Our little kicker!

The last few weeks have been such a joy! I started to feel little Elizabeth kicking between weeks 17-18 but these last couple weeks, she's been very active! Last week was a very big moment when Steve got to feel his baby girl kick for the first time :)  She's quite the stubborn little gal so it took some time! When we lay down to bed each night I can feel her. I would put Steve's hand where she's kicking and of course, she'd stop. He'd leave it there for a few minutes then give up and move his hand away---which of course is when she'd kick again. Sounds like we have some stubbornness genes being passed along! Either way, she finally gave in and let her daddy feel her and it was very exciting for us. 
We were back in Charleston for Steve's alumni basketball game over the weekend and she was kicking like crazy! We (as well as her basketball-loving Uncle Caleb and Grandpa Chism) like to think that means she enjoys the sound of the court and will be a basketball player!
A rather crazy but neat moment with our little kicker occurred last night. Steve was reading 'The Places You Will Go' to our little one and out of the corner of his eye, caught my belly move she kicked so hard! It happened a few times and as weird as it was to see, it was probably one of the coolest things---certainly something to remember!

Big expense of the week---nursery furniture! My sister-in-law Lauren has been saving Babies R'Us coupons for us to use toward our furniture which we're very thankful for! We absolutely LOVE the crib we have picked out....

Once we figure out where we'll be living (stress factor of the new year), it will be beautiful in her nursery! The best part of the crib is that it's a convertible one. For anyone looking at them, don't waste your money on anything but this type! The convertible can be converted into a toddler then full-size bed later down the road, saving in the long run. It was recommended to me and I'm so grateful it was---all about saving :)

I've also been looking around for a glider and finally found one! I was really hoping to find a piece that we'd be able to use in Ellie's room as she grows or even elsewhere throughout the house---matching both her nursery and being neutral for later on. Here's the glider I've fallen for...

We'll do without the ottoman but I can't wait to pull in her nursery colors with an adorable gray/pink/white chevron pillow I'm oogling over on etsy and a pink throw over the back. 

Speaking of, for anyone who hasn't discovered etsy yet, prepare yourself to get addicted (not nearly as badly as Facebook or Pinterest but pretty close). You will find all sorts of personalized and handmade items (like the pillow I posted above) by tons of talented sellers. I've had a ball searching for items for Ellie and our nephews!

As you can see, I'm getting very excited about Elizabeth's activity and nursery! More pictures are likely to follow :)

22 weeks tomorrow and still feeling great!

Halfway!

20 weeks and halfway to meeting our baby girl! I've been feeling really great this month with lots of energy and a crazy hunger that developed this last week. It took 19 weeks of dairy and red meat making me sick before I finally craved a cheeseburger. The doctor said my body would mostly crave what it needed so we gave it a shot and yummm! This last week I've been wanting to eat basically all the time. This probably contributes to the bump I finally have to show off! Slowly but surely, Ellie is making her presence known.

We've only known that we'd be having a girl for about a week and already it's a whirlwind of excitement---nursery colors, clothes, crib, etc. We figured we'd go ahead and get registered for little Elizabeth and boy was it fun! It felt like we were getting married all over again---picking out towels and bedding and cute decorations. Since Steve is still adjusting to bows and frills and neither of us know much about what kind of anything is best for a little one, I decided to take my sister-in-law Lauren with me to register. Her son, our beautiful nephew, is only 9 months old so she just went through all of it and was a HUGE help! For anyone needing to make a baby registry, I highly recommend the advice or accompaniment of a recent new mom to help you! After getting the registry mostly complete, Steve and I made a trip to the store to pick out the biggies---crib, stroller, car seat, swing, high chair---and I of course had to show him all the adorable items I'd picked out for our little girl. He asked lots of questions, actually looked at the different swaddlers I'd picked and gave the stroller a test-drive. He's going to be such a great dad (and wrapped around Elizabeth's tiny finger).

With so much adorable baby gear, we couldn't resist buying our little girl her first gifts (since finding out) from her mom and dad!

Mom wanted her to have some of the most precious boots ever!

And her dad wanted to get her something to wear right away!

Growing up, my own dad has always called me his little princess so hearing Steve's excitement for his own little princess to be born naturally melts my heart. 

I can't wait to see what the coming months have in store for us :)

How far along: 20 weeks

Baby size: banana

Current Weight: 133 lbs (9 lbs gain)

Maternity clothes? - still buttoning my jeans but feel that it's short-lived

Sleep? - less anxious but not great

Best moment: finding out we're having a baby GIRL!

Miss anything: caesar salad

Movement? yes! such an amazing reminder there's a baby growing and moving

Anything makes you queasy or sick: only took 19 weeks to eat red meat and dairy without being sick

Showing yet? - five months later, I officially have a bump!

Gender: GIRL

Labor signs: no

Wedding rings on/off? -  on

Mood: super excited about our baby girl

Looking forward to: shopping now that we know the gender