Nashman (aka...big brother!)

I am 20 weeks pregnant....Nashman is going to be a big brother!  Quinn Murphy is expected to join our family in early February 2012 - we are so excited!  Here are a few pictures of Quinn at our midterm ultrasound, where everything looked great!

Introducing....Quinn!

our little boxer

feet!

Quinn's little heart beating away perfectly!

What Quinn looks like from the "outside" at 19 weeks:

Here is what Nash looked like from the "outside" at 21 weeks (the closest comparison I have):

Wow!  Quite a difference huh?  So far my weight gain hasn't been any different, but this belly is definitely popping out much more quickly!  Everyone told me it would be this way with baby #2, but these pictures prove it! 

38 weeks today! (Plus a little dinner and drama...)

HOLY GOODNESS! 38 weeks today...it is so surreal that Matt and I will be caring for a new human being in a few short weeks! We are definitely ready to meet little Nash...I definitely and getting very anxious to find out if Nash has girl parts or boy parts! For 38 weeks, I would still consider myself lucky for feeling pretty good. There are definitely uncomfortable times, but generally I feel OK. BH contractions have definitely kicked into high gear - my Dr. calls them my "homework". Heartburn is at it's peak, my feet and ankles definitely are swollen by the time I get home from work, and little Nash's movements are limited to rolls and stretches - not much room left in there!

38 weeks

Nash is estimated to be about the size of a leek according to babycenter.com - 6.8 lbs and 19.5 inches long. All organs are mature and ready for life outside of my belly! According to our latest ultrasound on Wednesday of this week, Nash was estimated to weight 6 lbs and 4 oz and is in the 25th percentile for gestational age. They performed a biophysical profile to be sure all things looked OK, that baby was growing as he/she should be, that baby wasn't too big because of my gestational diabetes, that there was enough fluid, etc. Nash and I passed with flying colors! In addition, my BP was great - back to my normal 110/70 and there was no dilation change from last week - still at 1 cm. Dr. Crenshaw didn't want to talk induction dates just yet because everything looked so good, and we're totally OK with that. We'd much rather have little Nash come on his/her own time!

37 weeks (Jan 1)

Now for the dinner and drama...

dinner...
It's a fun filled night at the Murphy home. Matthew is cooking me dinner for my birthday (my actual birthday is Sunday) and below is proof:

Isn't he adorable ? :)

Sirloin steaks and asparagus on the grill (did I mention it's 16 with a wind chill of 11 out? and he's grilling for me??) and some pretty yummy smelling onion/rotel scalloped potatoes. I can't wait to eat! Thank you for being so sweet baby...I love it when I don't have to cook - always a great birthday present!

drama...
So, while Matt was so graciously making dinner, I thought I would do a load of laundry knowing Matt would want to wear his new Eagles sweatshirt for the game tomorrow. Sort the laundry, fill the washer, add detergent, add clothes, spin cycle...and then the dreaded sound of water rushing as the washer began to drain. BLUH. Our pipes must have frozen in this crazy cold weather Memphis has been experiencing. And I'm not quite in condition to pull out the dryer/washer and mop up all the water that had now flooded our laundry room, let alone crawl under the house and try to deal with unfreezing the pipe. (If only I washed clothes on hot - this is what I get for attempting to be environmentally friendly by using cold water all of the time..) Anyway...so after our yummy yummy dinner we're about to eat - Matthew has to crawl under the house in an attempt to unfreeze the pipe. We're not brave enough to leave it, considering it's supposed to be colder tonight and the water that DID make it down the drain is sure to freeze. Lovely!

One last (but not least) item - HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNIE! My mother in law, Annie, is celebrating her birthday today and we wish her all the best. Looks like she's out of the running though to share a birthday with Nash, unless something crazy happens in the next 5 hours! Happy birthday Annie...we hope you are having a great day - we love you!

Christmas in IN, More Baby Showers, and 36 Weeks

Warning: long post, lots of pics

Matt and I drove home to my parents house in Indiana on the 18th of December - we made really great time considering someone in the car had a few extra potty breaks to take (hint: it wasn't Roscoe or Matt). The most memorable part of the evening...the trucker climbing out of his truck in southern Indiana who took one look at my belly and said "Guess we're having a Christmas baby, aren't we?!?". The only response I could muster was "We hope not!", when in reality I was thinking to myself "Wow, I must look enormous". Of course my sweet favorite attempted to reassure me...it worked...sort of.

