25... WOW! I can not believe how fast this is going... but at the same time I feel like I've been pregnant forever. I can't imagine another 15 weeks.

I FINALLY finalized my registry and chose bedding. Turns out finding pink, black and white bedding is a surprisingly difficult. I fell in love with a bed set that was custom made, but it was over $350! So... after I re-adjusted my mindset I found a bed set at Babysrus that is adorable, but not exactly what I had in mind.... but the price of $110 is a lot more appealing!

I have a shower at work next Thursday and I can't wait! It is all starting to be so real. I am sure that as we put Dillyn's room together we will really start to feel it!

On to other news... I have friggin' gall bladder attacks now. I have a sonogram on my gall bladder Thursday and should know more about how they want to treat it. I can't have it out until after Dillyn's born, so I'm afraid I just have to live with the pain. Apparently the increased hormone levels in pregnancy often lead to gall bladder disfunction.... who knew?

And as of my last sono I still have placenta previa... say a prayer that everything fixes itself! I really don't want a c-section! I know it wouldn't be the end of the world, but I would really like to do it without having my stomach cut open!

As of my last doctor appointment 3 weeks ago, Dillyn was 1 lb, 10 ounces! I know she's grown a lot since then. I feel her moving every day now and she is getting much stronger. I can't wait to see her! I read this week is the first week that if Dillyn was born she would have a strong chance of surviving outside the womb! Isn't that just a miracle?

Sugar & Spice & Everything Nice

We are so very excited to announce that we are having a GIRL!

Her name is Dillyn and she's got her daddy wrapped around her tiny finger already.

I can't wait to get shopping and to start putting together the nursery. Erik has already cleaned out the room that will be hers and is ready to start painting. We are definitely too excited for words.

She has also started moving a lot here in the past couple days and I love the constant reminder that she's there. Feeling a baby move inside you has got to be the weirdest, but most happy feelings in the world.

First Sonogram!

We FINALLY got to see our baby yesterday! On our way to get our first sonogram Erik and I were both really excited and had that butterfly feelining in our stomachs.
We are thrilled to say our baby looks very healthy. I will post pictures soon!

The doctor wouldn't say for sure yet, but he said he THINKS it's a girl! There were no boy parts to be seen... and Erik says that if it is a boy it would definitely be showing... haha. I told him if it's a boy it's a sign of things to come... being ornery!

So to 'humanize' our baby and instead of calling the baby "it", we are now referring to the baby as "she". Of course if we find out she's a "he" on the next sono we'll be thrilled for that too... but "it" is just not cutting it for me anymore Of course we are not going to buy anything until the next sonogram just to be sure.

My wonderful mom bought me the platinum package from www.storkvision.com and I have my appointment on June 7th... which is only a week and a half away. They do gender identification, and a LONG sonogram and put it to DVD with music. I can't wait to know for sure if our she is really a she! If so, Erik and I have fallen in love with the name Dillyn and know she'll be beautiful!

On another topic in case you are all wondering how my placenta's doing... haha... keep it in your prayers! I have never even thought twice about the thing, but the doctor says that mine is low lying and that could be a problem later on. Most of the time it fixes itself, but if not bedrest and a c-section may be in my future. If you know me you know I am a huge weenie and don't do needles... so the thought of someone taking a knife to my stomach makes me want to hurl. So please do me a favor and pray for my placenta! Haha.

4 Months Down!

This weekend was crazy, busy, hectic & wonderful!

Friday night I graduated! I am so relieved to have that behind me and can now finally look forward to teaching! I am definitely ready to get in the classroom. Here is a picture my dad took at graduation of my growing bump, haha.

On Saturday my mom and mother-in-law threw me a party and you would not believe all of the gifts I received. It was insane! I had friends there that I haven't seen in months so it was great to catch up with everyone.

