Apologies

I owe you a weekly update. I owe you an update regarding my latest appointment. But tonight, I'm feeling discouraged. I'm in need of your prayers tonight, I'll be back soon.

Happy Birthday Jason!

From our friendship in college...

To falling in love...

To our wedding day...

To adopting a furbaby...
To our very first wedding anniversary...

To now...

...You have always been the light of my life. I'm so proud of the man you are, the husband you are, and the father you are about to become. I love you with all my heart.

Happy 27th Birthday!

Black Friday Success!

Black Friday is a total tradition. We rarely NEED to Christmas shop on Black Friday, but my Mom and I always go for fun. My sister started joining us a few years later, and then slowly, my dad and husband started to join too. We love Black Friday shopping, and the deals we find are a bonus!

This year, my sister was sadly unable to be a part of the tradition as she is with her in-laws for the weekend. Jason and I came home from my in-laws house just in time to rest up before my version of the Super Bowl. And this year, Team Orlando came out on top!

We went into a furniture store just for fun, hoping to find some bargains on a dresser that I will also use as a changing table. We're going for lots of storage here! :) Not expecting to find anything, we found a dresser for less than HALF of what we were expecting/willing to pay. Needless to say, we brought it home today. We are considering painting it, and definitely changing out the hardware, but it's perfect.

After successful trips to many other places on the traditional Black Friday list, Santa Claus came early! He brought us the glider chair that we have had our eyes on! We couldn't be more thrilled!

My sister is generously allowing us to use my niece's crib, so with the dresser and glider already purchased, we are ready to begin setting up our nursery!! The only thing left to buy will be a small bookshelf for all the wonderful children's books we will read to our son/daughter.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and a successful shopping trip if you brave Black Friday! I will post pictures of our lovely furniture once we begin arranging the furniture for the nursery (hopefully in the next few weeks).

Happy Thanksgiving Cannoli!

Dear Baby Cannoli,

This is your very first taste of Thanksgiving! This time next year, someone will likely be sneaking you a bite of Granny's famous mashed potatoes. But this year, I get to be the only one to share Thanksgiving with you. :)

In just a few years, you will learn about the Pilgrims, the Mayflower, the Native Americans, and our countries very first Thanksgiving. Daddy and I, as well as your school, will teach you to be thankful for everything in your life. I want you to grow up with appreciation for the small things in life, as well as the bigger things.

Your Daddy and I are so blessed, and are so thankful that we have the chance to bring you into a world full of blessings. You are coming into a world of a wonderful, supportive family that want nothing more than to see you excel and be happy. We have been blessed with jobs that are able to provide you with all your needs. We have been blessed to attend a wonderful church that we cannot wait to introduce you to. We have been blessed with a numerous amount of friends that will hopefully teach you what true friendship is all about. We cannot wait to share all of these blessings with you.

When you learn about Thanksgiving, you will be around people who spend time reflecting on their lives and the things they are thankful for. With all of the wonderful blessings that Daddy and I have received throughout our lives, it is without question that YOU are our biggest blessing. I am most thankful for you, and each year as Thanksgiving rolls around, that will always be what I will tell you when you ask me what I am thankful for. I'm most thankful for you.

Love,

Mommy

Everything Pumpkin! *Repost*

I'm reposting my pumpkin pies I made from a year ago.  I felt it appropriate since pumpkin pie is such a staple in many homes during Thanksgiving week.  I made these pies again this year, and it is just SO super easy.  I froze my pumpkins from Halloween (already boiled and measured) and it only took about 20 minutes to put together! Enjoy!

After starting to mess with my favorite fall snack, I saw this huge, empty pumpkin that would surely rot as a Jack-O-Lantern weeks before Halloween. I couldn't imagine putting it to waste. So I decided to try my hands at making pumpkin pie!!

