Half Time!

WOW - Doug & I are half way to meeting our little one!  Holy Moly...where is the time going?!?!?!

At 20 weeks, Wolfie has grown to the length of a banana.

















At this point in my pregnancy, I've gained about 8 lbs.  I've been working out 5 times a week and have continued to eat healthy (with the occasional cookie :)  Hopefully I'll be able to keep up with my workouts the whole time, just taking it down a notch or so when I start getting bigger (and less coordinated!)  It makes me feel really good to have people tell me that I don't look 20 weeks!  But, I always remember that I have 20 MORE to go - and who knows what's still to come! 

It's so cool to feel Wolfgang kickin' and movin' in the evenings.  I'm looking forward to the day that Doug can feel him/her.  On Wednesday, after Doug and I ate lunch, I could feel Wolfie moving around, and I lifted my shirt, and could see my belly moving (not huge movements, but could still see it!).  I tried to get Doug's attention, but by the time he was looking, our little one stopped.  Apparently Wolfie doesn't think that Daddy should have the pleasure of feeling him/her move yet.  But, hopefully soon. 

I also have to say that I love when Doug puts his hand on and rubs my tummy.  It's a great feeling of bonding for the THREE :) of us.  I get so excited when thinking about Doug being a Daddy.  He's going to be amazing!  I'm so blessed to be married to such a strong, hard working, hilarious, humble yet confident, man!  I hope that if Wolfgang is a boy, he is just like his daddy!  (that's my hope that for any boys we may have in the future.)

p.s.  Only 4 more days until the big ultrasound!

Please tell me...

What is wrong with people?!  I love when people ask me how things are going with the pregnancy.  Usually following that question is "do you know what you're having?"  or "are you going to find out what you're having?"  I answer that we don't know yet (by this time next week we'll know!), but we do plan on finding out.  Tell my why a few people think it's appropriate to tell you that it takes all the fun out of it, and is more exciting to wait!  How do I respond to that in a nice way?  Seriously, why do you ask me that if you're not going to like my answer?  I've had about 5 people say this to me.  Well GUESS WHAT PEOPLE:  It's gonna be a surprise to us whether we find out at 20 weeks or at 40 weeks when Wolfie is born!  So, to those people who try to ruin my fun...I guess you'll just have to wait until the baby is born to find out what Wolfgang is - since it's apparently "more fun that way".  :)

19 week pictures

It's amazes me how much my belly can change in just a week!  Little Wolfie is growing, and I have the tummy to prove it! :)

I can't wait to find out what this little one will be!  Oh My - only 9 more days!  I hope they fly by...then, I'd like time to slow down some.  This pregnancy seems to be going by so fast!

It's a Woman's Prerogative...

...To Change Her Mind!!  And I'm so very good at it!  I would just like to thank my darling hubby right now for putting up with me the past few months - and the many months to come.  Every time I tell Doug that I've decided on what furniture, bedding, highchair, nursery decor, etc. I want, he just nods and smiles at me knowing that in about 3 days I'll walk back in to announce that I've decided on something totally different!  And it happens every time :)  I am so very lucky to have a husband who will let me make the decisions on things like decorating the nursery (and our house) and picking out the furniture I want.  I'm so glad that he is interested in it, but will let me basically have the final say.  I don't think I could take having a husband who wanted to put his two cents in on things like this.  I know not everyone feels this way, and I say to each their own.  BUT, I'm sure glad that I can have things my way, and not have to compromise on it :)  hehe.

Back to the things that I've changed my mind on...

1. Furniture.  I started out wanting a set from JC Penney that I've loved for a million years!  Now, I've decided to go with a completely different set (although, it is still from JC Penney.)
2. Baby Bedding.  I have gone from wanting something neutral, to wanting something more gender specific and I have no idea why.
3. Nursery Color.  Like I said before, I wanted to just do neutral walls.  Then after looking at some of the more gender specific bedding, I've decided I want to jazz it up a bit and add some bright colors!  Not really me at all!  I'm not talking about crazy, in your face bright.  But definitely not what I had planned on doing.