Yesterday Erik woke me up with a big present in my lap. It was fetal heart beat monitor. I was so excited! I can now strap it on my stomach and listen to the baby. It has head phones, and even plugs into the computer to make mp3s! So cool. So the box says it typically can pick up the beat starting at 20 weeks, but you know me... I had to test the theory. So I laid on my couch with the headphones stuck in my ears for about an hour last night waiting to hear something. The only thing I would hear was an occassional thump. I got out the brochure that came with the machine and it says that the thumps are the baby moving! It was too cool. Oh and yesterday morning at church the moms all got flowers and silver crosses and they included me! It was so sweet. I have the best church family!

Five and a half inches tall and only six ounces in weight. The child can grasp with his hands, kick, or even somersault. At this time, your baby is holding her head erect. Because her muscles are developing, she can make some faces now. Your baby is able to squint, frown and open its mouth. There is enough calcium in the bones that they will show up on an x-ray. Your baby's fingernails are well formed now and the legs are longer than the arms. Because your baby is moving well now, you may begin to feel his movements! Some women say that the early movements feel like gas bubbles or a slight flutter. If you have not yet felt the baby move, don't worry. Fetal movements are usually felt between the 16th and 20th week of pregnancy. You may feel your heart beating 'louder'. This is because there is a lot more blood in your body than normal. (about 20-25% more)

If you want to see more pictures of my weekend go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/nikkidanw.

"Cream Puff Colie"

So we watched the movie Juno this weekend and it inspired a whole new nickname that Erik has to call me now. In the movie Juno's dad calls her the "Puffy version of my daughter Juno" and Erik looked at me and grinned. I knew I was in for it. He kept calling me "Puffy version of my Colie." I told him that this would just not work he was going to just have to call me outright fat or quit with the nicknames. Haha.... he still insists that they are terms of endearment. So he asked me about an hour later what I thought about "Cream Puff Colie"... while I still am in favor of just Colie, it's much better than "Puffy version of my Colie."

Oh and the baby is about the size of a soft ball! That seems huge to me. I was still getting used to the little one inch Hammie! The doctor said everything looks good and baby's heart rate was 163 this time. The nurse said that the baby was probably sleeping!


"Barely 4 inches long and less than 2 ounces, your baby's doing some pretty remarkable stuff for such a mini thing. For example, by the end of this week, she'll be able to form a fist with her teeny hands! Hair is also sprouting on her head now, as are the beginnings of two tiny eyebrows. These days, her body is covered by a layer of ultra-fine hair, called lanugo, which will help protect her delicate skin until birth.
Your baby's body is growing faster than her head now, balancing out the brain-heavy look she's had until this point. Her heart is hard at work pumping about 25 quarts of blood a day; when she's born, that number will increase to nearly 300 quarts a day. Her skeleton continues to take shape this week, with more bone building and muscle development every day."

14 Weeks

"Your baby's crown to rump length is 3.2 to 4.5 inches long and he weighs approximately 1 ounce now. Your baby is about the size of the average fist. At this time, your baby's face is becoming more developed. The cheeks and bridge of his nose appear and the ears move from the sides of his neck to much higher on his head. The eyes continue to come closer together. A big development from this week onward is the development of lanugo. Lanugo is the fine hair that grows over almost your entire baby. The hairs grow in whirled patterns that follow the grain of his skin. These patterns later give way to your baby's fingerprints. The lanugo will be shed before birth and replaced by thicker, coarser hairs. Your baby's thyroid gland has matured and starts to produce hormones. If your baby is a boy, the prostate will appear and the ovaries descend from the abdomen into the pelvis in baby girls. The embryo`s soft cartilage is now being replaced with ` real` chalk bones. Your baby has eyebrows, but no eyelashes. Fine, light hair also begins to grow. "

Erik's new nickname for me: Buddha... I hate it!

Haha... what's sad is I think he actually believes it is a sweet term of endearment...

I know it's still pretty early, but I have felt some fluttering a couple times and wondered if the baby isn't getting a "running start" and ramming into me. It hasn't been anything definite or very strong yet. I am pretty skeptical, but am definitely looking forward to the day that little one gives me a good kick!

Oh and by the way... I think Hammie is going to have a good taste for spicy foods. I fed him/her about 11 stuffed jalepenos this weekend. MMMMM!!!!

My Bump~ My Bump~ My Lovely Prego Bump~ Check it out

I am really starting to POP! It's so weird. I keep seeing myself in the mirror and thinking "Who is that?" I can no longer fit into even one pair of my jeans. I tried the "rubberband" trick, but the problem there is that my zipper won't stay up. Haha. So I finally broke down and bought a pair of maternity jean capris last night that are really cute... but I have a theory that all cute pregnancy clothes are grotesquely over priced. PLEASE prove me wrong if you know of any reasonably priced places to get in style maternity clothes! I just can't pay nearly $60 for every pair of pants I get... although did I say how cute they were? :)

Speaking of over priced things~ my mom got me a boppy pillow! I LOVE it! Last week I woke up several nights in tears because my back pain was so strong. I went to Target to price good body pillows and stumbled upon a giant "C" shaped pillow (called a bobby) specifically for pregnant women. I picked it up and looked at the price. $54! Heck no! I put it down and decided to suffer in silence for the next five months and counting. So Saturday morning after two more sleepless nights I was considering splurging on the boppy. Well Mom and I went for our monthly pedicure and afterwards we went to Target and she bought my pillow! I felt so guilty for her spending so much on it, and was skeptical about if it would actually work or not. After the first night of no pain I thought maybe it was luck, but after the last three nights of no pain I know that the boppy is a life saver.

I am putting a picture of a woman and her boppy on this, just because it's the most hilarious thing ever. Imagine me all wrapped up in this hugely grotesque pillow trying to roll over in the middle of the night. I wake up flaring my arms and legs feeling trapped in this darn thing every night... but NO pain!

May 27th!

We find out 'what' our baby is! Boy or girl???

12 Weeks---Almost out of the 1st Trimester!

"At 12 weeks pregnant your baby will look like a tiny human being. It is about 2 and a half inches long and weighs about 15g. It has arms and legs with fingers and toes and more defined facial features. The body is straighter and the first bone tissue appears.
The face is formed with a chin, high forehead and small button nose. The eyes are developed and although they are shut tight with sealed eyelids, they now show reflexive movements. The ears are visible but are still small.
The tiny brain is now forming neural pathways and the fetus is starting to squirm around, although you can't feel it yet because there is still a high proportion of amniotic fluid all around it.
The arms and legs can move freely and if you have a scan at this stage you may see them moving, which is really exciting! The skin is still permeable to amniotic fluid. The nails on the fingers and toes are starting to grow and if the palm is touched, the fingers will curl."

Well, I think I am finally beginning to look a little more pregnant... and possibly a little less chunky... or so my husband says. My stomach is getting harder and I am having a really hard time getting comfortable at night to sleep. I am definitely looking forward to growing over the next couple months to look pregnant. I have felt like such a blob! This pregnant body is anything but beautiful right now! Haha. But I know it's all worth it. I am definitely looking forward to being able to diet and start working to lose the weight after the baby comes. I have a whole new motivation now. I do not want to keep this pregnancy weight... all 2 and a half pounds so far! I know I have so much more to gain, but I am definitely motivated to kiss it goodbye in November!

"Maybe you should put your sweat pants back on."

"Chew on this: Your baby's tiny tooth buds have started to grow under her gums, her delicate bones are continuing to form, and her ears are scooting up to the sides of her head this week. And how neat is this? The very beginnings of your baby's external private parts are forming right now!
Your baby's poised to triple her length over the next nine weeks or so, when you may see her progress at a mid-pregnancy ultrasound. To keep up with your growing baby's diet demands, your placenta continues growing new blood vessels to make sure you're sending her enough key nutrients."