Cut up your pumpkin into semi-small pieces and throw them into a deep pot of water and salt (1/2 tsp of salt for every cup of water-we used a bit less just in case that made it too salty).
Once the water is boiling, cover and allow your pumpkin to boil for about 25-30 minutes. Drain. Once it is cool to the touch, the skin will peel off very easily. I made the attempt with a fork and butter knife, and the pieces fell apart effortlessly. Put the now peeled pumpkin into a mixing bowl, or back into your pot. Mash with a potato masher. Once mashed, you are ready for the EASY part!

You will need:

2 cups of your newly mashed pumpkin

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 2/3 cup evaporated milk

Beat your 2 eggs with a whisk until well blended. Add in other ingredients one by one. I started with the pumpkin, then the sugar, then the spices, and finished off with the evaporated milk. Whisk away until well blended! Pour into your pie crust (we used a pre-made Pillsbury crust) and get ready to bake! Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then lower your heat to 350 degrees, and continue baking for about 45 more minutes. Let cool, and serve with Cool Whip on top!

This recipe stated that it called for 1 pie. Since we had SO much pumpkin, we doubled it. Doubling this recipe made 3 pies for us.

I'm not kidding when I say we had a LOT of pumpkin. After our first batch, and seeing how much we had left, we made 3 more. Half of our enormous pumpkin made 6 pies for our neighbors and family! The other half is already mashed, ready to be frozen for more pies at Thanksgiving! I only ended up with a picture of 3 of our pies since we cut into the first one (to make sure we weren't going to poison everyone) and then started deliveries before I thought about photographing the finished product! Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Miracle in the Making

For the past week, all I've heard from my sister is that she has something for the baby and she is just SO excited to let me have it. She decided she couldn't wait until Christmas, so the other night, she presented it to me.

It's the sweetest Christmas ornament!! She ordered it off of PersonalizationMall.com No, personalizationmall.com did not pay me to say that, we just love that website! Anyway, I have been on the hunt for a sweet "on the way" ornament for our tree this year. I haven't been able to find one, only ornaments that are not gender friendly or that involve the first Christmas. So my sweet sister had this made (excuse the poor quality of the pictures):

In case you are having difficulty because of the glare, the top reads: "Miracle in the making" and the bottom reads: "Baby Orlando is due on June 17, 2011."

I love this sentimental gift. We immediately put one of Baby Cannoli's ultrasound photos in it this morning, and I can't wait to put my tree up and hang it proudly. We can stare and dream of our sweet little one all season long.

Tis the season to be THANKFUL.

10 Weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: My swelling is basically gone! I've lost a lot of the water I was retaining, so I am back to 132.

Maternity clothes? I'm using my Be-Band, and wearing some maternity clothes. Still wearing non-maternity shirts though. The maternity pants and Be-Band make things just so much more comfortable!

Stretch marks? Still none! Hopefully they stay far far away!

Sleep: Much better now that the swelling is gone! YAY!

Best moment this week: Seeing Baby Cannoli again, and watching him/her dance a little!

Movement: We definitely SAW movement, but I can't feel it.

Food cravings: Sweets. Macaroni and cheese. But NOT together. Gross.

Gender: Still can't wait to find out!

Labor Signs: Still no, thank goodness!

Belly Button in or out? Definitely an innie, and looking more normal again now that the swelling is gone. Have I mentioned how thrilled I am that the swelling is gone?

Wedding rings on or off? Still on, but off when I sleep.

What I miss: Salt. I love my salty snacks, but it is worth giving them up to not have that swelling again!

What I am looking forward to: Our appointment on the 29th!

Weekly Wisdom: Keep trusting in God. He will take care of your worry if you will just let him.

Milestones: Seeing our baby move around!

Ultrasound Number 2!

We had our second ultrasound today, and I wanted to share the pictures!

I'm currently measuring 9w3d. I think this is because I ovulated late in September, not because my menstrual dates are off. Either way, our sweet baby was so cute! We even got to watch it move a bit, and it looked like h/she was dancing! It is definitely an Orlando baby in the making. :) The heart rate was averaging 164 bpm.