We spent our time in Indiana sleeping in, eating home cooked breakfast (thanks Daddy for all the bacon...Nash's first 'sound' may be very similar to an oink!), playing with Roscoe in the snow, spending time with my family and spoiling my sweet nieces. It's easiest to break it down by day...so here goes:

Saturday, 19th:

Couldn't wait to get my hands on my sweet M's. We totally crashed Tyler's parents' house to love on the twins. Rick and Terri - thanks for letting us interrupt! We didn't stay long, but it was enough to hold me over! Mom and I went to Muncie to get some last minute shopping in and that evening Katy and Clint came over and Daddy cooked ribs - mmm.

Mya and Macy

Sunday, 20th:
We all went to church where the kids did a skit and some testimony for the service. We spent most of the morning in awe of the gigantic Christmas tree that was in the sanctuary. I can't describe how big it was and I don't have a picture, but it was enough of an "event" to get it in the church that someone recorded the feat and made a DVD. After church, my sweet sisters threw me a baby shower in Bluffton for friends and family who live near there. It was a great time (and great pizza!) and I loved getting to catch up with everyone who was able to join: Jessi (and M's), Katy, mom, Aunt Karen, Jenny, Kelly Kober, Donna, Sarah, and Madison. I don't have any pics from my camera from this shower, but I'll get some from my sisters and post them as soon as I do! Sunday evening, mom and dad watched the girls while the 6 of us (me, Matt, Jess, Ty, Katy, Clint) went to Granite City in Fort Wayne for dinner and drinks. No craziness considering some had to work the next day, but it was so nice to get to spend time with my favorite girls in the world and their boys - something I wish I could do more of!

Monday, 21st:
M duty! Matt and I got up (to the smell of bacon frying) and drove to Jessi and Ty's to hang out with the babies for a bit until they had their 12 week well baby checkup. I helped Jessi with the girls at the Dr's office while Matt headed home. The babies already weigh close to 11 pounds each! After the appointment, we stopped in OB to see mom and she put me on the monitors for a non stress test and to watch my blood pressure. My BP wasn't great, but not awful - so nurse mom prescribed more rest on my left side. I headed back to Jessi's to wait until Katy was off of work so we could look at a few houses she was interested in and Matt played racquetball with Tyler.

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday:
More of the same...loving on M's, home cooked breakfast, playing with Roscoe dog. Matt had the thrilling experience of coyote hunting with my daddy and we were able to catch up with Krista and Ian and the rest of the Kober clan (less Patrick) on Wednesday afternoon.

Macy Cakes and her goofy faces...love 'em

Mya (aka Ms. Frannie) looking innocent

Roscoe dog playing frisbee in the snow

Friday, 25th:
Christmas dinner was at my parents house with the whole crew and way too much yummy food - an 18 lb ham and a 14 lb turkey was plenty for 14 of us! We exchanged gifts with the extended family and then exchanged gifts with immediate family after everyone had cleared out.

Saturday, 26th:
We packed up the car and drove south to Bloomington to spend the next few days with my mom's extended family, but not until after a visit from the McMillans and Reiffs. I got to see all my girls (just not all at the same time) and was so excited to get to see Kelly and her cute preggy belly! After arriving in Bloomington, we spent the evening catching up with Grandma Harshman on her birthday, having pizza from the Pizzeria on Kirkwood, and letting Roscoe get used to a new environment.

Sunday, 27th:
Mom and Grandma were up bright and early prepping food for dinner while my sisters were prepping for another baby shower! They're so sweet! Instead of having my mom's family drive up from Bloomington for the previous shower they broke it down into two smaller showers and both of them were great. I can absolutely not think of another single item that little Nash will need when he/she makes an appearance! After the shower, a late lunch was served and I am 100% positive I went over my carb allowance with all the dumplings and desserts. Ooops! Totally worth it though! The evening was spent watching my little cousins play with Roscoe and playing cards with the "big kids". We then rented the Hangover...I'm sure Nash did not appreciate it - I laughed so hard I had contractions all night!

Katy, me, Jessi - my sisters and shower hostesses!