Well my jeans are definitely getting tight these days. Saturday night I went to put my jeans on(to try to look relatively cute with my new hair do) and I could barely zip them up. Erik was standing there watching me in all my 'pathetic-ness' and laughs and says "Maybe you should put your sweat pants back on." What a doll.

I think the doctor was lying when he said I've only gained 2 pounds. It honestly feels like 200. I feel like I should be the prize winning cow at the stock show.

Next week is the last week of my first trimester, and I'm ready to 'show' instead of looking like a chubby crazy woman who constantly feels the need to snack! Haha.

Hammie's Heartbeat

I just got back from my second doctor appointment and we got to hear the heartbeat! It was amazing! At the request of my parents I took a tape recorder and recorded it. I borrowed a huge tape recorder from my work and lugged it to the doctor's office like a big dork. I thought Erik was going to die of embarrassment when I pulled it out of my purse and asked the nurse if I could record it! He joked and said "Is that the biggest recorder you can find?". So she found the heartbeat on the left side of my stomach and we tried to record it, but it didn't work. So... as we were leaving she offered to take us back again and try. We took her up on that and this time the baby was on the right side of my stomach. It recorded perfectly! You can even hear this squishing noise that is the baby moving! It was so cool. Erik and I played it over and over on our way home. I'm back at work now lugging this tape recorder around asking everyone who walks by if they want to hear. Of course they are so sweet and stop, but I know they're probably thinking "CRAZY WOMAN!" ha ha. I'm so proud of that little thumping!

It's a GIRL for Maegan!!!

I got the call yesterday that Maegan is carrying a little girl! The entire time we've known she's pregnant we have just KNOWN it was a boy... but yesterday I had a weird feeling that we could be wrong and we were! I can't wait to start making bows and collecting all the frilly girly stuff for her! If I remember right Maegan likes the name Sophie or Sophia... so I'm pushing for Nicole as the middle name! :)

Milestone #1: Week 10

"Call it baby's first real graduation day: At the end of this week, your baby will officially become a fetus, a title bestowed now that he's completed the most vital building-block steps in his development. No longer a little embryo, your little guy is poised for a serious growth spurt since his kidneys, intestines, brain, and lungs are all in place. Your baby's fingers and toes (which started out slightly webbed together) will separate into their tiny 10 and 10 this week. The bones that make up the skeleton will also form. And (genius in the making!) baby's brain is producing a crazy 250,000 neurons -- get this -- every minute! More developments: Your baby's eyelids are no longer transparent. Tooth buds (the precursors to his actual pearly whites) are forming now. Because he's all curled up in the eponymous fetal position, it's hard to get an exact assessment of his height. That's why experts use the crown-to-rump measurement -- the distance from the top of his head to the bottom of his bum. Right now your baby's crown-to-rump length is about 1.5 inches, and he weighs less than a quarter of an ounce."

I am so excited! Another one of my good friends just found out she is pregnant on Friday! She had called me on Thursday to see what kind of symptoms I had to make me want to take a test. After our talk, she went and bought the test Friday, and she texted me and told me it was POSITIVE! Haha I was so giddy for her. She will be a fabulous mother. We spent so much time talking about how excited we both are. I can't post her name yet, because she hasn't told many people. Once she 'outs' herself I will give you more details! So on Friday, after mom and I got our monthly pedicure we decided to go to Target and look at baby stuff. I bought FOUR matching Easter outfits on clearance. That way, Ann, Maegan and our newest prego's babies can match mine and we can have a cute picture. I already have matching Christmas outfits for mine, Ann's and Maegan's babies. The Easter outfits are so cute. They have little bunnies with ears on the feet and a bunny tail on the back. They say "Baby's First Easter" on the front. I can't wait to see all the little bambino's in their outfits!

Maegan finds out Wednesday what she's having. I am so excited for her. She is just about positive it's going to be a boy. I guess we'll see if her instincts are right. Either way her child will be lucky to inherit the longest and thickest eyelashes!

