Our Little Work in Progress

T-9 weeks to go!  In some ways, that feels like eternity and in other ways, like its happening tomorrow!  There are so many thoughts and emotions going on right now and aside from the fun we are having preparing the nursery, I thought I would share my thoughts on this pregnancy, particularly so I don't forget anything when Addison asks me later in life :)

Eric and I had been trying to conceive for almost a year.  I will try and spare you the details, but I can't tell you how many pregnancy tests I went through and how many months ended in disappointment.  I finally went to the doctor and because I was quite irregular, the following month, he was going to put me on some medicine to try and regulate my cycle.  Before that next month rolled around, a very special Saturday in August came.  I remember waking up early, around 8 am (which is sleeping in at this point) and I just felt a little weird.  I had been feeling a little weird for a couple of days and had taken multiple pregnancy tests, but they were all negative.  I decided they may have been done a little early, so I tried one more.  And much to my surprise, it was positive!  I have never been so shocked, surprised, shocked, excited, shocked, and thankful in my whole life!  Eric was golfing, so it was just me and Cocoa at home.  I immediately fell on my knees and thanked God for this amazing gift!!  Throughout this frustrating process, my mom constantly reminded me that God had a perfect birthday for our baby and that day it was confirmed it would be April 2011!  I immediately called Eric and shared the good news!  He was very excited and went on to shoot a 70, the second best game of golf in his life! I assumed that was a good sign!

It was really exciting to tell our families and close friends, but it was really hard to keep our secret from everyone else until the first trimester was over.  That week, I went to the doctor so they could confirm the positive test.  We then went back at 7 weeks for our first ultrasound.  It was absolutely amazing to see our baby on the screen and hear her heartbeat!  Even when she was just the size of a blueberry!  Around that time, morning sickness (or as I like to call it "all day sickness") had also settled in because I vividly remember coming home and looking at the ultrasounds pictures, going to the bathroom to get sick, looking at the pictures again, getting sick again, and that pattern pretty much continued until around week 14.  Every day at work was a struggle and nothing was better then coming home at night, putting on something really comfortable, and settling into my favorite spot on the couch.  I spent many, many hours on the couch thinking I would never feel normal again and nothing seemed to help the nausea, other then the fact I knew it was for a really good cause!

After the nausea finally ended, I felt great!  The second trimester was really amazing!  I definitely felt pregnant and it was evident with my growing bump, but I had lots of energy and felt normal again.  We had fun starting to guess whether our baby was a boy or girl, what we would name him or her, how would we decorate the nursery, etc.  At that point, Eric was convinced she was a girl, but I wasn't so sure.  Of course the thought of a girl was very exciting just thinking of the accessories alone, but I also had the cutest golf themed nursery in mind if he was indeed a he!

The week of Thanksgiving came and we went in for our 20 week ultrasound.  After about half an hour of poking and prodding and silence we experienced with the non-emotional, borderline rude ultrasound technician, she told us it was a girl!  I cried and Eric immediately came to the realization, "I have to walk her down the aisle"!  We called our families and shared the good news that our baby was indeed made of Sugar & Spice!  Then the fun began thinking of names, which I have to say was a lot harder then I thought it would be!  As you all probably know, I loved the name Stella, but I'm pretty sure I was the only one.  And we had talked about Stella so much, it didn't seem fitting for this particular baby.  So that night, Eric and I went to dinner to celebrate and Eric came up with Addison, which I loved!  And we decided her name would be Addison Ashley Weaver!

December came, Christmas was a lot of fun, and I'm pretty sure Addison ended up with as many or more gifts then we did!  I also knew that after Christmas, the remaining time spent being pregnant would fly by at lightning speed.  January came and Project Nursery began and here we are today.  The third trimester has been good, but I definitely am feeling more uncomfortable and SO READY for her to be here.  Eric might also say I'm a tad more hormonal at this point and the nesting phase is definitely in full swing.  As of now, I just can't wait for her to get here...its like being a little kid and every day is Christmas Eve!

When I think back over the past 7 months or so, it really has been an incredible experience.  It has been absolutely amazing to:

- Think that she has grown from a poppy seed to a honeydew right before our eyes!
- Watch my body morph into something that can support this kind of growth...definitely scary at times!
- Thinking that you and the person you love the most created this little person that is a combination of you both...also scary at times :)
- Prepare to go from a family and household of two...to three!
- Eating lots of chocolate...guilt free!
- Imagine what its going to be like the first moment we hold her!
- Being wine free for 9 months and knowing its totally worth it!
- Visualizing ourselves as someones Mom & Dad for the rest of our lives!
- Feeling her kick and twist and turn and taking her everywhere with me...Addison, I'm sorry we have to spend so much time at work!   And remember, do as I say, not as I do!
- Think about introducing her to her grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who are so excited for her pending arrival!
- Thanking God every day for the gift of life and especially the gift of our sweet baby girl!

Addison, you will never know how excited we are to welcome you into our lives and what an incredible blessing you are!!  Mommy and Daddy love you so much already!!!
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