Brendan and Jordan - two on one tug of war

Grandma and Mom - thank God for dumplings and dumpling makers!

me, Macy, Mya, Matt

36 week belly pic in the snow - brr!

my sweet M's in the "all I want for Christmas is my auntie" outfits,
courtesy of their favorite Auntie Amy! ;)
Macy on the left, Mya on the right, Nash in the middle

Monday, 28th:
The drive back to Memphis went pretty well after sleeping in and packing up the car (not an easy task!). Although we did look for a DQ for over 3 hours, all was well once my oreo/peppermint Blizzard was in hand! We arrived back in Memphis around 9:15, just in time to see the end of the Hoosier game where we lost Maurice Creek to a fractured kneecap for the rest of the season. Bummer. The baby Hoosiers won the game, and it was off to bed for us...nothing is as great as reacquainting yourself with your own bed after an extended time away.

It was great to spend the time in Indiana, but bittersweet to be away from the Murphy/Koch crew in Pennsylvania as well. I know we'll always be missing the "other side" whenever we're in the opposite state and that it is just impossible to be in two separate places at once - but it doesn't make it any easier!

We hope all of our family and friends had a Merry Christmas and a great time with loved ones as we did this year!

35 weeks, nursery, and my new stove!

35 weeks today...wow! Baby Nash is the size of a honeydew and he/she is definitely running out of room! At my Dr. appointment this morning, I was measuring one week ahead and had lost one pound. My blood pressure was good (after laying on my left side for 30 minutes...it was high the first time they took it), I'm only a fingertip dilated, so I was "officially" cleared to make the drive to Indiana this afternoon! We're packing the car as we speak (and the carseat too, no worries - just in case!).

35 weeks

This week Matt and I put up some wall decals in the nursery...we've been debating about it putting them up, but we're really happy with the way they turned out. The pictures below are just the one above the crib, we have a few more we pay on the other walls since they turned out so well.

And more exciting news this week...my Christmas surprise:

A new stove!

I walked in the house on Wednesday evening to find this shiny new stove and couldn't have been more excited. Getting rid of our old inefficient, paint peeling, 3 burner stove - priceless. So excited to get back from Christmas and start using it! We "agreed" to not exchange gifts this year (as in years past), and I actually obeyed the rule - and Matthew broke it. I'm pretty thrilled with his purchase though, I must say. Thanks baby - you're the best!

Alright...off to load up. This guy is thrilled about the ride in the car and all the playtime with Louie and Xena once we get to Indiana...not to mention all the spoiling by Papa Joey!

Merry Christmas everyone!
xxoo!

33 weeks - A growing belly and a mini photo session

Last Friday was 33 weeks. 33 weeks sounds like a really long time, doesn't it? Let me tell you, these have been the fastest 33 weeks ever! I can't believe we'll be meeting little Nash in about 7 weeks! We are definitely very ready and very not ready at the same time. The 'peek a boo' belly shot below was taken by our friend Liz...more to come on that later!

33 weeks

Frank - your grandson/daughter is projected to be the size of a pineapple! About 4 pounds and 17 inches long...pretty hard to believe he/she is growing so quickly. Along with the growing baby comes a growing belly! I may have gained a pound or so since my last appointment, but I can definitely tell that my fingers and toes are starting to take on some water. My wedding band and engagement ring (which are now super shiny thanks to Uncle Pat!) are wearable for a few hours, but definitely get tight quickly. I have put the shiny, real ones away until after Nash arrives and am now sporting a lovely CZ I scored at Kohls for $4. Other belly news is pretty minimal...

• Nash is starting to get a bit crowded, I can tell that he/she has less room to move around. I am now getting more flips and flops than jabs and punches. Definitely doing kick counts every morning though to be sure.
• I'm having quite a few Braxton Hicks contractions during the day, and I can definitely tell a difference when I force myself to drink more water. They usually calm down once I get home for the day and make myself relax.
• Stretch marks - no
• The big line down my belly - no
• Heartburn - ohmygoodness yes (Sorry Frank - I probably should've refilled the bottle in the kitchen before we left!)
• Pediatrician - yes! We met with a pediatrician that came highly rec commended to us and really liked her (and her northeastern attitude!). Not to mention her resume includes Johns Hopkins undergrad, Albert Einstein Medical School, and Yale residency.
• Baby laundry - working on it!

My next appointment with Dr. Crenshaw is this Wednesday afternoon, so I should have an update on little Nash after that!

