Already Blessed!

(This picture is supposed to be at the end, but somehow ended up here. This is everything we received at our first shower - see the end of the post for more explanation.)

First off, school's out for summer! School's out forever (not really, but I cannot say the first sentence without finishing Alice Cooper's song - thank you, Ms. Eatherly/Smeatherly/Smitherly/Dr. Smith for always singing that to us! Only those of you who graduated from Northland got that reference)! I am so glad to have the next couple of months to finish the nursery, relax, and prepare for life to change in big ways! I will also be working on curriculum writing (as usual) - this is the best summer job for me, because I can sit inside at a computer and listen to music without having to manage a classroom of students. I will definitely hold on to that job for as long as possible!

In other news, we had our first baby shower this week! Neal's two aunts from Connecticut and North Carolina were in town visiting his grandmother, so they wanted to give us a shower. I was really only expecting a couple of gifts and dinner, but they went all out! It was so nice to get to visit with everyone, and I can't believe how much they spoiled us and Camden! Here is a picture of all of the family:

(from L to R: Neal's dad, Aunt Connie, Aunt Michael Ann, Neal's mom, Neal's grandmother Stella, me, Neal, and his sister Kendyll)

Neal does not usually go to showers, so I was proud of him for sitting through it patiently (and he didn't even play games on his iPhone - shocking, I know).

More guests at the shower - also very patient as I opened everything. I told Neal that he should help open gifts, but he never spoke up and reminded me to give him a turn. He's not really into opening gifts. Of course, I was teased for how meticulous I was about not tearing any paper or bows and how I pretty much re-wrapped the gifts that came from gift bags. I just like things to be neat and organized!

We even had a cake! It was delicious, and I thoroughly enjoyed finishing this for dessert every night this week after the shower. We both felt like we were back at our wedding for this picture - even though we did not really cut this cake - we just pretended. I didn't want to be responsible for choosing the piece sizes.

At the seat of honor surrounded by all of the gifts for our precious little boy!

Close-up of the sinfully delicious cake - I also found out that the majority of our guests (including myself and Neal) at our shower prefer inside pieces of cake, because none of us were crazy about icing. Although, this was some seriously good icing. I think I have raved quite enough about the cake!

Adorable napkins that Neal's Aunt Connie found in North Carolina, and although we were given the extra napkins, they did not survive once our yorkie/shih tzu mix found them on the floor by the shower gifts upstairs. I kept wondering why the dogs were so interested in going upstairs to see all of the gifts for Camden. I thought they were trying to make a bed out of the clothes, but no, our dogs were eating the napkins! When I was finally able to sit down and sort through everything, I found little pieces of blue napkin all over our game room. Peyton (the blond dog) has always had a fascination with paper products, and he feels that is both necessary and appropriate to shred them to bits. This is one of his few vices, but a vice that earns him a spanking and a very stern, "Bad dog!" I was not happy, so I am hoping someone else was able to save one of these, since he managed to chew a piece off of every napkin in the entire stack!

Neal's Aunt Michael Ann is truly gifted at floral arrangements, and she had put several arrangements together around his grandmother's house. This one came home with us, and I absolutely loved the colors and flowers that she chose for this arrangement. I wish she could put together fresh flowers for our home everyday!

If you saw the photo at the top of this post, you know that Camden's great aunts and grandmother really had fun shopping for him! We now have a fancy swaddle and soothe bouncer, several sets of super soft pj's, a food processor, freezer trays for the baby food that we will be making (more on that later, but I am very excited about this!), socks, swaddling blankets, washcloths, and so on. I couldn't believe how much they bought for him! He is going to be one very blessed, spoiled little boy!

Also (in health news), I have been noticing more aches and pains lately, but those are to be expected. I am also having to get up in the middle of the night more often which I know is preparing me for when Camden is actually here. I will post 24 week belly pictures with my next post. I actually thought that I wasn't really getting bigger this week, but then I put on my favorite pair of maternity capri pants yesterday and noticed that they are much more snug than they used to be, so I am definitely growing - which means the little guy inside of me is growing, too! He also moves very regularly - usually after a good meal or when I am laying or sitting down to relax. Those movements are so comforting!

Tomorrow, we leave very early in the morning to drive to Alabama to visit my grandparents and then we will travel up to Nashville to visit our good friends Brantley and Adrienne and meet their new daughter Ainsley. I can't wait to see everyone! Happy Memorial Day and happy summer off to all my teacher friends!

Mother's Day Fun (And other important news)!

