Coming out...

It's official. 

I'm an outie. 

Exciting stuff around here these days! We've got belly buttons popping out, baby moving around in there and Justin trying on a sling (I wish I had a picture to prove it!). Oh, and today is the official "half-way" mark. Whew! I really can't believe how fast this is all moving.

My grand to-do list is coming along nicely. We've registered for several baby prepping classes (it's starting to really hit us that we have so much to learn still). We attended "Baby Wearing 101" last week, where Justin tried on a Maya Sling. If any of you readers out there have any advice/recommendations, I welcome them. I'm pretty sure on a Moby Wrap, but the ring sling was great, too. (And Justin looked so great wearing that thing!) I'm so excited about "wearing my baby". So many wonderful benefits I've read and heard about I just can't wait to try it out and get to have my baby close by me for much of the day. "Diaper Up!" is up this weekend. I'm really excited (yes, folks, EXCITED) to try out cloth diapers. Don't even think about trying to talk me out of it either. I'm going to give it my best and have a really great feeling about it. (Margie - I found a great online deal earlier this week that was buy one get one free for some FuzziBunz cloth diapers, so I ordered a couple with your shower gift money. I have plenty leftover too, so I'll keep you posted on what else I find!)

We had a check up earlier this week. It was fun to have a Grandma there to hear her Grand-baby's heartbeat for the first time. Other Grandmas (and Grandpas), see video below. (Note: you might have to turn up the volume a little more.)

Watching and listening to this makes me so incredibly happy. Each time I am reminded of how absolutely awesome God has made this process of creation. It gets me so excited for when I get to hold that soul in my arms for the first time. Speaking of excitement, in two weeks we go in for our next ultrasound and hopefully get to find out whether we have a boy or girl bouncing around in there. So. Freakin. Excited!

Just call me the "Queen of the Deals"

Ok, ok. I've been a horrible blogger lately. I'm sorry. All my shows started last month and I somehow have accumulated one pretty much every weekday. House, Glee, Modern Family and Fringe. I recommend them all!  And I don't know if I've mentioned it yet, but we got this new glider/recliner chair and I'm in love with it! The minute I sit down, I'm not moving till it's time for bed, or when I have to go to the bathroom ; )

Anywho, so week 18 is coming to an end. I'm sorry, what? That's like almost half way! Yippee! As well as my second trimester has been treating me, I'm just so darn excited to meet the little one. Belly is continuing to expand and I couldn't be happier. My appointment a couple weeks back went well. Baby's heartbeat was 153. I'm now anxiously waiting for the next milestone...feeling the baby move. I don't know what to expect at all but they tell me I'll know when it starts. Also, about a month from now we'll have our ultrasound to see what flavor we are having. Definitely excited for that!

So, the past few weeks I've also been busy finding some sweeeeet deals! Neat Repeatz is this awesome consignment sale I heard about from a friend at church. Basically, a couple times a year, they set up this store of used baby and children's stuff to buy. It was amazing! I bought some maternity cloths for myself for pennies on the dollar of what I would have had to spend brand new. I was most excited about finding the bedding for the nursery! I came across a great pattern with colors that will work for a girl or a boy and it will match perfectly with the color the nursery is already painted! AND it was still in the packaging, AND guess how great of a deal I got on it??  Well, I found the exact bedding still available to purchase online and it was $200 plus the set I found at Neat Repeatz came with the matching mobile which sells for $40. I got both for $80.00!!!  Seriously, I have a gift people. Check out what it looks like here! I put together this gigantic "to do" list that I'd like to have done b.b.a. (before baby arrives!) Carpet cleaning is one of those and I get to check it off tomorrow! Then we'll be ready to start putting the nursery together! So excited! 

Wait, there's more. Quite possibly THE BEST deal I'll come across in my preparing for baby journey! Circle ME is another great little baby boutique that I came across. They offer FREE educational classes, a couple I attended were "Cloth Diapering 101" and "Baby Wearing 101". They too had a consignment sale last weekend that Justin and I took advantage of. We picked up, get this, a bulk package, 288 to be exact, of nursing pads for, wait for it....$5.00!  Can you believe it! I had to see for myself what and incredible deal this was so when we were at Target, we stopped by the baby section and saw you could by a box of 36 for over $5. Sweet deal...confirmed. Justin was such a trooper. I made him carry the box around for me while I continued to shop.

So that's what we've been up to! I want to send a shout out to all the wonderful friends and family who read this blog. It's so encouraging to hear your comments and your own stories. Many of you have been in our prayers. God continues to reveal to me how He's been working in our lives. We love you!