My Pregnancy

I will admit it.  I am a procrastinator.  As soon as I announced my pregnancy I knew I wanted to blog about it.  I wanted to keep a record so I could someday, when my memories are less fresh, tell my future child about how he came into the world.  Well I never got around to it and Sammy came a month early, so I just want to write down a few things I never want to forget about this exciting time in our family.  
 

Getting pregnant was not an easy process.  I will not go into all the details, but after many, many months of disappointment and frustrations I finally got our positive pregnancy test.  Carl and I both balled our eyes out with joy.  It was the happiest day of my life since the day Carl and I were married.  

Our positive pregnancy test.

The first trimester of pregnancy was a roller-coaster.  I felt great.  I had absolutely no morning sickness.  But, frequent spotting made me wonder if this baby would make it into the second trimester. On the day after I told my parents about the pregnancy I had one particularly scary incident that brought me to the ER.  With a few blessings and countless prayers Sammy pulled through.  One positive aspect was the frequent ultrasounds.  I got to see our little peanut about 7 times instead of the usual 2 times. 

Our favorite ultrasound picture.  This was about 12 weeks.

 By 16 weeks I felt confident enough to announce my pregnancy to the world. 
I anxiously awaited the 20-week, gender ultrasound.  I thought the day would never come.  (I desperately wanted to start shopping.)  We impatiently made lists of names and began looking at nursery decorations.    I had a feeling from early on in the pregnancy that we were having a boy.   When the day finally arrived and we informed that we would be having a little man and I was not surprised at all. 

This was me at about 25 weeks.  I did not take many belly pics.

I slowly started to grow a baby belly.  I never got particularly large, but by the end you could defiantly tell I was pregnant.  (Maybe I will get the basketball look with baby number 2.)    I kept busy with work.   Carl and I put the nursery together.  I felt great. 

Mom and I hung this cute tree decal.  She also did all the alphabet cards.

Carl and I painted the letters over the crib.

This is the cute shelf we got from Land of Nod.

School ended the first week of June and I began preparing for family to come into town for my baby shower.  My mom came for a visit and we spent our last baby free, mommy/daughter week together.  I am very grateful for all love and support she has always given me.  On June 18^th I celebrated our coming baby with a wonderful group of friends and family.  It was a perfect baby shower.  It was beautiful!!!  Sammy was totally outfitted.  I feel truly blessed.  

My Hostesses and I at the shower!

I spent the next few days running around Chicago with my mom, my sister and her kids.  It was a blast.  When they left I settled into what I thought was going to be my last month of pregnancy.  I unpacked my shower gifts and started to relax.  When Carl and I celebrated my birthday on the 28^th I had no inclination that I would be a mommy in less than a week!

Me on my b-day.  Only 3 days before I delivered!

On July 1 at about 1 am my water broke and contractions began.  My life would never be the same.  I wouldn’t want it any other way.