No word on the subchorionic hemorrhage. The tech today was not nearly as nice or informative as our last. The last tech told me what she was looking for, and showed me when she found it. I'm aware that the tech cannot really say much, but the tech today definitely could have been more informative than she was today. I had looked up pictures of what the hemorrhage looked like, so I was able to point it out easily and asked her about it. She wouldn't even confirm to me that is what I was looking at. She also made me lay back the ENTIRE time, and wouldn't let me watch her take the pictures or measure. She let me sit up and turned the screen towards me at the very end, and finally let me see for about 5 minutes. I was slightly disappointed that I didn't get to stare at my sweet baby for longer than 5 minutes.

My next appointment isn't until the 29th, so we won't get any word on the true results of today until then. With the sweet baby wiggling all around and a good heartbeat, I feel confident that everything will be just fine. :)

I'm nearly 10 weeks pregnant...

...and you should know by now things not to say to a pregnant woman. Since there are so many in this world that somehow fell under the radar in that class, allow me to remind you.

I have started to show/swell MUCH sooner than I ever expected too. I'm struggling with this on a personal level. I love that God created a woman's body to accommodate her child. I love that I get this special bonding time with my little one that no one else will ever have. I'm still struggling. I feel gross. I feel dumpy. I feel sloppy. I'm much larger than I have ever been, and I'm a little self-conscious about it. I feel like I'm in that stage that people can't figure out if I am pregnant or if I just need to lay off the cheeseburgers for a while. Without the comments, I'm struggling. I have always been content with my appearance, and satisfied with how I look. I never understood it when people couldn't see their true beauty. Until I became pregnant and everything changed SO fast. I get it now.

I've compiled a list of my recent personal experiences, and begging you not to repeat them to any woman. They just aren't nice. (Oh P.S. I know you bloggy friends wouldn't dare say these things.)

"Wow, your breasts are really huge now! Just wait until they get even bigger! They aren't even supposed to have grown that much yet!"

"You're only 8 weeks? Are you sure you aren't having twins? You're really pooching out."

"Aw you are getting a baby PUDGE!" I'm sorry, I don't care what adjective you put in front of it, pudge is never acceptable.

"Whoa! You've really put in the weight already!"

"I always expected you to just get the basketball belly, but your weight is really spreading everywhere."

"I just saw you last week! This week is REALLY out there!"

"I bet that swelling really does hurt. You look awful."

"You aren't supposed to swell yet. Just imagine what you will be like right before the baby comes."

"Are your pants killing you yet?"

"It's ok to be fat, you're pregnant."

Please. For all sanity of women, don't say these things to someone. Being pregnant does not put a sign on my back that says "Attempt to kill my self-esteem here."

Salem/Gloucester

Our last day in Massachusetts was spent on the coast. Jason was born in Gloucester, and still has some family there. We couldn't make a trip all the way to Boston without a visit, so we got up CRAZY early (so early that a very cranky wife and her anxious husband had a minor disagreement. ahem.) to catch the train to Gloucester.

Jason's godmother was so sweet to let us borrow her vehicle for the day. She stocked it full of maps, points of interest, water, and some keepsakes for our day of exploration. We headed out straight down to Salem, about 30 minutes from Gloucester.

I was sadly unimpressed. After so much history throughout the week, and seeing how New England embraces the old, I was very disappointed to see how commercial Salem was. I LOVED studying the witch trials in high school and college, and was really looking forward to seeing it in person.

There were multiple museums, but they were difficult to enjoy with a palm reading or tarot card reading place attached to each museum. We did try out the 40 Whacks Museum, the story of Lizzie Borden:

It was just ok. A VERY fake crime scene, and the textbook story was hung on the walls. The only thing that seemed still genuine from the witch trials was the cemetery that the "witches" were put to rest. However, it was sadly stuck behind a strip mall and a psychic reading place. Sigh.