Olive my baby!

So today I am 9 weeks pregnant and starting month 3 already! I can't believe how fast everything is happening. Baby Hammie is the size of an olive this week and grows to the size of a plum next week! It's absolutely amazing. There is such an intricate design and perfection to the whole process that makes me wonder how anyone could possibly deny a Creator.

Hayli found my magazine last week that shows the pictures inside the womb month by month. She was absolutely fascinated. She wanted to take the magazine to show Papa her cousin. It was so cute. She definitely will be dissapointed if I don't have a girl!

Spring break was great. We went to Oklahoma to celebrate Erik's Mema's 70th birthday party and Easter. It was really wonderful to see the family and spend time with everyone. I also took Hayli and Dominick to see Horton Hears a Who with Maegan. We had a great time, and I LOVE that movie! It has such a great message. A person's a person no matter how small! :)

Almost Friday!

It is Thursday before spring break. I have the whole week of next week and I just couldn't be more excited. I am definitely keeping busy over spring break, but it will be nice to sleep in a little!

I realized that I have been so fortunate. I have not once thrown up, and have not been sick really at all since my Canton trip. After I began getting the hang of taking my vitamins at the same time every day, I have been doing great.

The one thing I just have to do is not let myself get hungry. If I get hungry I feel sick... and that is the worst feeling. So I feel like I am constantly eating all day. Doing this I have avoided being sick at all for almost two whole weeks. I am 7 weeks and have gained two pounds already. I guess that's not too much, but I definitely am feeling those two pounds! I am ready to look pregnant instead of fat! Haha.

Erik and I have been trying to walk every night. Last night we took Duke with us and our neighbor made a joke that "our dog was taking us for a walk"! Haha he's as strong as a horse and keeping ahold of that leash is a workout in itself!

Oh and I've added a survey to my blog. I should find out if I am having a boy or girl in May, and now you can put your guess in! I can't wait to see what everyone thinks!

Week 7

What's Going On... WEEK 7

"Your baby's just about the size of a pencil eraser, but is already developing amazingly distinct facial features! Dark spots mark the areas where her eyes and nostrils will be, and her arms, legs, hands, and feet are taking shape too. Since fingers and toes have not appeared yet, at this stage these limbs almost look like tiny paddles. Her brain is also growing more complex; if you could take a peek, it would be clearly visible inside the transparent skull. And she's started to move in small jerky motions, although you won't feel these movements until about your fourth month of pregnancy. And how cool is this: You'll likely get to see your teeny, tiny baby through an ultrasound at an upcoming prenatal visit!"

I went to visit my family in Oklahoma this weekend and finally got to see my cousin's baby girl. Her name is Brylee Rhae Nicole Smart and she is 3 months old. She's beautiful! I had so much fun spoiling her and can't wait until her cousin comes into the world!

First Doctor Appointment

Yesterday Erik and I went to my first doctor appointment. It was kind of nerve wracking.... For some weird reason I half expected them to look at me like I was crazy and say "No, you're not pregnant... it's just all in your head," as if all the symptoms weren't enough to make me believe it. He told me that my official due date is October 27th... which is right in between the two guesses I received from Maegan and Aunt Terri. That means I am 6 weeks and 3 days along. I left the doctor's office with three bags full of goodies.... vitamins... magazines... coupons...oh my!

Above all I was just really proud of myself that I didn't cry when they stuck me with a needle. Having more than a slight aversion... haha.... okay, okay...TERROR... of needles, this is a HUGE accomplishment for me. Erik can vouch for me on that!

Yesterday I also bought the first 'baby' thing since I have been pregnant. I bought a onesie and a sleeper at Kohls on clearance. They are so cute and little! I got a sleeper that says "Baby's First Christmas" and a onesie that says "Santa's Little Helper". Too cute. I am going to spoil this kid to death. It is all actually sinking in now and though I am terrified 'as-all-get-out' about the birth, I am sooo excited for our baby to get here!