We have two more childbirth preparation classes to go. Last week we watched our first video, which I believe was quite shocking for the men in the room. Let me just say I'm thankful to see it once - but there will definitely be no mirror involved and my sweet Matthew will be right next to my head when the time comes. This week's class will be focused on pain management (drugs and breathing techniques) and the last week will be focused on breastfeeding and infant care.

On Sunday, our good friend Liz came over take some photographs of Matt and I (and belly) together. She has a fancy camera (we do too, but have no clue how to use it yet!) and her photos always turn out great! We are so happy that she was able to do this for us and I think we got some pretty good shots out of the mini session. Thanks Liz! Below are some of my favorites.

29 weeks, Gestational Diabetes, Twins, and Visitors to Memphis

29 weeks down, 11 more to go! Nash's size is being compared to a butternut squash, he/she is about 15 inches long and weighs about 2.5 pounds. He/she is more active than ever and is no longer being stubborn for Daddy when he's trying to feel movement from the outside. :)

29 weeks

I still feel really great for the most part, baby Nash has definitely found my ribs and is hanging out there more and more everyday. Deep breaths are definitely hard to come by now and heartburn is my nemesis while Tums are still my best friend. I am still able to sleep pretty well, although I am up at least twice a night to pee.

At my last appointment with Dr. Crenshaw, my blood pressure was great and I had gained 6 lbs. He didn't seem concerned (I was!) considering I had only gained 8 up to that point. I got my H1N1 shot and had a discussion with him about Matt and I tutoring at the shelter downtown. He strongly recommended that we stop tutoring until after the first of the year with all of the germies that kiddos are toting around the public schools. Matt and I are disappointed to not be able to tutor on Tuesdays, but whatever keeps this baby healthy and kicking me in the ribs is definitely what we will do. I also took my one hour glucose test at that appointment, which I failed. I went in this past Tuesday for the longer three hour test which I also failed. No fun! They like for each blood draw to be under 140, and my levels were 220 at 1 hour, 187 at 2 hours, and 15 at 3 hours. I now have a glucometer that I will be using to check my blood sugar after I eat and a diet I will be following - low sugar/low carb. I have a class to attend on Tuesday afternoon to learn more specifics about my diet and how to use the glucometer. A sugar/carb free Thanksgiving and Christmas sounds pretty daunting at this point, but hopefully by then I will be in a routine and not feel cheated! No pumpkin pie, no fudge, no cookies....whew, sounds rough! But again, whatever I need to do to ensure Nash is happy and healthy inside my belly - that's what I'll do. My next appointment with Dr. Crenshaw is the day before Thanksgiving...my last monthly appointment! After that, I will be seeing him every 2 weeks.

Last weekend, I was up bright and early on Saturday morning flying home to Indiana to spend a long weekend with my sister Jessi and my sweet neices (and my fam - parents, sister Katy, and BIL Tyler). I loved absolutely every second of it and am so glad I was able to get home to be with them and help out a bit. (At least I hope I was helpful!) Jessi and Tyler are amazing with these sweet girls - it is quite a daunting task to be caring for 2 newborns and they do it so well. I am so proud of them for being such great parents. I could go on and on about how sweet these girls are, my "M's" as I've affectionately called them (although Mya has also been nicknamed "Frannie"...as in Miss Frantic when she's hungry), but it may be best to leave you with a picture. This pic came from my phone, so my apologies for the quality. I forgot my camera (I know, I know!), so I'll post some more once I get some from Jess. Look at their cute little bellies! They've definitely changed from skinny preemies into 8 pound newborn babes!

Mya JoLynn and Macy Ann - my sweet M's

After flying home early on Tuesday morning (and going straight to my 3 hour glucose test after fasting for 12 hours!), the next two days were spent cleaning the house and preparing for some of our favorite peeps to visit Memphis. Matt's cousin Jill and her hubby Mark from New Jersey and our friends Phil and Molly from Chicago came to visit for the weekend...trouble when this crew gets together, let me tell you. We had a great time (Gus's, cornhole, adult beverages for the non-pregnant, and kickball) and miss them already! Again, our camera didn't make much of an appearance this weekend, so I just have a few pics from our kickball game. We can't wait to see Jill and Mark in a few weeks over Thanksgiving and hopefully it won't be too long before we see Phil and Molly again as well. Persianis and Malloys...thanks for making the trip! We love you and can't wait to see you soon!

