Big Huge Update (that you don't want to miss)!

Wow, I can't believe it's been almost two weeks since I've posted anything...time flies!  There has been so much going on, I promise to update you on everything!  

First of all, here are my belated 16 and 17 week pictures!  You can see my bump is popping out a little more every week :) 

I'm extra dressed up in the 16 week picture because it was taken right before I went to the airport last Monday for a business trip.  I forgot to have Art take my picture all weekend, so I made him stop everything and take it so I wouldn't miss a week.

So since I wasn't here last week, I made sure to take some pictures to show you all what I was doing...and believe it or not I wasn't actually playing in this snow the whole time, haha.

Unfortunately I was so busy with work and traveling that I missed giving my 17 week update last week.  So I'm going to go back in time and try to remember everything from last week...

How far along?: 17 Weeks

How big is baby?:   Your baby is the size of an onion!  Baby is about the size of your palm, weighs about five ounces, and is developing some body fat. Her heart is now regulated by her brain (no more random beats) to beat 140 to 150 times per minute — about twice as fast as yours! What else is up? She’s practicing the survival skills she’ll need at birth — like sucking and swallowing.

Any appointments or updates this week?:  It's definitely fun to be around my coworkers this week, since we all work in different locations this is the first time they have seen me pregnant.  

Body changes?:  The bump is getting a tiny bit bigger, but you can't see it under all the layers I'm wearing in the snow. 

Maternity clothes?:  I purposely picked out some bump-enhancing dresses to wear on the trip so that people would be able to tell that I'm pregnant.  Unfortunately one of the outfits I planned to wear on the coldest day completely backfired.  I had to give a presentation in a very warm conference room and I was sweating and my face was turning red!  I couldn't take off any of my layers though because of the fact that the shirt underneath my sweater wasn't tucked in (thanks belly band) and was wrinkled too.  I just suffered through it until I could leave the room and get some air. 

Best moment last week?: Being reunited with Art after my trip.  I couldn't wait to get home to him! He sweetly met me inside the airport terminal to help me with all my bags and it was really cute and romantic. 

Food cravings?: Chocolate!

Symptoms?:  Always thirsty and always using the bathroom!  Not much else this week though.

Exercise?: Nope, none at all

What I miss?:  Being able to zip my pants

What I'm looking forward to?: Our anatomy scan 

So, you figure this update is over yet?  No way, we are just getting to the good part!  

On Saturday morning I was laying in bed with Art and I felt a little twitch in the lower part of my belly.  It was the first time I was sure I had felt Sweet Pea move!  I had felt some little things before but this time I was sure that it was the baby.  So exciting!

And finally, today we had our anatomy scan!  Art and I woke up bright and early to get to the office for our 7am appointment.  I was so tired, I was excited to see the baby but honestly it was kind of hard to stay awake, especially because the ultrasound tech was pretty quiet for most of the time.  Art was good at picking out all of the body parts though.  

It was such a relief to know that our baby was healthy and moving around in there.  The most exciting part was that we learned that Sweet Pea is a...GIRL!  We were both so happy and thrilled (and still are!).  

Our reaction:

And here are a few pictures of our little girl, the ultrasound tech was nice enough to do a few 3D pictures for us at the end:

So there you go!  There are two excited parents in this house tonight and I've already started doing some baby shopping now.  The clothes are just too cute to say no!  As my friends who have daughters assure me, I will probably be broke soon but I will spend my foreseeable future clothing my daughter in the most adorable stuff I can find, and I will be happy :)  

God bless and have a great week!  -Erin