I guess we'll see in the weeks to come if any of this will change, again!  Also, let me just say one more time that I love my husband, and I thank him for humoring me each time I tell him "I've finally decided!" :)

It's the little things...or the first big purchase! :)

I can't believe I'm almost halfway through this pregnancy!  That's so crazy to me!  Time is going way too fast!  It would be wonderful I could slow it down just a bit.

At 19 weeks today, our little Wolfgang is the size of a large heirloom tomato.  Babycenter says that some research suggests that Wolfie may be able to now hear my voice.  So, get ready little one...because momma's gonna sing to ya!  Haha, poor baby!  But really, I have found myself talking to my stomach when I'm at home and in the car.  And, since baby can hear me, I believe I'll start reading to my belly also.  Maybe we can get dad in on the reading action too! 

Our little one is just growin' like a weed in my belly! :)

A couple of days ago, Doug & I made our first big purchase for Wolfie.  I am kind of a nut (thanks to Doug) about Consumer Reports.  It's been one of my favorite websites to get product information on all things baby.  They have info on cribs, car seats, strollers, high chairs, etc.  The best part is, they have ratings for all price ranges.  One thing that I wanted to be sure to get that was really safe, is a car seat.  I have always had this fear or getting in a car wreck.  And, since I've been pregnant, have had 2 very vivid dreams about me driving by myself in both the xterra and vette.  In both dreams I had very bad car crashes.  I woke up just right after the crash scared and crying.  Now I know that doesn't mean that I'm going to be in a wreck, BUT - it didn't do anything to help my fear! 

The carseat that Consumer Reports had as their top rated is one I had been looking at for a while because on every website, it had wonderful reviews.  It was in our price range, and "Babies R Us" had it in stock.  So, off to Joplin we went to get our first big item!  We ended up getting the carseat and the matching stroller.  I am so excited about it! 

When Doug & I got home that night at 9:30, I was so ready to take everything out of the boxes and get it together (the stroller).  Doug was a great hubby and put it together for me (even though he wanted to wait to do it).  I'm very pleased with the whole travel system, and know that it'll be great for at least one more little Stefan (maybe more if it doesn't expire). 

New in the boxes :)

It's orange and gray.  Gender Neutral so we'll get plenty of use for little ones to come.

The carseat in the stroller

18 week pictures

 Well, here we are - 18 weeks!  Almost halfway there!

One thing that I'm currently hating - the fact that my belly button is no longer a cute "inny"...it is now on it's way to becoming a not so pretty "outty".  I told this to Doug the other day and he told me he heard that sometimes women's belly buttons stay "out" after having a baby.  And, like a big doof, I believed him!  I was just a tad freaked out by this.  The look of horror on my face was enough to have him tell me that he was just kidding!  Ha freakin' Ha!  He's lucky I didn't punch him! :)

Only 16 more days!!

My Mind is Everywhere

18 weeks today!  Wolfgang is now about the size of a bell pepper.  Baby is busy flexing little arms and legs - movements that I'm finally feeling when I sit still!  :)

Now, on to other business:

1. My baby bump has finally appeared!  It was noticed on Monday by someone I work with, and I have to say that when she told me she could see my bump it made my day!
2. I love being pregnant!  I know that by the end of this pregnancy I'll be so ready to have this little one and to have my thin self back, BUT I just love bakin' this baby! :)  I love being able to feel my little thumper in the evenings, and knowing that Doug & I created this baby is such an awesome feeling!
3. Crazy dreams...I had a dream in the beginning of this pregnancy about going to walmart and getting ingredients to make pancakes.  The next morning I HAD TO HAVE PANCAKES!  haha!  A couple of weeks ago I had a dream that Doug & I were at the hospital and I had the baby.  The baby really had nothing to do with the dream other than when we were leaving the hospital, they gave us a baby dolphin to take home - a gift for all new mothers.  Now, I have no idea what the baby looked like and I didn't take care of it in my dream, I was taking care of this baby dolphin.  WHAT?
4. I enjoy shopping for maternity pants just because I like when the cashier asks if they are for me :) 
5. And this is something that I've been thinking a lot about.  God knows our baby.  He knows his or her life!  He had this planned for us.  I hope that Doug & I will raise this child to be a great man or woman of God.  Such an amazing responsibility, but one that I look forward to.