We did walk over to Nathaniel Hawthorne's house, and saw this beautiful sight on the way:

It was crazy expensive to tour Nathaniel Hawthorne's home, so we just admired from the outside out of fear of another disappointed tour.

We ate lunch in Salem at an AMAZING hot dog place. Seriously, who would have ever thought that you could dress a hotdog in so many ways? We headed on back up to Gloucester, to take a look at the city before dinner.

We stopped at the Fisherman's Port, and took a picture of this really awesome statue in honor of the fishermen that lost their lives at sea. Some of Jason's relatives from many years ago have their names on the plaques that surround this statue. It was really neat to see.

Gloucester was 100% the stereotypical New England city. I LOVED it. The boats were everywhere, the lighthouses were everywhere, the seagulls were everywhere, it was fantastic. It was everything I would anticipate New England would be, and I was so thrilled to see it. Insert: I will admit to a small nap in the vehicle during part of the tour due to the extremely unreasonable wake up call earlier that morning. I'm not bitter. :)

After touring the city for a couple of hours, Jason fulfilled my "vacation" aspect and took me to the beach.

Ah...

New England beaches are NOTHING like I have ever experienced. Every beach I have ever been to have included bikinis, tanning oil, sunglasses, and anything else to aid in the tanning process. Good Harbor Beach was so calm. So peaceful. So RELAXING. People were there in jeans and flowy shirts just to read a book. People brought their dogs for a relaxing walk. There were very few people there to soak in the sun. Instead, they were soaking in the ambiance. It was nothing I have ever experienced, and I loved it. I've also decided I will own one of these homes some day:

After a beautiful time at the beach, Jason and I headed over to his godparent's beautiful home for a nice Italian meal. It isn't an Italian get together without spaghetti! :) YUM! I love "real" spaghetti. Sauce in a jar just doesn't cut it.

We spent several hours with his family, but it was sadly time for us to head back into the city. Jason's godmother drove us back in so that we wouldn't have to wait on the train, and Jason's godfather sent us back with a gift of his very own homemade wine. Let me tell you, this red wine was INCREDIBLE! We used it to celebrate our last evening in Boston.

It was a wonderful day to finally see where my husband was born and began his love for all things Massachusetts. Boston would definitely be a place I wouldn't mind living, but I much prefer being close to my family. :)

We flew home the following afternoon, but not before stopping back off in Little Italy for a dozen cannolis to bring home. Our flight home was less than pleasant, but that was due to the misleading information that our airline gave us. Note to all airlines: If you put out your landing gear and put them on a runway that ISN'T my final destination, it IS a stop. I don't care what you say. A nonstop flight only puts its landing gear out for my final destination. Please take note.

Jason and I truly had a fantastic trip. We always said that Boston would be our last "big" trip before beginning a family. Little did we know that we would begin our family just a few short weeks later!!

Boston Re-Cap Continued

Have I mentioned how much I LOVED Boston??  It is truly a beautiful and unique city.  It is so different than what I expected.  I expected this hustle and bustle, basically what you would expect in New York City.  I was so wrong.  There is definitely a lot of people, a lot of chaos, but it seems SO laid back all at the same time.

Like I mentioned the other day, we went to view the city from 50 stories up.  This was one of my favorite shots:

Our final day in the city we decided to check out the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Boston Science Museum.  Both were AWESOME, but we didn't get nearly enough time in either.  We had to rush to get back to the hotel to get ready for MY favorite part of the whole trip.

The Museum of Fine Arts.  Unbelievable.  This place was HUGE, and the works on display were breathtaking.  I never imagined I would get to see so many pieces of classic art in their original form.

In between our museum visits, we went over to Cheers!  This was another one of my requests, but I was sadly disappointed.

The downstairs part was very dark and crowded, and it was cut in half to accommodate a gift shop.  Major bummer.  To eat lunch, we were sent upstairs to the "replica set bar."  I was really disappointed that the set was not preserved and turned into something so commercial.