Ok, so I know I am almost a week late on this post, but until school gets out, I pretty much don't have free time or energy to do anything productive at home. I know this is a long one, but stay with me until the end for an exciting announcement - it is definitely worth your while! We had a fabulous Mother's Day weekend, so I just had to share the details! First off, we drove to Houston to visit my parents and made it just in time to have dinner at my favorite Mexican food restaurant, El Charro. Now, this trip involves bringing home a pint of salsa to enjoy once I get back to Fort Worth! And, did I mention we went to El Charro twice in three days? My family is so patient and accommodating with my cravings. After I thoroughly enjoyed my meal, we went back to my parents house and showed them the dvd from our ultrasound which I never get tired of watching. Neal is not as excited about it, because he still thinks that our baby looks like an alien - I am just constantly amazed and comforted by his movements and watching his heartbeat. After we watched the dvd, I was sitting on the couch with my hands resting on my stomach when I felt a little kick. I have felt movement for awhile, but I had not been able to catch anything that I could feel from the outside. This is very important to me, because I wanted Neal to be able to feel that with me! So, when I realized what I felt, I made him come over and feel my stomach, too, and Neal was able to feel our son kick for the very first time! My mom always has her camera available, so she was able to capture a picture for us as well. Not the most flattering picture, because I was totally stretched out on the couch, but the memory is what is most important, here. I also think that my good meal contributed to his kicks!
The next day, Mom and I were able to shop for some fun things for me and the baby! I have loved how much she has spoiled me over the last few months, and I already know that our son is going to be very spoiled by her gifts, seeing as how she is constantly picking stuff out for him! We went to Target and looked at bras (I was down to only one that still fit), maternity clothes, dresses for Mom to wear to baby showers, and of course, all of the nursery furniture, baby gadgets, etc. that Target has to offer. In case you don't know, my mom currently works with the youngest babies at her school, so she is up on all of the latest products. She knows what is popular, what doesn't really work, and what is trendy. This was so helpful for me - especially since Neal and I went to register for the first few items this week. We are so not even close to being finished, but we did get started. After Target, Mom and I went to Jo Ann's to look at yarn for a blanket she is making, and while I was there I decided to take back the striped fabric that I had originally bought at Hancock's and buy a different striped fabric that matches the polka dots that I was thinking about using for a diaper bag or something else. I also bought more of the polka dot fabric. I liked the first set of stripes, but I was having a hard time finding anything else that matched it, and I felt like I had been pressured into buying it by the saleslady at Hancock's who warned me that they would never get more of that particular design again. I was so worried that they wouldn't have it that I bought it without really looking at other stuff, first. So, I am much happier about what I have now. Also, mom bought me more tops at Motherhood Maternity which just so happened to be in the same parking lot as Target. I forgot how wonderful it can be to go to a store where all of the racks have clothes you can try on - not just the racks at the back of the store! Pretty much all of my cute maternity clothes have come from shopping sprees with Mom! Thanks, Mom!

On Sunday, we went to Minute Maid Park to watch the Astros beat the Padres. They have had a rough start to the season, so it was nice to see them win. Neal gave me a precious Mother's Day card that was from our baby (that made me bawl like a baby) - it was so sweet! And, the waterworks were definitely hormone-induced. I think that during the first trimester of my pregnancy, I didn't really cry at all - which is the opposite of how I usually react, but since second trimester started, I have cried at the smallest things, however, I do believe that a sentimental Mother's Day card would make anyone cry. One of the coolest parts of Mother's Day was going to the game (where all of the moms were given roses by the mothers of some of the players) and hearing people say, "Happy Mother's Day!" to me over and over again. I almost teared up each time I heard that, because I am not used to it, and this is something I have dreamed about for years. I loved every bit of it! We also splurged on ice cream (Blue Bell, yum!) which has definitely been on my list of foods I crave. Just a great day in general!

21 weeks at the ballpark with Neal patting my bellyNeal, me, mom, and Robby

Also, my dad lives in a funky loft that is just a few streets away from the ball park, so we were able to stop by and see him and pick up a few baby items from him. Let's just say that I am glad we took my stepdad's truck! We now have the crib, mattress, a swing, a bouncer, a sleep positioner, a microwave sterilizer,and some dishwasher accessories. I am so glad to have the crib - that is a huge relief! Now, we just need to paint the nursery, and then we can put the crib back together, and of course, I will post pictures of that! Here is the fabric we (I) picked out for the nursery:

It is more turquoise/teal in person, but I am so much happier with this choice! Now, I just need to bring it to my Nana's house so she can start making everything. I can't wait to see the finished product!

We also had another doctor's appointment this week, and the most interesting news is that my due date has been changed from September 17 to September 27. This is all based on the measurements that were taken by the sonographer at our ultrasound appointment. I actually think that it means that our baby just may be a little smaller than other babies at this stage normally, but if he decides to come closer to the later date, I am actually okay with that, because it means that I get more time to start the school year and train my students before my long-term substitute takes over for six-eight weeks. Everything else was normal - I have actually gained some weight, which makes sense, because I definitely have my appetite back! And, his heartbeat was still at about 150 beats per minute. My next appointment is the dreaded gestational diabetes test, which I don't really want to think about right now - although I do know that I will be rewarded with a Chick Fil-A breakfast after I finish it!