Thanks to Molly, Phil, Jill, and Mark for playing kickball with us!

One of the few 11 man teams we've fielded all season!

27 weeks, Hiccups, and Braxton Hicks

Today marks 27 weeks of being pregnant, and only 13 more to go!

Baby Nash is about the size of a head of cauliflower - about 2 pounds and 14.5 inches long when stretched out. He/she is definitely a squirmy little one - and I love every second of it! Multiple times during the day I just have to stop my work and stare at my belly and watch the flip flops and somersaults that are taking place. And don't forget the hiccups - those are pretty fun too. Everything I read says they don't hurt the baby, which is definitely a good thing considering this little one gets them for multiple minutes at a time! Nash has *so far* been sleeping when I am sleeping which has been nice...it takes quite a few minutes for him/her to settle back down once we crawl back in bed after our multiple bathroom breaks in the middle of the night, but definitely no complaints. I'd much rather be feeling Nash squirm around than be worried about no movement. As far as sleep goes - I wish I was getting a little more of it! I blame the Phillies...they just need to win the world series again and maybe I can get to bed before 11 pm!

In other belly news:

• Braxton Hicks contractions are now a daily occurrence. Although they don't hurt, I literally feel like someone could bounce me off the floor like a basketball...my belly gets so hard for a few minutes and them softens up again.
• The belly button is hanging in there, but barely. I always had visions of being the pregnant chick whose belly button never became and "outtie". Umm..I'm pretty much giving up on that.
• No stretch marks as of yet - yay! Keeping my fingers crossed and keeping up the vitamin E and cocoa butter slathering.

This week Matt and I got confirmation that we are officially registered in our childbirth class that will begin November 19 and run four weeks (skipping Thanksgiving) for 90 minutes on Thursday evenings. We're taking the class through the clinic I go to and the classes will be at a different hospital than the one I will be delivering at. We will be getting a tour of our delivery hospital at a later date - one more thing to add to my ever growing to-do list. We also have a good idea of the pediatric group we want to use, I just need to call them and set up a time to talk to them. Matt and I have been discussing questions that "good parents" would ask a new pediatrician. I'm sure it won't be TOO obvious that this is our first baby!

One thing we have been able to cross of the to-do list is our registry...we are officially registered at Target and Babies R Us. We had a pretty good list of items/brands we wanted to register for before heading in, so for the most part it wasn't too bad. I can definitely understand the overwhelming feeling one could get if going in non-prepared....BRU has a "must have" registry suggestion that is absolutely absurd. Did you know that according to BRU, an infant child "must have" 4 separate strollers (travel system, umbrella, jogger, and lightweight!). Seriously, there can't be anyone who actually follows those guidelines.

Hopefully this weekend we'll be making more progress on the nursery...we still have some things we need to move out and shelves and such to hang on the wall. Of course we don't have our bedding basics (sheets, crib skirt, etc - on the registry) so we haven't "put together" the crib - but I can't wait to do so! To hold you over...here's a sneak peak to Nash's bedding that I can't wait to put out! The nursery walls are green, furniture is an espresso color, and we're accenting with oranges. LOVE it, and can't wait to cuddle with our little human in a few months!

Now, for the most exciting part of my week...the best deal EVER: $150 round trip airfare from Memphis to Fort Wayne! I will be flying home next Saturday and spending two and a half days with Jessi and Ty and Macy and Mya. I'll fly back early Tuesday morning and come straight to work. I am so excited to get home and be able to help out like the rest of my family has been so great about...spending this time with the teeniest, cutest, sweetest babies ever is definitely something I NEED to do. I realized this after multiple consecutive nights of tears at the computer looking at their pictures and listening to their little squeals and coos. Matt would agree, but he's holding down the fort with our Roscoe man here in Memphis. I am really blessed to be able to do this - being healthy enough to fly home and spend this time with them, having the flexibility and vacation time at work, and most importantly - a sweet husband who knows how much I miss my family and encouraged me to spend this time with them! In case you need another dose of sweetness...feast your eyes on these sweet peanuts:

25 weeks!

