All about the baby

Let's start with the fun things! Being that it is Christmas time, I had lots of opportunities to take pictures and got several belly shots.

22 weeks

24 weeks

Christmas Day - 25 weeks

As my pregnancy progresses, everything has become more and more about the baby, which I think is fabulous! More every day I want so desperately to hold her in my arms. I want to stroke her soft baby head, play with her little baby hands, and tickle those little baby feet. I have come close to saying, "I can't wait until she gets here." But, in actuality, I can wait. I will wait as long as I need to for our sweet Charlotte to grow into a healthy baby. So, from now on I am going to say, "I am excited for when she gets here."

Over Christmas, we were so blessed to receive some wonderful things for Charlotte. Here was her first ever Christmas gift! She got a pair of Longhorn booties from her Uncle Aaron, Aunt Jessica, and cousins Aaris, Titus, and Skylyn.
The next gift has a very special meaning. Mark's grandmother, who we call Wilmama, is a wonderful seamstress. When Mark's girl cousins were younger she sewed matching dresses for each girl and her cabbage patch doll. Those dresses have been saved all these years. Mark's cousin, Debi, and Aunt DD have passed along one of the dresses to Charlotte. It will be so special to put this on her next winter knowing that it was made and passed on in love.
Charlotte also received a beautiful sweater, pj set, and some toys from Santa!

The next section are some of my recent reflections on pregnancy.

Baby Kicks
I never realized how completely wonderful and miraculous it is to feel your baby kick and move. Even as I am typing, little Charlotte is moving around and I just absolutely love it. Yesterday during church, I looked down and my stomach was bouncing here and there from her little movements. I love that the other night, while I was laying in bed reading and Mark was listening to his ipod, his hand was on my stomach and we could both feel her move, move, move. It is a miracle that I didn't know I would cherish so much, but have come to love every flutter I feel. Those flutters (and large jabs!) remind me that my baby is thriving, growing, and that God is watching over her each day. Thank you, Lord, for the gift of our baby girl's kicks.

My growing stomach
It seems that every time I get dressed, I never know quite what to expect. I never before in my life realized how wonderful it was to have a wardrobe full of clothes that I knew fit and didn't have to think about while getting dressed. That is no longer the case! I joke that every day I have a wardrobe dilemma. I am so grateful for my friends and their never ending supply of maternity clothes that seem to keep coming out of the woodwork as I need it. I had to laugh the other night when I was getting ready for bed. I put on a tank top to sleep in and it was finally at the point that I could not longer stretch it down over my stomach. I just had to let my belly hang out!

What is that feeling?
There are several things that are happening to my body that I have never really experienced before, although I was aware of the possibility of them happening during pregnancy. The first would be my hot-naturedness. I have always been cold . . . my entire life. Well, not anymore! The last few Sundays in church I have been overwhelmed with how hot I can get in the auditorium. While the people around me are cold, including my husband wearing his coat, I am fanning myself and trying to fight off a sense of nausea caused from becoming too hot. On Christmas Eve morning I bundled up for the drive to Mark's parents' house. Halfway there, I was about to have a heat stroke! We had to turn the A/C on full blast right in my face while Mark shivered in the driver's seat.
Another thing is acid reflux. A week and a half ago when I was at the doctor for a check-up I told her I felt like I had food in my throat. She told me it was because I did have food in my throat and I was experiencing acid-reflux. I now cannot leave home without tums!
Finally, my mom told me she suffered from this a lot during her pregnancies, but I didn't expect it this bad - charlie horses in my calves! These are not a wonderful thing to wake up to in the middle of the night! The other night, I could have sworn that there was literally a golf ball under my skin because I could feel my muscle in a giant ball.
That all being said, I am not really complaining. I will happily deal with these things and more for the blessing of our baby girl!

Nursery
We are starting the first planning stages of our nursery! We have ordered and picked up her crib and changing table. However, they will stay in their boxes until the nursery is cleared and painted. Our goal is to have that done by the end of January! Anyone want to help? :) We also have purchased her bedding. It is so adorable!

Mark and I are both so very grateful that the first 25 weeks of pregnancy have been exciting and smooth-sailing, and are looking forward to the next 15!