FINALLY!! It was time to get back to the hotel to shower and get ready to go see Wicked! at the B0st0n 0pera H0use.  I hadn't seen the show yet, and I was thrilled for my first chance to see it.  The opera house was completely breathtaking.  After a rather ridiculous and scary cab ride (aka the driver had no idea where the opera house was, Jason had to be the one to direct him) I was a little concerned about the opera house.  It looked so narrow from the street, "smooshed" in between two other buildings.  We walked in, and were completely blown away by this view in the foyer:

And the ceilings!

A nice couple took a picture of us right before we went into the theatre.

I was able to score one shot of the stage and view of the inside of the theatre before the usher told me to put my camera away:

The show was absolutely amazing.  I had very high expectations for the show, and my expectations were very highly exceeded.  The music, the set, the plot, everything about it was perfect.  It was a wonderful night out to celebrate our last evening in the city.  Our final day of our trip would  be traveling to Salem and Gloucester, the city where my husband was born.  More on that later! :)

9 Weeks!

Please excuse the TERRIBLE picture. I had just woken from a nap, and still a little sleepy. :)

Total weight gain/loss: There is a discrepancy on my weight this week based on my scale and the doctor scale. Currently my scale reads 134. I'm going with this number since that is what I have been going with from the beginning.

Maternity clothes? I bought a Be-Band this weekend! My regular clothes have been super uncomfortable lately. I've been experiencing a lot of bloating, swelling, and water retention that are going to put me in maternity clothes much sooner than I expected. I'm struggling with this. My sweet Momma also bought me a few pairs of maternity pants for comfort, and I wore one pair to church today. They feel so much better than putting my swollen legs into my regular clothes.

Stretch marks? Still nope! Hopefully they stay far far away!

Sleep: Struggling with this due to the swelling. I'm sleeping with my feet elevated and finding it difficult to be comfortable.

Best moment this week: Hearing the wonderful news that although I have a SH, all of my bloodwork came back beautifully.

Movement: None yet.

Food cravings: Sweets. Lots and lots of sweets.

Gender: Still can't wait to find out!

Labor Signs: Still no, thank goodness!

Belly Button in or out? Still an innie, though the swelling is making it look funny.

Wedding rings on or off? Still on, but off when I sleep.

What I miss: Good sleep! And not having to worry about my sodium intake.

What I am looking forward to: Our next ultrasound on the 20th.

Weekly Wisdom: I still have none. I'm trying to learn as I go.

Milestones: Our first OB appointment!

Boston: Fenway Park Day

Thank you all so much for your concern on my most recent post. Your thoughts, prayers, and kind words mean so much to me. I promise to give you my weekly pregnancy update soon, but I wanted to continue with my Boston recap!

I want to preface the rest of my Boston posts that this trip was 100% PRIOR to our conception of Baby Cannoli. Some of you were sweet enough to express concern related to some of the things we experienced in Boston, as they would not have been safe for our sweet baby. However, we were NOT expecting at this time, and I want to assure you that we have zero concerns that our time spent in Boston will affect Baby Cannoli.

It has been my husband's lifelong dream to see his beloved Red Sox play at Fenway Park. He moved away from Boston when he was very little, and never had a chance to make the trip to Fenway Park until now. So of course, our trip was planned around a time that the Red Sox would be at home. Fenway Park Day was my husband's highlight of our entire trip.

We were major nerds and took the tour of the park. We learned a lot of the history of the ballpark, and were even able to go down onto the field! I thought Jason was going to pass out.

The tour was actually really interesting. I love the fact that Boston and the Red Sox embrace their history, and want to preserve it. They live on the motto: "Just because it's old, doesn't mean it needs to be changed." The entire city, as well as the baseball team, make an effort to utilize all the things that made Boston the wonderful city it is.

Jason thankfully did not pass out when walking down onto the field. I love my husbands childlike excitement. It makes anything we do so much more fun. He sees the magic in everything, and I love that about him.