Yesterday marked the end of 25 weeks since this baby has been growing my belly. It's pretty nuts to think that there's only 15 weeks left of carrying Nash and being his/her sole source of nutrition and protection! And in those 15 weeks we have lots of fun things scheduled - Matt turns 30 next week, our friends Phil and Molly and cousins Jill and Mark are coming into town to spend a long weekend with us, a baby shower thrown by my sweet friends the following weekend, childbirth classes, Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania with Matt's family, a possible trip to Atlanta to visit friends (and get some baby goods from their sweet girls who have outgrown them!), Christmas in Indiana with my family (and loving on my sweet neices!), New Years in Memphis, my birthday in January, and then this kiddo will be here a few weeks after that! WHEW!

Nash is about the size of a rutabega at this point - 13 1/2 inches long and about 1 1/2 pounds. This week has probably been his/her most active for sure...early in the morning and late at night is when he/she is most active - although Nash was quite the dancer at the Lucero concert (free CD release party at the Shell in midtown - awesome) that we went to on Thursday night. He/she was kicking so hard, I had to pull Matt's hand over to my bump and let him get in on the action - it wasn't hard for him to feel it, that's for sure. The look on Matt's face was pretty priceless...love it!

Last Friday marked the end of 24 weeks, which is a pretty big week in the development of little Nash. At this point, if he/she would be viable with intensive care if something unfortunate were to happen and the baby had to be delivered.

25 weeks

22 weeks

It just keeps growing!

22 weeks

I definitely feel like I've grown faster in these past few weeks than my entire pregnancy so far. I have definitely seen numbers on the scale that I've never seen before! I realize that everyone gains weight at different rates and different times during their pregnancy, I just gained so little during the first trimester that I'm not used to seeing the numbers on the scale move at this pace!

At this point, baby is supposedly 11 inches long and weighs about 1 pound. Supposedly this little person is getting tooth buds beneath his/her gums this week and is working on developing all of the cute facial features we can't wait to see - lips, eyelids, eyebrows. Frank - the fruit of comparison this week is a spaghetti squash. I didn't know such a squash existed!

Sweet Nash is definitely making his/her prescence known this week...movement is much stronger and I'm feeling it at pretty much all times of the day if I sit still enough. Yesterday morning as I was cuddling with Roscoe before jumping in the shower, my arm happened to be resting on my belly in the perfect position so that when Nash decided that it was time to get up - I felt his/her little kick to my arm as if to say "Ok mom, time to get up and get moving!". Pretty sweet, that's for sure. I can't wait for them to be consistently strong so that Matt can start getting in on the fun!

In other news, our house is slowly being put back together after the paint job last week. Most things are back on the wall and finding a new home to make room for the influx of baby things that are sure to come our way. The nursery work has officially begun, as the first piece of furniture (rocker/glider) is in it's place! Now, I just need to convince Matt that we really should go pick up the crib and put it together this weekend!

Don't forget to keep baby sister Jessi in your thoughts and prayers in the next few weeks...she's getting close to her goal date of 37 weeks (October 4) with my sweet neices Mya JoLynn and Macy Ann. She's pretty exhausted, but I know she can keep them cooking for a few more weeks with everyone's well wishes. Matt and I are planning to head home to Indiana when the twins arrive - I can't wait to meet them, although I hope it's not for a few more weeks! If you want to keep tabs on Jessi, Tyler, and babies...feel free to visit her blog and leave her a note of encouragement!

21 Weeks

I'm officially in the second half of my pregnancy...I feel like it was just yesterday we found out about our little one! Everyone assures me that the second half will go more slowly because of all the anticipation. At this point, I welcome that - I feel like there is still so much to do around here!

21 weeks

Matt will attest to the fact that I definitely feel like it's time to get moving on all the things we want to do around the house. The first big thing happening is a new paint job - not just for the baby's room, but for the entire downstairs. I'm pretty thrilled about having colors in the house - it will be a nice change from the lovely boring beige we've lived with for 3 years. Matt's mom helped us pick out colors...thank you Annie!

We'll be doing the main room (kitchen/living room/entry/stairwell) in a cool green color, Nash's room in a celery color, the bathroom in a bright blue, and the front bedroom in a warm blue/grey tone. The painters are coming on Tuesday, so the remainder of the weekend will be spent clearing off walls and shelves and moving all things away from the walls in preparation. We'll see how that plan fits into commercial breaks and halftime of all the good games on! Once the paint is in, we'll pick up the crib and dresser - I can't wait to see everything ready in the room. We're also in the process of shopping for a nice rocker/glider. And what's up with my urge to get a new oven/range and microwave after walking through Home Depot today. A bit over the top, I'm sure...

