Halfway and Big News!

As of Christmas Day, I am 20 weeks pregnant, which means I'm halfway to meeting our sweet baby!

This week, Baby Holt is the size of a cantaloupe.



"Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation... baby's genitals are now fully formed!"

And, the biggest news of all...we found out on Monday that we're having a BOY!

My belly at 20 weeks (Christmas Day!):

Week 19

Baby Holt is the size of a mango. Doesn't that sound cuter and sweeter than a sweet potato or an onion?



"Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature."

We had our BIG ultrasound yesterday and we have a healthy baby! Everything is looking good and baby's growth is right on schedule. Baby Holt currently weighs a whopping 11 ounces! We do have to go for a follow up ultrasound on January 19. We have a wiggly baby and the ultrasound tech was unable to get good photos of the heart chambers the the lip and nose area.

Much to the dismay of our families, we've decided to keep the sex (and the nursery!) under wraps until the baby is born. Sorry Mom and Dad and Phil and Brenda! However, it's only 20 weeks to wait to find out what your grandchild will be.

18 Weeks!

Time is really starting to fly! Baby Holt is the size of a sweet potato. The picture looks a little alien-like, though.



"Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon."

I haven't felt any movement yet, but I'm waiting until I feel that first flutter or maybe even the first kick. My belly has really started to grow:



Anyone want to make guesses on whether Baby Holt is a boy or a girl? Take the poll to the right!

The Kitchen Project

We started our kitchen project in August when our new granite countertops were installed. It took about another 3-4 weeks to finish up the backsplash and I haven't had a chance to take new pictures until now!

Just as a reminder, here is our kitchen before:

Drumroll please......the kitchen now! We added new granite countertops in Oura Brazil granite with a triple waterfall edge, a new sink and faucet, beadboard backsplash and undercabinet lighting.

Close up of the backsplash and Ryan added under cabinet lighting himself:

Edge profile:



Looking out from the kitchen peninsula:



It brightened up our entire kitchen and we couldn't be happier with the outcome!

My Christmas Wish List

Since Christmas is a time for wishes, here is my list. :) Some are definitely more attainable than others:

1. The three books remaining in the Twilight series: New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. Yes, you can call me a preteen for loving these books!








2. An UsWeekly subscription. Ours has run out and since it's over $50/yr, we have voted to skip the renewal. But, I really miss my weekly celebrity gossip!

3. A digital SLR camera. With the baby on the way, I think it would be great to have a new camera. Another thing Ryan says no to, as he has bought me too many cameras in our 11 years together. For the record, he has bought me 2. One for my college graduation and one for my 30th birthday. The others were "family purchases" after he lost our digital camera while traveling in Europe.

4. Gap/Old Navy gift cards for maternity clothes. Kind of boring, but I need maternity clothes and these are the most reasonable stores to shop at for maternity wear.

5. A new Sonicare toothbrush. My beloved Sonicare has died and my teeth miss their ultra-fresh feeling after brushing!

6. Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter lotion for my growing baby belly!



7. Classic Short Uggs in chocolate. I know some people hate Uggs, but they are seriously warm and comfortable for Indiana winters! (Oh, and I wear a size 9!).




8. Fuzzy Pink slippers. I have had my old slippers for 8 years now and it's time for a new pair! I'd like them to be machine washable if possible.

9. 2 of these Rattan Chairs from ZGallerie. They will be perfect for my home office!



10. A king size bed. I love this Martha Stewart bed! I can't find pricing online, so I need to go to a store and find out how much this baby will cost. It's gorgeous and would be perfect with the Tempurpedic mattress I found on Overstock.com.



A girl can dream, right?

17 Weeks

I can't believe how quickly time is passing. I'm 17 weeks today and in just over 2 weeks, we will know whether we are having a boy or a girl!

At 17 weeks, Baby Holt is the size of an onion. Could there be a worse description? Ugh!



"Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints."

My 17 week photo...no makeup and pjs, but at least you can see the belly growing!

It's Christmastime at Our House!

I have been such a bad blogger lately and it is one of my New Year's Resolutions to get better at it. I have so much to update!

Anyway, the most exciting (at least for this time of year!)...our house is decorated for Christmas! We have 5 trees in our house (one in each room of the main floor).

This is our main tree in the family room with all of our sentimental ornaments that we received as gifts or bought during our travels:

This tree is in our office and is visible from the outside of our house. The office wall color is green, so the tree is all green, blue and turquoise. I love it!

Dining room tree, decorated in blue and silver:

And, last but not least, the kitchen trees decorated in brown and gold. Yes, those are feathers on top of the trees!

Our Colts wreath hanging inside the front door:

The dining room table ready for holiday dinners:

The foyer wine bar right as you walk in the front door:


I still need to take photos of the mantle and outdoors, but those will have to wait for another day!

16 Weeks and My 3rd Appointment

I have been a bad blogger lately. Ever since we returned from our vacation, I feel like time is flying. We only had three days of work and then it was the long Thanksgiving weekend. We enjoyed our Thanksgiving dinner with the in-laws at their home and then spent the rest of the weekend finishing Ryan's foyer project and then decorating our house for Christmas! We were so busy I forgot to do my 16 week update and now I'm almost 17 weeks!

Anyway, here goes! At 16 weeks, Baby Holt is about the size of an avocado.

"Watch what you say... tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. And, if you're interested, an ultrasound might be able to determine gender."

It blows me away that Baby can hear us now. I just can't wait to feel him or her move. It can happen any day now!

I'm feeling great! My energy is back, I'm not having any bouts of sickness and I have very few food aversions. The only things I still cannot stomach are coffee and soda. I guess neither of those are bad things!

I am quickly growing out of my clothes. I still only have 2 pairs of work maternity pants and very few maternity shirts. Ryan doesn't want me to spend any money, but it is soon to be inevitable. I am going to need new clothes soon!

People that know I am pregnant can tell that I'm showing, but I haven't received any comments from strangers yet. Most people that find out I'm nearly 17 weeks pregnant don't believe me! It's not necessarily a bad thing, but I'm ready to show for real! :)

My third appointment was today. Ryan couldn't make it because he had meetings at work, but I got to hear Baby's heartrate (166 bpm) and had my general checkup with the doc. Everything is looking good and measuring right on track. I also had the AFP testing done today to see if Baby has any developmental disabilities like spina bifida or Downs.

The best part of today's appointment---the BIG ultrasound is scheduled! So, we'll know the baby's sex right before Christmas. The question is whether we will share the news with our families when we find out or wait to reveal it to them on Christmas Day. Hrmmm.... For what it's worth, I'm convinced that we are having a girl. We'll see if my guess is right in about 2.5 weeks!

My 16 week photo: