Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas everyone!! Dave and I had a nice time with both sides of the family. Here's a pic before the Siemens Christmas party on the 12th. I will probably post some newer pics soon. Now that Christmas is over I am really looking foward to getting the Nursery set up. My goal is to have it finished by the end of February. I am sure many of you are wondering what her name will be. I will be announcing it soon so be prepared!

Ear of Corn

My little girl is as big as an ear of corn now and weighs a little more than a pound. I can't believe how fast time is flying. I keep peeking into the Nursery and picturing what the room will look like in just a few short months. I've got boxes and stuffed animals laying around everywhere.

She is kicking alright...

Oh...my...goodness.... I am watching little waves of kicks and punches across my belly right now. I knew her kicks were getting stronger but wow! What an awesome feeling knowing my baby is in there, bouncing around kicking in response to my touch and voice.

crib bedding and nursery setup

I got my crib bedding in the mail yesterday. It is so cute!! I can't wait to get the nursery set up. I am thinking a nice rusty orange for the walls. What do you think?

The Azania 6 Piece Baby Crib Bedding Set includes: quilt, bumper, dust ruffle, fitted sheet, window valance and a diaper stacker. As you can see in the picture, there are lots of other pieces too. That nice little rug may end up on the floor in my house too.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving! I went with Dave to see his Grandmothers and immediate family in Kinston. Today, I put on walking shoes and pulled my hair into a ponytail so I could take on the Black Friday crowds at Crabtree. I got more shopping done than I expected. There are some great deals out there this year! I've passed the 22 week mark this week and all is well. I hope it continues that way.

wiggle worm

I have a restless little wiggle worm in my stomach. She doesn't kick me hard but I can definitely feel it. Apparently, she likes the right side of my body. I have yet to feel any kicking on the left side. I am still constantly craving fruit and just can't drink enough juice to satisfy my needs. I am happy that my body has chosen fruit as a weakness. Can you imagine if all I wanted was cheeseburgers! Yikes! Oh, if any mommas out there have suggestions about what is a must-have registry item, let me know! The best resources out there are tried and true moms!

The glass is half full

Half·way
Pronunciation: \'haf-'wā, 'häf-\
Function: adjective


- center(a): equally distant from the extremes
- at a point midway between two extremes; "at the halfway mark"
- at half the distance; at the middle; "he was halfway down the ladder when he fell"
- including only half or a portion; "halfway measures"

Yes, ladies and gentleman... I am at the halfway point. 20 weeks in, 20 weeks left!

1) Now that we know we are having a little girl, I have getting my registries updated. I picked Target and Walmart just in case. Babys R Us scares me. It is just so overwhelming!
2) I have decided that the baby must be a night owl. I don't ever feel her kicking until after 10 in the morning. Speaking of kicking, it's gettting stronger and more frequent. I haven't been able to feel them outside of my stomach yet but I am sure I will soon.
3) I have pretty much retired all pants BB (before baby) and have gone to dresses, skirts, and maternity clothing. It's been fun wearing a new wardrobe, I feel so stylish and classy at the same time.
4) The house is in disarray. We have been moving stuff from closet-to-room-to-shed-to-other room-to-trash and so on all week. I can see the start of fresh new nursery underneath all of those boxes. At least... I think I can...

We are having a girl!

It was a big day today for the Ward family. We found out we are having a girl!! I am so excited. The ultrasound room was a bit crowded today with my Husband, Mom, Dad, mother in law and Nana all in the room but it was worth it to share this special moment with them. The baby looks great and is right where a 19 week old should be. I love the picture of her saying "I'm number 1!"

Halloween

I couldn't quite figure out what to dress up as for Halloween. I knew I couldn't wear a sexy witch or nurse outfit or any of that stuff. I didn't want to go to the other extreme either and be a pumpkin or whoopie cushion. So, I stayed in the middle with a homemade "Juno" outfit. Juno is a movie from a few years ago where the star of the movie gets pregnant while in school. It's a great and heartwarming film that I highly recommend. I hope everyone had a great Halloween!

The poll has come to a close

The poll has come to a close. 63% of my "fans" think that a little girl is on the way. 37% believe the babe to be a boy. In less than a week, we will be getting a screening ultrasound which includes a gender indentification. I can't wait to let you all know what we find out!

What is Heather going to do?

What is my poor sweet dog going to do when we have a baby in this house? The last time she was around a crying a child she just looked at me and barked.

Letter to Baby

Letter to baby: Well, here I am little bean! You are 17 weeks old today and people are finally beginning to realize that I am pregnant and not just gaining weight. I have a fun new wardrobe thanks to you. Maternity pants feel so much better than my normal jeans! Your Daddy wants you to know that he wrote a song for you and I hope you like it. It's a little ditty about us and how we met. There is so much that I want to show you in the world and I hope you can put up with all the silly little things that I do on a regular basis. Until then, keep on growing and becoming that beautiful little baby I know you will be.

Luv your Mom

3 weeks till the next ultrasound!

I have scheduled my gender screening ultrasound. In three weeks, we will know what the gender of the baby is! I am so excited! I haven't felt any kicking yet but I am sure I will within the next couple of weeks.

Also, I am going shopping for some maternity clothes tomorrow. These pants just aren't getting any bigger.

roller coaster

So here I am, on a late Monday night lounging around in sweatpants. I am sitting in what will soon be the nursery in just a few short months. I can imagine how cute and sweet this little room will be with a fresh coat of paint and happy smiling animals looking down at me from their place on the walls. I feel like I am riding on the slowest roller coaster in the world. It goes so fast yet, it sits still just as much. Regardless of where I am on the ride, I know there is a big drop coming up that will take my breath away.

15 weeks and counting

There are lots of wonderful things happening this week.

1) The baby will soon have teeny tiny little earbones which means I won't be talking to myself anymore. Someone will always hear what I have to say.
2) The baby has been kicking for weeks now but soon, it will be strong enough for me to feel it.
3) In 5 weeks or less, we will also find out the gender of the baby.
4) Picture a granny smith apple, that's the size of the baby.

:)

Safari Room

I've decided on a safari theme for the baby's room. I know it's early but I can't help but look around this little room and see crocodiles, lions and zebras.

13 weeks and life is good

My hubby did a good job this year with birthday presents. He was thinking about both of our abilities to sleep with an active baby in the house. I got a maternity pillow which looks like the picture I attached and an extremely comfy mattress pad that feels like heaven.

I'm doing quite well now that I am in the 2nd trimester. I am not nearly as nauseated or tired as I was before. I am beginning to embrace the 67 degree working conditions I am subjected to each day. I have been wearing short sleeves and no jacket all week It has been great considering I spent the summer in sweaters in this building. Brrrrr. Tomorrow I will be talking to HR about maternity leave to get the official word on how and when I take time off after the baby.

Finally, I have decided to do a fun little poll for all my visitors. In 5-6 weeks, we will know the baby's gender. What do you think it will be? A few "wives tale" symptoms are:

craving fruit / orange juice

carrying high

fetal heartbeat is 160

stronger and faster growing nails

Shiny fast growing hair

mid morning sickness

increased ache (Ack!)

12 weeks today!

I just went in for my latest appointment today. I've got more pictures too. Yay! The baby is right where a baby should be at this age, actually a little bit bigger. The baby is closer to the size of a 13 week old. He/She was being quite disagreable and not in the mood for an ultrasound. All of the pictures were taken in a very short amount of time. The baby had it's back to the ultrasound for most of the time. After a little bit of coaxing from the doc, the baby flipped over for a minute or two. On a side note, my pants are getting pretty tight these days. I'm going to have to go maternity shopping this weekend or else I am going to be wearing sweatpants to work.

Ultrasound numero dos

On September 1st, I went to the doctor's for my second ultrasound. What a difference 2 weeks makes! Little bean is looking more and more like a human. As you can see in the pictures, the arms and elbows have developed and so have the legs as well. In the 3d pics you can even see the cute little ears. The best part about Monday was the length of time I had watching the baby. I watched long enough to see hickups and a thumb sucking reflex. Amazing....

Deli meats are a no no

With all of the crazy lists of "do" and "do nots" it is amazing our species has been able to have any babies! The newest craze is DO NOT eat deli meat. Sigh... I love deli meat. Apparently there is a possibility there is a bacteria in deli meat and soft cheeses that can make you sick and potentially make the baby sick. I had a meeting today where we had deli meat sandwiches and I couldn't eat them. Wah!! I got to fill up on Strawberries and grapes though and that was nice. Speaking of grapes, that is the size of little ward right now, a happy little grape.

1st ultrasound

Well, here they are. The first official pictures of little sweetness. I had such an amazing experience yesterday. I was able to watch her move around and settle into a comfortable position. I saw the heart beating too. I was even able to hear the heartbeat! I was correct with my prediction, the due date is 3/31/10. It's all becoming real now!

first ultrasound 8/20

Tomorrow will be a big day for me and Dave. We will be getting our first "picture" of the baby at the doctor's office. Yay for ultrasounds! We will also find out a more exact due date and if there is more than one little bean in there. Yikes. It will be a day to celebrate. I will let you know the details as soon as possible.

blueberries

I am finding it quite humourous that most websites compare the size of growing babies to the size of fruits and veggies. One week it's a garden pea, the next, a butterbean. This week, we have reached the fruit status of blueberry; delicious yummy blueberries. I bought some from the grocery store yesterday and I'm holding one now. It's amazing that this tiny little being (the size of a blueberry) will be a beautiful watermelon sized child in less than 8 months. Here's to fruits of all sizes and colors! Hip hip Hoorah!!

I have been craving egg mcmuffins. I am not really a fan of fast food but I have a hard time passing by a McDonalds on the way to work now. I keep thinking about those juicy cheesy sandwiches and drool... I found out that there are machines out there that you can buy that MAKE Egg McMuffins. Wow... I would be way over the typical 25 pregnancy pounds if I had that thing!

Toys R Us

I have a secret...I stopped by Toys R Us a few days ago and checked out their baby section. The isles were full of diapers, formula, clothes, toys, etc., I looked at mobiles and carseats, bottles and walking shoes, and so on and so on. I couldn't believe how much stuff was there for infants. Does an infant need all of that stuff? Of course not! It doesn't stop wishful parents like myself from googling at all of the cute stuff though.

getting ready for baby

I have the strangest feeling in my stomach right now. It feels like I have been stretching my ab muscles after a previous day's attempt at sit-ups. I am continuing to work out but I have definitely avoided my abs. I had such horrible cramps 2 weeks ago and now, I can tell it's making way for the watermelon belly I will have in a few months. I am not really showing yet but with signs like this, I can only assume it will be soon. I can't hide my belly for long!

Take a look at this face. This handsome boy is going to be a father. He has been so supportive and generally ecstatic about the whole baby thing. Thanks honey for being the loving husband that you are.

Socks!

Just look at this sweet little socks! If you know me then you know I love funky socks. My baby will never have bare feet if I have these laying around. I wonder if they have mother and child matching sock packages out there somewhere. Hmm... I wonder...

Welcome!!

Welcome to the Baby Ward blog!

Me and Dave are expecting our first child on March 31 2010. I am absolutely thrilled and can't wait to share my joy and excitement with you all.