Lego my Prego!

My dad keeps saying "Lego my prego" lately to everything anyone says. It's his new catch phrase. He's so excited. I always knew he was a "softie"... but there is a whole new side of him I am seeing now. It's actually hilarious.


This past Saturday we went to Canton, and walked around for about 7 hours straight. I can not believe how much that wiped me out! I slept and napped all day Sunday. It's so weird how something the size of a lima bean can really throw your entire body out of whack. But it's a good out-of-whack-ness... it just confirms the fact that I am pregnant. Oh and it's definitely a good thing I don't know if I am having a boy or a girl yet, because I would have been flat BROKE after that visit to Canton! They had the cutest bows for little girls! And they had sooo many cute things for little boys. I just can't decide which I would want more! I guess it's true when you always hear pregnant ladies say they don't really care as long as it's healthy.

I found out that this week that I am most likely 6 weeks pregnant, and if so, then my baby looks something like this now. Hammie's getting eyes and the beginnings of facial features. WEIRD! :) I wonder what he/she will look like! If Hammie will resemble me or Erik more. It is really weird to think about, but I can't wait!

4 Weeks?

One thing I am so excited about with this pregnancy is that I get to share it with two of my best friends who are also expecting. We all have so much in common. They are both teachers and we have all known eachother since the third grade. Maegan is 13 weeks, Ann is 11 weeks, and I am guessing that I a little farther than 4 weeks. It is nice to be a behind them because I can see what they go through first before I have to do it. :) Or... that could be a little scary.

Oh! And we've nicknamed the baby Hammie. Weird yes, but it came out short for Baby Hammons.

If I am 4 weeks like I think...
That means my baby is starting to develop it's heart and it should beat next week for the first time! Right now Hammie's the size of a kidney bean!

Meanwhile... one perk of being pregnant... when you sigh and say "Man I really need to get that laundry done, and these floors mopped..." your husband jumps to! :) Gosh I love him.

Last night I fell asleep right before American Idol came on at 7:00p.m. and slept all night. The night before I fell asleep right after 8:00. I just have NO energy!

Erik and I have decided to start walking every night so that I can get some excercise. We started last night, but it was getting dark so we only did half a mile. I am doing yoga tonight for the first time ever... YIKES!

There's a bun in my oven!

On Sunday February 17th Erik and I found out that we are expecting!

Here's how I found out:
I had been feeling really sick lately, but had summed it up to a cold. I just couldn't seem to get enough sleep! Saturday Hayli was eating french fries with ketchup, and I hate ketchup. I could smell it so strongly and the smell just stayed with me the rest of the day. That night Erik and I ordered pizza, and I could barely get it down. It just didn't sound good, so I gave him the rest of mine. Sunday morning I woke up around 6:00 and I just couldn't shake the feeling that I needed to take a pregnancy test even though I hadn't missed my cycle yet. So I rolled out of bed, really annoyed with myself for missing more sleep, because I just knew there was no way it would be positive. So I peed on the stick and just went on with my morning routine. I was brushing my teeth when I looked down and saw a bright blue plus sign. I nearly passed out! I was sooo excited. I went in and told Erik and he just couldn't stop smiling either. We are just thrilled to begin this chapter in our lives. This is the greatest blessing God has ever given us.

I am guessing that I am only 3-4 weeks along, though the pregnancy guides say I am more likely to be 5 weeks. I guess we'll see! My first doctor's appointment is March 5. I am pretty nervous to get it behind me. I really don't do doctors, hospitals, needles, white gowns, or anything of the sort! I guess that will be something I get over soon.... hopefully!

We just can't believe this is finally us. We've seen all of our friends and family begin their families and have just been so happy for them, but couldn't wait until it was our turn. We'll our time is here, and we're enjoying every minute of it.