We made a baby!

Yes, it's true. Phil and I are about to become parents!! After 7 years of marriage we figured it's time to really shake things up. Our little one is due on May 21, 2007. We can't wait to find out if we're having a boy or girl. I don't like calling our baby "it". So impersonal. We should be able to find out at my next UltraSound, December 20th. Naturally, Phil's hoping for a boy and I'm hoping for a girl.

We wanted to wait until Thanksgiving to announce my pregnancy since the risk of miscarriage drops dramatically in the 2nd trimester. But it's been, as Phil calls it, "The Rollout Release". It's hard not to say anything to the people you see everyday. It's also hard (for Phil) to keep straight who knows and who doesn't know, so it's easy to slip. When we told my Dad and his family on Thanksgiving, it was really fun to surprise him with a picture of a recent UltraSound. He thought at first it was a picture of me that my mom had found or something, but then he saw the date! Not 1980! Boy was he thrilled to find out he was going to have a grandchild! My mom is super excited to be a Grandma too, though I don't think she'll be letting her hair go gray for at least a few more years!

My belly is just starting to pop out a bit here in the 15th week of pregnancy. It seems you can blame almost anything on pregnancy—food cravings, mood swings, gas, bad hair days, stuffy nose, constipation—ok, I'll spare you the details! Luckily, I never had any "morning sickness", although frequent headaches and extreme fatigue are just as bad. But one thing I never really realized about pregnancy is how much you worry. I pray almost constantly that my little one will be healthy. I can barely think about anything else.

As of now, the baby is around 4 inches from head to rump, and weighs around 2 1/2 ounces. We could see and hear a healthy heartbeat on the Sonogram at my last doctor visit. Despite all the moving around he/she was doing for the camera, I can't feel any movement yet. They say the first kicks are felt at 18-20 weeks.

Once the baby's born I plan on not working for at least 3 months and then taking on whatever freelance design work I can handle/get, probably at most 15-20 hrs/week, working mainly from home. Phil also gets 5 weeks PAID paternity leave from Costco! Isn't that incredible?! I'm hoping he'll use that time to bond with the newborn and not go on a road trip with the guys... (did you hear that, honey?! Did you hear that, MARK??!!)

Phil and I are overjoyed with this blessing God has given us. Stay tuned for updates on this incredible journey.