Last but not least, we have chosen a name for our precious little boy! We are naming him:

Camden Rhys Helf!

We love him already and can't wait for him to be here! Stay tuned for updates on the nursery and registries!

Halfway!

My first purchase at Babies R Us that was not for someone else's baby. This was right after our ultrasound - and this happens to be the only picture I have of me at 18 weeks!

Our son's first set of onesies - I love these colors! Neal and I decide that we both like the more subdued neutral colors over the super bright primary colors for little boys' clothes (think of the colors in our house - if you have seen them).

I don't want anyone to think that I am reverting back to my old habits of not updating my blog, but it has truly been a very busy past two weeks at our house! In case you didn't hear through facebook or text message or a phone call, we are having an adorable little boy! Neal and I are so glad to finally know, and we have been able to pick out nursery colors (along with some fabric). My nana is going to make our nursery set for us, and I am so excited to get that process started! The appointment for the sonogram went really well - we found out that the position and the location of the placenta and umbilical cord is totally normal. The baby was facing my back most of the time, so he had to push on my belly to get him to move around more, but he was able to get some great profile shots, and I love the dvd that shows him moving around. So comforting to see and know that he is totally healthy and normal. My doctor had warned me ahead of time that sometimes the sonographer has to leave the room to discuss something that he has seen on the ultrasound with her. She said that sometimes it doesn't even mean anything serious, but many times it does. He stayed in the room with us the entire time, and he even said multiple times that everything is completely normal! That has been my prayer throughout this pregnancy, so it is comforting to know that God is watching over our little one! The story of how we found out that we're having a boy is pretty funny. When we first started our sonogram, he asked us if we wanted to know, and we, of course, said yes. Then, he squirted the jelly on my tummy and started moving the camera around. Maybe five seconds later, he said, "Well, you're having a boy. No doubt about it, you are definitely having a boy." It was so weird to all of a sudden know and not wonder about it any more. We honestly thought that he would do all of the important stuff first and then tell us, but he just told us at the beginning. Then, he kept saying over and over again, "It's a boy. It's a boy." He also kept pointing out is his "wienie" which really made me wish he would use a more technical term for that particular body part, but maybe our sonographer is one of those adults who is not comfortable with words like "penis." Anyway, now we know! Here are two fabrics I have purchased for the nursery! The top on is the main pattern, and the polka dots may actually be just for an accessory or a diaper bag - I haven't decided yet, but I love them both!

We have also had two very fun-filled weekends in the last two weeks! Last weekend, we enjoyed burgers on Friday night with some friends - although we couldn't stay out late, because I had school the next day. That was our make-up day for the bad weather we had back in February. I actually didn't mind it so much, because the classes were only 35 minutes long, and there was no traffic on the way to school that morning - I kind of wish every day could be like that day! On Sunday, Neal and I met my friend from school and some of her friends in South Dallas where we heard Donald Miller (one of our favorite Christian authors) speak at a fellowship church. It was a great talk - I felt like he was very conversational, and I loved listening to his stories about some of the people he has met along his travels. Then, we met up with our good friends who live in Oak Cliff where we had an awesome meal (pizza at a great little Italian restaurant) and walked around the Bishop Arts district where we tried out some great chocolate and bought some unique sodas. I had key lime pie flavored soda and Neal bought a clear soda called Not See Kola. Yum! We both felt like this was an awesome day and totally worth the drive!

This weekend, Neal's parents came to town and we spent the day at the zoo on Saturday where we enjoyed a picnic lunch and great animal sightings! I didn't think that the weather would cooperate, but it didn't rain at all - the clouds actually helped to keep it from being to warm. Our favorite part is getting to feed all of the birds, and I really can't wait to take our little one there someday. We finished off the day with dinner at Razzoo's in downtown Fort Worth, and frozen yogurt and blackberry cobbler with a movie at our house. Some of us had frozen yogurt (at the new place by our house) and some of us had cobbler (Mrs. Smith's - from our freezer), and Neal and I had both! I think that sometimes Neal believes that he is also eating for two! Anyway, we finished the weekend with tennis/walking around the track and dinner at Wendy's with some more good friends. Since we haven't had small group for the last couple of weeks, we've ended up hanging out more one on one with some of our good friends from small group. It has been nice to get to do that now - while we can! I have a feeling that we may not be as free when our little one arrives.

So, we are still thinking about names, but I think we have narrowed it down to two excellent choices. I'll tell you in person if you want to hear them, but we hope to have a name picked out soon, so we know what to call our little guy. I have another appointment in two weeks, and keep praying that everyone is still healthy! Here I am at 20 weeks - halfway there!