After a fun-filled morning in the park, we were able to do some shopping and take a look at the city from 52 stories up. I'll fill you in on that part later. For now, onto the game!

My sweet Dad wanted to be a part of my husband's big evening, so he gave us some cash prior to leaving Kentucky and told us to have a beer for him once we got to our seats. This picture is just for him:

Thanks Dad!!

It actually got EXTREMELY cold that evening, so the rest of our evening was spent consuming large amounts of hot chocolate.

Jason and I had fantastic seats. We actually got a ticket upgrade a few days prior to leaving Kentucky, so we were REALLY excited to be 10 rows behind homeplate!

And a photo just to show you how awesome our seats were. Jason was in heaven.

Sadly, our Red Sox lost that evening, but it didn't ruin our time. The atmosphere at the game was incredible, and we LOVED getting to participate in "Sweet Caroline." It was definitely more fun than I ever expected it to be. My husband's huge grin and silly dances throughout the day made my sore feet and back well worth it.

A Scare and An Answered Prayer

I've been doing a lot of trusting in God lately.  God told us to trust in him with our family, and he blessed us with a pregnancy sooner than we ever expected.  God knows my desires of wanting to be a SAHM, and I'm putting all my faith and trust in him that he will make happen exactly where I am meant to be.

Yesterday, I had my very first OB appointment.  I was feeling very confident from our wonderful ultrasound this past Saturday, and just excited to hear more information about our sweet angel.

Subchorionic Hemorrhage.  

I definitely wasn't expecting those words. Heck, I didn't even know what those words meant.  I heard: "small," "likely not to cause miscarriage," but I also heard: "concern," "extra ultrasound to make sure the fetus is still growing."  As soon as the doctor left the room, I burst into tears.

I was terrified.  Thankfully for a very supportive husband and mother, and with the help of a very good friend, research brought me some comfort.  I was still terrified.  I learned that this is the most common abnormality that can be found in an early ultrasound, and often resolves itself in the first trimester.  I also read of heavy bleeding that could occur that would not necessarily mean a miscarriage.  To be mild, I went into a panic.

I never knew how much I wanted this baby until I knew this baby was inside me.  Now I'll do anything to protect it.

I knew nothing else other than just to put full hope and faith and trust into God to take care of my little one.  I had a good friend remind me that God loves this Baby Cannoli more than I do, and I have to trust that he will follow through with his plan for our sweet baby.  

I have to have another ultrasound in 2 weeks, as well as a follow up appointment the Monday after Thanksgiving to make sure that the bleed has not grown.  I also had my prenatal bloodwork done yesterday, so my doctor decided to look at my HcG levels again just to make sure I was on track with where I should be.

God took care of me again.  My doctor called me tonight, and told me that my levels were at 91,000!!  He even made a joke of twins! No, there are no twins in our future, we saw only one baby at my ultrasound. :)

After a very comforting talk, he informed me that my bleed was so small and minor that he hesitated to even mention it to me.  I have been blessed with a very cautious doctor (his caution saved my mother's life) and he opted to take every precaution for my health and the well being of Baby Cannoli.  He also mentioned to me that he only discussed the condition with me so that I did not panic if I began to bleed in the next few days, which is very likely.  I was instructed to still seek medical care, but to know that it was likely the bleed healing itself by passing instead of absorbing into the tissue.  Either way, he has zero concern that this will be detrimental to my pregnancy.

Thank you God, for taking my burdens today, and for reminding me that you love Baby Cannoli more than I do.

Boston Catch Up!

In all the excitement of the pregnancy, I totally failed in highlighting our Boston trip! And no, Baby Cannoli is NOT a souvenir from Boston. ;)

We slept in on Sunday to recover from our ridiculously early flight on Saturday, and set off for the markets (aka major tourist traps) and of course, seafood. Kentucky has a really sad representation of seafood, and I was so excited to get a fresh, GOOD lobster.

