Baby Kicks

So I am now at 23 weeks, and can feel Melody kicking more and more each day! I was up in Dallas this past weekend where a few others got to feel her kick for the first time as well, including my mom and sis. It was so special for them to be able to feel her because it definitely makes this pregnancy seem more real. Ryan has been able to feel her kick a few times, but I'm excited for him to actually see her moving across my belly. I want him to be able feel every single movement, but I have to remember that it's a little different for me! I generally feel her anytime I'm laying down, especially right as I fall asleep. During the day her movements are more sporadic, so it'll be interesting to see if she starts to have any specific patterns. Right now I like to think she's having a little dance party when I'm trying to sleep at night :)

Here are some pictures of me in the last week or two...my belly is really starting to grow!!

20 Weeks Pregnant

We're having a baby GIRL!!

Ryan and I are now at 21 weeks, and just found out that we are having a little baby girl! We couldn't be more thrilled...me especially since I've always wanted to have a daughter for as long as I can remember. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have a "mini Ryan" running around one day. But I just felt such relieve knowing I was going to have a girl since that's really all I know (being one myself and having a younger sister!). Ryan and I also had a much easier time coming to an agreement on girl names than boy names from the time we first started discussing the issue. It seemed like every name I liked he couldn't stand, and every name he would come up with I thought was awful! One day when we were talking about baby names, Ryan mentioned the the name Melody...and I thought "you know, I actually kinda like that one". We kept discussing (and arguing over) names, but Melody stood out very early on as the name we both liked for a girl. So, at my 20 week ultrasound, the minute we found out we were having a girl we knew this was our little Melody! I think it's going to be a perfect fit for her with Ryan's musical background and flowing well with our last name. We are still pondering over her middle name, but our little baby is officially going to be Melody McDaniel. I'm thinking "Melly" and "Mel" for short :) I've finally started to feel her kick this past week or two...which has been such a neat experience. It's made the entire pregnancy process feel much more real to know that she really is in there moving around! Ryan has felt her kick one time and is looking forward to being able to feel her more the bigger she gets.

Now that we know little Melly is on the way, I have a LOT of planning to do! Between showers, painting, setting up the nursery, and registering, I'm gonna be a busy momma these next four months before she gets here. I'm due December 21st, so our Christmas baby will be here before we know it! I've just about decided on the crib bedding and colors so that I can begin to paint the nursery. Right now it is this awful puke yellow color, so I think I'm going with a light tan-ish color for the main walls and want to have an accent wall that's a soft pink or peach. I'm overwhelmed at all the color options and combinations that are out there right now for baby stuff! Just thinking about all the possible items I need to put on my registry is enough to make me go crazy! Thankfully, my wonderful friend Heather has offered to go with me and give me the low-down on baby must-haves and have-nots. Hopefully we don't get too carried away!

So there has been a few other changes that Ryan and I have gone through the past few months that I will update you on really quick. We recently moved into a new rental house in North Austin, much closer to the city than where we were before. The commute to downtown only takes about 15 minutes, making it easier to get around the city. Ryan also just started his full-time job with Austin Integral Care, where he does counseling and case management with high-risk, lower income clients. I recently quit one of my waitressing jobs at Aussies because the physical demands were starting to take a toll on my preggo body. However, I still work at the Melting Pot as a waitress (soon to be switching to hostess) and continue to see about 5 clients/week through more of a private practice type setting. I look forward to growing my client load the next few months and slowing down a bit as Melly gets closer.

Well, thanks for reading...I hope to keep everyone updated better these next few months and hope to have pictures up soon!