Back to baby news...this is the first week where I have definitely felt consistent movements courtesy of baby Nash. Only a few 'kicks', but lots of little flutters and flops. He/she definitely enjoyed my burrito from the Happy Mexican this afternoon! I'm anxious for Nash to start kicking hard enough for Matt to be able to feel it, although I'm sure that will still be a few weeks away.

Alright...off to start clearing off the walls and cleaning out closets. Or...watching football.

All Things Philadelphia

This past weekend Matt and I flew to Philadelphia for our last wedding of the season (can I get a woo woo!?!). Our friends Bobby and Jaime, who both went to Temple Law with Matt, were getting married. We took the opportunity to stay with Matt's brother Mark for the weekend - thank you Mark! It was so good to get to see him, and the free lodging was quite nice as well. I definitely didn't last to the wee hours of the morning catching up with Matt and Mark, but the laughter (and the empty wine box on the counter the next morning) told me they had a good time.

Here is a pic of Bobby and Jamie walking down the aisle as Mr. and Mrs. Bobby serves in the Marines and was in full uniform for the occasion. What a great looking couple!

Matt and I at the wedding reception.

On Sunday after the wedding, we were able to attend a Phillies game at Citizens Bank ballpark. Bobby had graciously organized a massive amount of tickets and a tailgate for his friends who were in town for the wedding. The game was originally planned for the afternoon, and got moved to the night game...which meant instead of flying out at 8 pm on Sunday evening, we were up bright and early on Monday morning flying out at 6 am!

Bobby and Matt* tailgating.

*Matt had this shirt made to "inform" our friends that I was expecting a baby. The shirt is quite funny when we're standing next to each other - not quite the same effect with Bobby in the picture. Don't you just love his sense of humor!?!

Bobby, Matt, myself, and Jamie after the Phillies won.

I am starting to get extremely excited about hanging out with little Nash this upcoming Friday for our 20 week ultrasound. My appointment is at 8:30 am and then I'll see Dr. Crenshaw afterwards. I am really lucky that Matt is able to take the time to come with me, it really means a lot that he can be there. I'm looking forward to seeing how much he/she has grown! I'm pretty much strictly in maternity clothes now...I can still fit into some of my stretchy summer skirts - but that's pushing it! Below is a pic of the belly at 19 weeks...definitely growing!

19 weeks

Introducing...baby bump!

This past weekend I was able to fly home to help host my little sister Jessi's baby shower. She's due with twin girls in October! I cant' tell you how excited I am to meet these two little cuties - Mya JoLynn and Macy Ann. My youngest sister Katy, myself, and my mom threw Jessi a shower at my parents house - it was a busy place last Saturday. The amount of cuteness that filled the house was unbelievable. We were so lucky to get to have our family in from Bloomington as well as some of Jessi's friends from all over the state. I know she was so thankful for your prescence and your presents!

Nash sisters - Katy, Jessi (31 weeks), Amy (18 weeks)

I know what you're thinking...where did that belly come from? I left last week able to still fit in my work skirts and some of my pants....and came back Monday with a bump. Everyone told me it would appear overnight, and it absolutely did! Baby Nash is no longer hiding - he/she is quite obvious under my shirt!

There was a special treat on Friday evening, my mom was able to sneak Jessi and I up to the OB unit at her hospital (she's a labor and delivery nurse) and hook us up to the fetal monitors they use to perform non-stress tests. She found Nash's heartbeat and so we listened for about 5 minutes as it printed on a little sheet for us to keep. It was pretty awesome to hear, I was sad that Matt wasn't able to be there with us! I know it may be hard to see, but the printout is below. Nash's little heartbeat was right around 150 the whole time we listened - too fun! The craziness began as mom hooked Jessi up and tried to track down Mya and Macy. They had their hands full chasing them around - and they're still in the womb! Good luck Jess! ;)
It was a great weekend spent at home, and we're on the road again this weekend. We're off to Philly for a wedding (yes, another one!). We're squeezing in a Phillies game on Sunday evening too and taking an early flight back to Memphis Monday morning....should be a fun weekend, but it will be nice to get back home and know that we're in town for a couple of weeks - at least until Mya and Macy make their entrance!!!