We found a great little place just off the waterfronts overlooking the boat docks, and enjoyed our 1 1/2 pound lobsters. I've never in my life seen a lobster so big!! It was SO yummy that Jason and I felt it necessary to document:

Then we decided to just walk and see where the streets of Boston took us. We decided to follow the bricks (and no, not the yellow brick road, that's later on in the week!) of the Freedom Trail and take a look at some of our countries oldest history. We took a tour of Paul Revere's house:
As well as the Paul Revere Statue. We also saw a TON of really old churches. We took photos of them, but I honestly cannot remember which church is which...sigh. Oh well.
Did I mention yet that there is A LOT of walking involved with the streets of Boston? I think that Jason and I walked at least 20-30 miles each day. We always came back to the hotel with sore feet and backs. Thank goodness for the hotel hot tub! And for the stops at the local pastry shops for cannolis! My favorite was the plain cannoli with chocolate chips and powdered sugar:
That evening, we took a sunset cruise in the Boston Harbor, and it was really worth seeing! We got to see a lot of the major landmarks from the water, and watch the USS Constitution fire off its cannons! My favorite photo of the night was this one:

Such a beautiful city and skyline. I must say, if Kentucky wasn't my home, I'd be well on my way back to Boston!

Tomorrow I will update you on Jason's favorite and most anticipated part of the trip: His very first visit/tour/game at Fenway Park!

Christmas Cards?! Already?!

You betcha! Especially since Shutterfly is giving away 50 FREE Holiday Cards to bloggers!!

I'm so excited about this! Jason and I use Shutterfly for all of our photo printing. I have always been pleased with Shutterfly's quality AND customer service. We used Shutterfly Christmas Cards last year as well as our first Christmas card ever to all of our family and friends. They turned out SO nicely, and it was so easy to use and upload my personal pictures.

There are so many great designs to choose from, but this is my favorite so far:

Jason and I always use the bright colors for Christmas, and Shutterfly is one of the only places I can find with beautiful designs in the colors that we enjoy.

Not into Christmas cards? They also have a wide range of products including: canvas prints, wall calendars, and New Years cards!

I never use anyone but Shutterfly. I've been a customer of theirs for many years now, and I am so excited for the 50 Free Card promotion!

Go HERE to sign up for your 50 FREE cards too!

"Love At First Sight"

We had our first ultrasound yesterday! They started with an abdominal ultrasound to get ovarian and uterine measurements, and then we switched to a vaginal ultrasound to get a better glimpse.

I have been so nervous for this day! My actual appointment isn't until Tuesday, but I knew that seeing the heartbeat would make me feel so much better! The second the tech found Baby Cannoli during the abdominal part, I could see that sweet little flicker and burst into tears. That was the sweetest moment of my entire life.

Baby Cannoli's big beautiful heart beating away at an average of 150bpm:

A glimpse at tiny Baby Cannoli.

Baby Cannoli at another angle...so tiny! He/She measured at 7w3d.

Another glimpse at the heart:

After averaging all the measurements of the sac and the baby, the tech dated me at 8w3d, two days later than my calculations. My current estimated due date is now June 15, 2011. The tech said she wasn't sure if the doctor would set my due date base on my calculations or hers, since they were so close together. She was very reassuring and talked with me throughout the entire process, telling me everything she was looking at and looking for. We left feeling very positive and thrilled that Baby Cannoli is growing just as he/she should be.

My parents and sister decided to come along for the ultrasound today too! They took lots of videos and photos, and I'll share them with you as soon as I can figure out how to pull them off FB and onto Blogger.

It was wonderful to be surrounded by everyone during this precious moment. I was SO nervous and worried that we would find something wrong, and to have that large of a support system gave me a lot of comfort. I'm so thrilled that Baby Cannoli is already loved enough that my entire family is willing to get up before 8 on a Saturday morning just to come and take a peek. :)