Stay tuned for 18 week belly pictures!

Here's a pic of Doug and myself (and my baby bump) on my birthday.

We Have Movement!!

Over the weekend, as we were driving around Branson, I mentioned to Doug that I thought I was feeling Wolfgang move.  It didn't feel like butterflies, or gas like many women say they feel, it was more of a twitching/pulsing/light thumping feeling.  It was after we had eaten, and I really wasn't sure if it was really the baby, or if I just wanted to think it was.  But, it has kept it up in the past few days after I eat.  When I'm sitting still in my chair, I feel it.  After telling my mom about it, I decided it really was my sweet little one and I couldn't be more excited!  I've been waiting so long to feel some movement!  Now I look forward to when the kicks are bigger and Doug will be able to feel Wolfgang! 

Also for those of you who might be counting down the days with me, it's exactly 20 days from today that we find out if the new addition will be named Doug Jr. or Dougana!  Woo Hoo!!

So many wonderful things!

Doug & I have had the best time over the past few day!  We spent the weekend in Branson for our 6th Anniversary.  We did some shopping, walked a 4 mile trail by the lake, did a bit more shopping, had delicious coldstone icecream, dinner at Landry's *best sea food place!*, and did just a little more shopping before we left.  When we got home on Sunday afternoon, we spent some time picking up our yard and mowing, then went on a bike ride (what an athletic couple we are!). 

Yesterday was my 25th birthday (I still feel 18, by the way).  It was a beautiful day - unfortunatly I had to spend it at work, all by myself it the office.  But, luckily, I work with some amazing people who kept coming downstairs to visit me, and even got me a pretty necklace and earrings!  Thanks Val & Mike!  They also reminded me how much I'm going to miss working there!  Anyway, I also got flowers from my love!  That pretty much made my day :)  We went to Olive Garden for dinner, and spent a little time in Target looking a baby items.  Doug was checking out the swings and wondered if they came in big boy sizes, haha!  I told him I had said the same thing last week when I was looking at the johnny jumpers that go in the doorway - I asked my mom if she thought they came in my size, because they look like so much fun!  Yep, Doug & I are really kids at heart!  I purchased a couple of birthday cardigans for myself, and a cute little sleeper for Wolfie while we were there.  Then it was on to Hastings to find a movie.  I picked Julie & Julia, which is a pretty good movie. 

Now, this next part of the evening is a typical "always happens to Doug & Megan" sort of thing.  Doug's truck (which we've only had a year) has been making a funny noise, so we've been planning to take it in to Toyota.  Doug decided that we could drop the truck off at his brothers house, and we would switch vehicles and Mark could get it checked out for us.  Well, about 3 blocks from Marks house, as we were turning off of Rangeline onto a side road, something happened...we heard a loud "pop" and the truck felt like one of the wheels was gonna fall off!  So, the next 3 blocks took about 10 minutes to drive because we had to go so slow!  Since Mark woldn't be able to drive Doug's truck around, we all had to pile into the itty-bitty toyota tacoma and ride back to Golden City so that Doug & I could get home, and Mark would still have a vehicle!  So, by the time we got home and settled, it was about 10:30.  I wasn't about to let that stop my birthday movie watching, so Doug & I stayed up until a little after midnight watching Julie & Juilia.

It was a great night, interesting, kinda fun, and not the least bit surprising.  Stuff like this happens to us all the time, but we're pretty good at just going with the flow.  Now, I'm looking forward to tonight.  Mom is making me a birthday dinner - my favorite enchiladas!  YUM!  Can't wait to spend the evening with my family and eat some good mexican food! 

Here are a couple pictures of my pretty flowers from Doug

And some lilacs that Doug's grandma picked for me :) they smell so good!

And last, but not least, a picture of Wolfie's new outfit!  It's so cute!

17 week pictures

A couple pics at 17 weeks.  I'm growin'! 

I'm having a...turnip??

It's funny to me how they compare the growing baby to all these cute fruits, and then at 17 weeks Wolfie is now a turnip!  Not the most glamorous of foods, but I guess that's the way it is!

