Belly Pics

Today marks 19 weeks!

I can't believe how quickly the weeks have flown by! 

Below you'll find some belly shots from the journey so far.

5 weeks

Just loving on our sweet baby!

13 weeks

19 weeks

19 weeks

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We had our monthly check up this week and heard the baby's heartbeat again (150 BPM)! It was music to my ears since it had been a few days since I felt the baby move. Everyone keeps asking how I feel. The fact is, I don't feel pregnant aside from my burgeoning belly which I can no longer conceal (as you can tell). I feel completely "myself" again!

THIS Wednesday we'll find out if the baby is a "he" or "she"! I'm giddy with excitement. We plan on videotaping the whole thing so our families can share in our experience. I'm taking the morning off of work so we can have the ultrasound then we'll go pick out the baby's first outfit to celebrate!

For Memorial Day weekend, David prepared for the summer course he is teaching and I was able to catch up on housework. We just bought a grill and have enjoyed finding new food to cook on it. Our friends Lauri and Aaron came over for burgers and margaritas, too. So far we've cooked burgers, steaks, pork loin, corn on the cob, asparagus, and pineapple. By the way, I'm discovering just how amazing fresh pineapple is. I've been afraid to buy it because I wasn't sure how to slice it, but now that I've learned I'm addicted. I learned from the Pioneer Woman. Here is the link if you want to learn: How to Cut Up a Pineapple There's just nothing like it in the summertime. What do you like to grill? I'd love for you to email me your favorite grilling recipe(s). I think we're going to attempt fajitas this weekend! 

My brother, Jonathan, came to town on Wednesday! His band, International Waters, played a show in Lubbock on their way back from a West Coast tour. It was SO good to see him. We had not seen each other in over a year. Below is a photo from their show:

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Have a lovely weekend! 

We're expecting 100+ degree weather in Lubbock all weekend so we will either be at the pool or indoors! :)

Love,

Elisabeth

Wainscoting

What do you think about wainscoting? Also, do you think white wainscoting looks best with a dark wood or white crib? Do you like the thin beadboard or the large square style? Here are some pictures to inspire your feedback:

Not the best pictures, but you get the idea...

On an unrelated note... how cute is this Restoration Hardware pewter crib below?

By the way, I felt Baby Clark move this past week! It was such an amazing, indescribable feeling! What a precious time in life this is! 

Cinco de Mayo Check-Up

David and I had our first visit with my new OB/GYN, Dr. Casanova yesterday. We LOVE him! He was very easy to talk to and allayed all of my fears. He did a sonogram so we could hear the heartbeat (150 BPM). We could even hear it kicking several times! Today, I am 14 weeks and 6 days along and my belly is HUGE. We have an appointment for an ultrasound on June 9 at 8:40 am. We will find out the gender of the baby at that time too!

So, what do you think the baby's gender will be?

Hello, 2nd Trimester!

Our baby this week...
Fingerprints have formed on the baby's tiny fingertips, his/her veins and organs are clearly visible through still-thin skin, and the body is starting to catch up with the head — which makes up just a third of the body size now. If it's a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Baby is 3 inches long and weighs nearly an ounce. 27 weeks left! 

12 Weeks

Today marks week 12 of pregnancy. We have one more week left of the 1st trimester and, let me tell you, I will not miss it. I am ready for the nausea, exhaustion, and constant bathroom trips to end! I think it's getting a little better, but as soon as I go a few hours without eating, my blood sugar bottoms out and nasty nausea kicks in. My belly is starting to become more prominent, but my clothes are still fitting just fine.

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Our baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if I prod my abdomen, our baby will squirm in response, although I won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder. Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in the baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, our baby is the size of a peach (3 in.).

David and I toured our hospital (UMC) today! Since I don't really feel pregnant, it was strange to see the birthing suites, nursery, etc. knowing that I will need to stay there in a mere 28 weeks. Once we find out the sex of the baby and once I can feel him/her kick, I think the reality will set in a little more. We are very excited to deliver at UMC. We heard that their c-section rate is 20% compared to 55% at Covenant. Although Covenant was recommended as being the newest and nicest, the determining factor was our doctor who only has privileges at UMC. Also, David and I decided to switch doctors. We are now with Dr. Robert Cassanova (yes, that's the name of an OB/GYN) since pretty much everyone in Lubbock recommended him. We haven't met him yet, but our first appointment with him will be on May 5 (Cinco de Mayo!). Our previous doctor was nice enough, but--long story short--her nurses were inconsiderate and rude to me when I called with concerns.

