February 19, 2008: Where in the World is Voodoo?

So we had a pretty spontaneous, but fun weekend. Around 10:30 Friday night, Nick and I decided to drive to Vegas with a friend. Nick didn't have to persuade me too much, I love Vegas as much as he does. We actually ran into quite a few friends from college, all by chance, that we had no idea that would be there. I was a little sick on the car ride home, but overall we had a good trip (which really means we came home with money in our pockets!!) So far, voodoo has now been to Houston and Nashville (before we even knew) and Dallas, Big Bear and Vegas after we found out. Hopefully, we will have a baby who loves to travel like us :)

I've been so busy with school and work that Nick has been very helpful around the house. He has been cooking, cleaning, and even did some laundry. We might have lost some socks in the process but it's worth it, cause between class and the hospital, I'm so tired I can barely keep up. Only 3.5 weeks left of this quarter, which will end just in time for Amelia and her roommate, Candy's 11 day visit...Spring Break 2008!! Looking forward to it...

February 15, 2008: 3 month baby bump

okay here it is...my little bump...yes, it's very little and looks more like i ate a big meal rather than being pregnant...so actually most of you have probably seen my stomach this big since i eat alot all the time...well it still feels different to me, mostly because i can't suck it in anymore :)

everything's been going great...feeling better finally and back at school and work...hope everyone had a nice valentine's day...nick decided to cook for us since i got home late from work...for those of you who know nick's cooking skills, well let's just say at least we didn't need the fire extinguisher...he decided to broil a loaf of bread with the oven door closed for about 20 minutes...yeah, that bread was completely burnt and probably starting to disintegrate...the pasta and salad were edible though and very good! oh well, at least for the first year he just has to learn how to open a jar of baby food, right?

February 7, 2008: Happy Bday Dal, 12 weeks and first sonogram!

Happy Birthday Dal!! We wish we could be with you, but know you are having a great day. Today was our 12 week appointment and everything's still great. I have been sick for about a week with the flu, but am slowing getting better. Today was the first time we HEARD voodoo's heartbeat. It sounded very swishy and fast, it was just so cool. No ultrasound needed, since we heard the heartbeat which was a very good indication. We are off to Big Bear this weekend, but I won't get to do any skiing. Just drinking my hot chocolate and taking it easy in our cabin with our friends. I don't have much of a bump to show yet, just what looks like a full tummy. I'll update with some pictures soon...

January 18-20, 2008: Weekend in Dallas, Cameron's Home!

We had planned this trip around Cameron's return home from Iraq. As voodoo must have known, it turned out to be the perfect weekend to announce my pregnancy to all of our family. We flew in Friday night and had some homeade french fries and burgers. We played Rock Band with all my sibs and parents, as well as Cameron's parents who were already in town. On Saturday, we woke up early and drove down to Kileen, TX to Ft. Hood to pick up Cameron. The ceremony was amazing and it was so exciting to have him return home for good! (Attached pics of his return) That night was spent catching up with Cameron (with Miller Lite and Pizza Hut, of course). On Sunday Nick's whole family came up to Dallas to join us for dinner. Everyone was excited for a family visit, as well as seeing Cameron. Little did they know we had big plans for that gathering...We made our announcement before dinner and everyone was shocked!! It was so special to tell everyone in person, and we were so grateful that all of our family could be there. Another amazing 'voodoo' moment...

January 15, 2008: 8 weeks!

We came back to the doctor's a little earlier than expected...but everything was great! He just wanted another ultrasound to check out voodoo before we flew to Dallas. We got another ultrasound and while still a little hard to see any body parts, we saw that heartbeat again! We got the okay for me to fly and it's off to tell our family!!

January 4, 2008: 6 1/2 weeks and first ultrasound!

So today was our first doctor's appointment. We didn't know what to expect, but I think we both agree it was one of the most amazing experiences...we had our first ultrasound. I know at this stage voodoo is so small that there is not much you can make out. But what we did see was a heartbeat!!! It was so cool and just made everything seem much more real. We also found out I was 6 1/2 weeks along.

What do voodoo, double down, and crunch wrap supreme have in common?

They are all names for our baby!! (don't worry, only DURING the pregnancy) Here is the origin of each name:

Voodoo: So as we said, this pregnancy was a surprise. So much so, that Nick's first comment on learning I was pregnant was "Is this baby voodoo or something??" I know the word can have some negative or weird connotations, but it was meant as something magical and special. So it stuck. As we go through this experience and everything is changing (in a good way!) it definitely seems to be the perfect name. Mal and others in our family have shortened the name to 'doo or lil 'doo which is cool too.

Double down: This name was given by our brother-in-law, Cameron. Since this baby is coming from our family, it wouldn't be shocking for it's first word to revolve around gambling, blackjack, Vegas or cards. If you see any bald, little people at the MGM casino in about a year, that's probably our little double down :)

Crunch Wrap Supreme: No this name was not given for any of my weird cravings. Actually when talking with my friend Liz, I told her we would still have an active social life after having a baby because our baby would be 'good to go'. I meant in a way of packing up the baby and bringing it along, but she pointed out that the phrase I had used was actually a Taco Bell slogan for the crunch wrap supreme. Oops. I think I probably watch too much TV...

We like them all, but probably use voodoo the most...even if you hate them all, you have to admit it's better than calling it "the baby" or "it" for the next six months!

December 31, 2007: We're Pregnant!!

We just found out and for now the only people who know are Nick and I (and our new addition!) It was a very exciting day, but also a little hard to believe. This was very much a surprise for both of us. Even though we knew we always wanted kids, we had thought we would wait until we were in Dallas, in a house, out of grad school, etc. Apparently, someone knew better than us :) We spent the first days of January getting used to the idea. We started getting very excited, making big plans, and before I knew it, it was Nick who was coming home with the baby books!