Wolfgang weighs about 5 ounces, and is about 5 inches from head to tush!  Baby can move it's joints and the sweat glands are starting to develop.

This week has been a great one!  The weather has been nice, really windy - but it's drying out the fields!  I've been looking forward to this weekend, and it's finally here!  Doug & I will celebrate our 6th anniversary tomorrow.  Oh my, it seems like just yesterday we got married.  Where does the time go??  We're heading to Branson for a weekend getaway - something we do every year to celebrate.  We don't go to the shows, but do like shopping and they have some pretty walking trails by the lake that we enjoy.  I keep thinking about how busy Doug is soon going to be, and it makes me sad (crying as I type this...love those emotions!).  This will be our last summer of just "us".  Don't get me wrong, I couldn't be more excited about Wolfie.  I think this is one of those things that every pregnant woman thinks about.  To think that next summer when it rains, and Doug gets an unexpected day off, we won't be heading to the ranch for that night.  At least not as easily as before.  Never again will we be as care free, and just get up and go.  It's not a bad thing - just so much changes in a very short 9 months!  Yes, I said short...I'm already four months along!  So, I'm really looking forward to the next few days.

On a happier note (I've stopped crying), I keep wondering when my belly is going to look pregnant!  I know I should savor these days when I'm not big, and enjoy that I can still wear my regular jeans, but I'm really tired of looking chubby!  I know soon it'll happen, I'm just impatient!  So, since I'm feeling chubby, I saw this cartoon and it made me feel better knowing I'm not really a chunk...I've got a baby growin' in me!

Have I finally made up my mind?

I told Doug last night that I have finally decided how I want to decorate the nursery.  He told me I'd change my mind in about a week (which is very likely) but I wanted to share the bedding that I'm going to get.

I think it will work well for a boy or a girl.  The green looks like a sage green in this picture, but I've seen a picture of it that someone had posted from thier nursery, and it's actually more of an apple green.  A bit brighter.  I like it a lot.  I didn't want to do anything that was really gender specific, because I have this fear that our little one is stubborn like me, and we won't be finding out what Wolfie is until he/she is born! (We'll see May 4). 
So, I was thinking it would be cute to paint one wall the apple green, and the rest of the room will be the khaki that we have already painted.  Then maybe painting some of the "flowers" on the wall, and accenting in orange or yellow.  I really don't want anything too crazy, I'll definitely keep it toned down.  Doug & I aren't into the loud, crazy bright nurseries.  But I think that adding the orange or yellow, (or something else) will give it some punch without taking it over the top.

But, like I said, this could very well change in about a week or so.  haha!

16 week pictures

A couple pics of "the bump" at 16 weeks.

Getting bigger :)

Somebody Stop Me! :)

Oh my goodness...I need help!  I have spent the past 2 hours looking at nursery ideas on the internet!  This is the website I've been stuck at:  http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Nurseries/gallery.esi

Now, there is good news and bad news.  The good:  I have found some fun new ideas that I might like to try, and a totally different theme than I had planned on.  The bad:  the creative people (Carla, Mike & Michelle) along with the not so creative ones (mom and myself...sorry mom!) might have a little more work to do.  But don't worry guys, it shouldn't be too hard!  Plus, remember how much you guys love me and how much I love you?!  And how fun it'll be to spend a day together!  Oh, and I'm gonna let you all blame this on Doug.  If he would have been home today, I wouldn't have been on the internet finding these ideas.  So really, it's all his fault.  (ok it's not really his fault, but a girl can try, right??  Love you babe!)

The size of an Avocado

16 weeks!  Wolfgang is now about the size of an avocado

In the next few weeks, Wolfie will double in size and weight!  His/her first big growth spurt! :)  Our little one now has fingernails and toenails, and Wolfgang's heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, the amount will continue to increase as baby grows and develops.

I'm really hoping to feel some movement soon.  My Dr. said I might not until about 20 weeks, but I have high hopes that I'll feel it before then!  I mean, this is Doug's kid after all - baby probably doesn't know it's own strength! :)