Last weekend was very eventful for both me and David. While he was away at AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs) in Denver, I went to Boston for an MD/MBA conference. They sent me so that I could better plan the conference next year when it is held in Lubbock.

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about baby names. It's also one of the main questions that I am asked (after "How do you feel?" and "When will you find out the sex of the baby?"). David and I have pretty much decided on a boy name, but the girl name has been much more difficult. Here are the names that I like, not necessarily names that David likes. :) Let me know if you like any of them!


Girl names:
Scarlett

Leah

Lydia

Rachel

Fiona

Savannah

Felicity

Rebecca

Anna

Annette

Celeste

Constance

Camille

Caroline

Bianca

Charlotte

Margaret

Vera

Natalie

Vivian

Emilia

Boy names:

George David Clark, III (we would call him George)

Henry Thomas Clark

Baby Clark

WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!!

The little "peanut" in the middle of the black area is our baby!
The head is on the lower left side.

Since February 21 when my pregnancy test came back positive, I've been dying to share our big news with everyone. I visited the doctor today and found that the baby is healthy, so we can finally tell our friends!


On the morning of February 21, I woke up before David to take a shower prior to church. I thought I'd take a pregnancy test just for fun.... I wasn't "late" yet and I wasn't feeling pregnant so I was expecting a negative test. You can imagine my shock as I read the word all spelled out: PREGNANT. So matter-of-fact. My initial reaction was wide-eyed shock. I had imagined this moment so many times, but it didn't feel the way I expected it to. I didn't cry... I wasn't jumping up and down... I was just frozen. "Now what?" I thought. I went along with my routine:  shower, breakfast (sans caffeine), church, and lunch. I told David I was going to run a few errands and I left the house to search for the perfect gift to give David to tell him about his sweet baby. (Gift-giving is definitely my love language.) I thought about buying him an "I heart Daddy" bib, but the ones I saw were either pink or blue--how could I choose? Since David is an avid reader I decided upon a book called The Expectant Father. I wrapped the book, positive pregnancy test, and a tiny pillow that David's mom gave me awhile ago that cross-stitched reads "George David Clark III" which was given to her when she was pregnant with David (the person didn't realize that David was a Jr., not III). David was engrossed in his TV show (I had just given him the "Deadwood" dvd series for Valentine's) when I finished wrapping the gift. I couldn't wait for the show to end so I told him I had a gift for him that he needed to open right away. He begrudgingly paused his show to indulge me. Since the gift was book-shaped, I told him it was a book for AWP (a writing conference he's going to attend in April) to throw him off the scent (I'm big on surprises too). He opened the box with the gifts and he said, "Are you serious?" That's when we both lost it and wept together. Since then, we've enjoyed dreaming about our baby and trying to imagine how dramatically our life will change in October. The book ended up being a good investment as David has read it very carefully and seems to know more about the process than me!


David's parents came in town last week to visit us over spring break and we told them they were going to be grandparents! We're so glad we could tell them in person. We called my family and his siblings the same day to share the good news. 


More about our little one:

• Our due date is October 29, 2010 (my Dad's birthday!)
• I am 9 weeks and 3 days along (13 weeks = 2nd trimester; gender can be determined at 20 weeks)
• The baby is the size of a prune (1.5 inches long)
• With bones and cartilage starting to form and vital organs beginning to function, Baby Clark is making major progress. Body length will almost double in the next three weeks and arm joints are now working. (Soon, legs will start working too.)
• We were able to see our baby via ultrasound and there is only 1 baby :)
• He/she wiggled for us a little, we could see leg/arm buds, and a vigorous heartbeat
• The baby will be the first grandchild and great-grandchild on both sides of our families
• Thankfully, I haven't been very sick. I only "lost my lunch" once, but otherwise I feel a little queasy throughout the day and extremely fatigued. 

We ask that you please begin praying for this precious baby. We love him/her so much already. 


We'll keep you updated on the blog as the baby grows. 


Love,
Elisabeth


(Little did we know the picture below from my last post would be foreshadowing with the baby hovering above our heads...)

Our 9th Valentine's Day Together

David and I celebrated our 9th Valentine's Day together this year. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little since we were broken up for a few Valentine's Days, but even then we made a point to at least see each other or send a card. We never go out to dinner on the actual night of Valentine's in fear of chocolate toting teeney bopper mobs. This year we went to a cozy, dimly lit restaurant in Lubbock called Manna Bread and Wine. The Maitre d' gave us the corner table and the food was divine. We even had our own little cherub hovering over our heads. 

I am so blessed to have this man for a husband. He is wise, kind, and sacrificial. I couldn't ask for a better mate for life.