whew!

   So I have to say that I cannot wait until Thursday is over with!!! Paul and I will both take our last finals on Thursday!!! YAY!!! Guess what that means!! We can actually start some real planning for the arrival of our sweet little boy. There will be a lot to do this summer to get ready for him, but I can't wait to get started!
Saturday will be our first time getting to actually hang out together in months!!! Can't wait can't wait!
   Our baby guy is doing great. I went to the doctor this week. Heart beat was strong and my belly measured perfectly for the development he should be at right now. I've gained about 10 pounds so far which is right on track with what is normal weight gain. I'm trying to eat very healthy and exercise as much as possible so I can give this little guy a great start! Confession: I had coffee today for only the 2nd time since I found out I'm preggo. It was so very good. They had coffee punch at the baby shower I went to this morning. I felt justified in drinking it b/c there were at least 2 other preggos drinking it and I was a a BABY SHOWER! IT WAS SO GOOD!!! It will have to hold me over for a while though :) water water water, milk, milk, milk, juice, juice, juice.....That's what is on the drink menu for me!! woohoo!!! The caffeine thing has not been a struggle for me...then again, i might not be so far behind in my reading if I had been able to depend on caffeine, but no matter, I'll stick with the water for now.
   So, I'm about to head back to the books, but I just thought I'd give a quick update! There will be many more fun posts to come, I know its been a while. I've been focusing most of my awake/not at work moments on school work. Please pray that I get the best grade possible on these classes, so that I can get more money back from tuition reimbursement from my job. The better the grade, the more they pay you back. As you can imagine, we can use that money for several expenses that will be coming up as we put a nursery together. Tuition is not cheap, so the fact that my employer provides this is a huge blessing. I'm just hoping I don't bomb the 2 final this week and that I suddenly turn into a speed reader :)
  

This is me @ 21 weeks. I'll do a new one tomorrow, you should see the difference!!

Some goodies from my sweet cuz in Illinois! She is too kind.

Its so fun to start picking up stuff here and there :) Excitement!

Ok, I'm done really now, this was meant to be very very short and has turned into the longest post yet I think :)

IT'S A BOY!!!!

So, yesterday we had our first ultrasounds @ 19 weeks. It was such a beautiful thing. It took us a minute to figure out what we were looking at, but finally got the hang of it. We both just loved getting see our little guy wiggle around. :) Speaking of, now we know!!! Its a boy! Most importantly, he seemed to be perfectly healthy.  His heart, brain, and kindeys all looked the way they are supposed to and he has all of his fingers and toes! No suspicion that his little body is anything but perfect. Praise the Lord! He was in a funny position though, so we are scheduled to go back to get a few more shots that they couldn't get today. This was exciting news for us, b/c our insurance only pays for 1 ultrasound unless the doc asks for another one. We were happy that we get to see him again before he gets here.
So, needless to say, we couldn't be happier! Can't wait till summer hits and we have more time to start getting his room ready and the rest of our home in order for baby time :)
I did buy a few things last night for him. I just couldn't resist.

Meet our little guy :)

And this is his first outfit :)

What's kickin?

So over the past few weeks, I've felt things in my tummy that I've thought could be the baby moving. I've never been sure though, because it was so faint. Not so anymore. Soon after we went to bed tonight, this little munchkin started letting me know he/she was not in the mood to sleep. :) I wish that Paul had not already fallen asleep because I think he may have been able to feel a couple of those little kicks. I have to say, it makes my heart smile. I love this kid immeasurably and we haven't even met yet. I'm a mom and Paul's a dad. While that completely freaks me out, I cannot wait to meet our little girl or guy.
So anyway, I don't know if it was the babe, Paul's snoring :), or my 1 1/2 hour nap earlier that was keeping we awake, but I thought I'd get up and share.

taken at 18 weeks plus a couple of days.

ps. Thursday is the big day! boy or girl?

17 Weeks...enjoying every minute!

So the last few weeks have been more than hectic. We moved and then we've been so bogged down with school/work/travel, that I can count on one hand the number of boxes that we've unpacked since that weekend(2 1/2 weeks ago!) We like our new apartment and are looking forward to getting settled in and starting on the baby's room as soon as summer hits!
So, as far as baby Hanson is concerned, everything is going great :) We got to go home to see family and a few friends over Easter weekend. I think some were dissapointed that I'm not showing a whole lot yet, but what can I say...I have no control over that part. :)
I had a doctor's apointment yesterday. Everything looks good, the baby's heartbeat was strong! Looking forward to the ultrasound in 2 weeks!
I took a picture at 16 weeks, but never had time to post it:

As you can see, things are coming along just fine :)

14 Weeks and Counting!

Well, lets see if I can fill you in on the last 2 weeks.
The biggest news is that we got to hear our sweet baby's heartbeat last Wednesday! It was aww-mazing :) The doctor's visit went great! I love the new doctor, way better than the first lady which is a relief.

I think I've been feeling some movement! It is still at the point though that you can't tell if its the baby or other things moving in there but I like to think its our little bump :)

I'm 14 weeks today and I took a new belly shot!

Also, we got a package for the baby last week from some pretty amazing people, I'll show you our first baby gifts!

1st Trimester in a Nut Shell

Hmm, where to begin...The last first three months of this pregnancy have been a breeze! I'm thankful I did not have to deal with severe morning sickness that some go through. There really haven't been a lot of noticeable changes yet except for being so stinkin tired all the time! I've been able to continue to run when time allows and I plan to keep that up until I just can't anymore!
My first doctor's appointment at, 9 weeks, went normal, but rushed. I did not like the doc and have found a new one. My first appointment with her is this Wednesday. We are super excited about getting to hear our baby's heartbeat for the first time!
We have definitely take our sweet time about getting the word out..lol. We still have a few friends and family members to get ahold of! We are having fun telling everyone though. The reactions have been so fun to hear!

*cravings-grapefruit, grapefruit juice, raspberry preserves, pickles(obviously,) and spicy stuff! No strange combinations yet, but we'll see over the next few months!

So I've taken some belly shots to show the progress, there really isn't much visibly yet, but it will be fun as time goes on!

5 weeks- the day after we found out

7 weeks

9 weeks

12 weeks!!!

As you can see, our babe's a growin!

Surprise Surprise!

We found out that I was pregnant on January 12th! Holy cow, we were super surprised and a little freaked out at first to be honest! I must mention that in the same week, Paul planned to quit his full time job to replace it with a part time, not-so-secure job so that he could start seminary full time the next week! Ahhh!!!!! But God's timing is amazing and He has already shown that He is going to provide! Thank you Lord! :::back to baby::: We're totally stoked! I already can't wait to feel him or her move and for Paul to be able to feel it too. Its going to be so fun. I want to be able to enjoy every part of this pragnancy, I've already enjoyed the first three months. I'll be sharing pics and doctors appointments and other fun baby stuff with our closest friends and fam through this blog. I hope you enjoy as much as I do!

YAY!!!!