LONG overdue update on Baby Muth

Where do i even begin???
My last entry was after the 12 week appointment with Dr. Martin that my mom attended :) So much has happened since then. Today I am 20 weeks pregnant! It feels like we just found out we were pregnant- I can not believe how fast the time is flying by! Since so much time has gone by since my last entry I'll try to break down the major events of the past 8 weeks!! I'll start at the 16 week appointment with Dr. Martin!

16 week ultrasound with Dr. Martin

We went on November 24th for our 16 week appointment & ultrasound. This was the appointment that Dr. Martin thought he would be able to determine the sex of baby Muth :) Nate was able to go the the appointment with me & we were both really looking forward to knowing the sex of the baby by Thanksgiving to share with our families! I wanted to make sure that baby Muth was moving around during the ultrasound so on the way to the office- I ate a bag of peanut m&m's :) As it turns out... maybe I should have only snacked on HALF the bag- baby muth was moving around like crazy- but unwilling to move into any position or stay in any position long enough for Dr.Martin to get a good look at the goods!! It didn't help that baby muth was in a breech position- making things even more difficult for Dr. Martin to get a good ultrasound picture! Dr. Martin- sweet as can be- tried & tried- but no luck- baby muth would not cooperate!! He said he was PRETTY SURE it was a boy- but not to run out & paint the nursery yet! Nate & I of course ran with it- we decided then & there that we were having a little boy :) Dr. Martin wanted us to know for sure- so he invited us to stop back in the next week & hopefully confirm his educated guess of baby boy!

Thanksgiving in Rome at Casa Baldwin

Nate & I were able to celebrate Thanksgiving in Rome with my parents & Aubre, Mike & Madison!! Nate's parents went to Tennessee to visit Sally's sister & her family- they were missed in Rome for sure! We had a really fun time at Thanksgiving & of course tears were shed during the "pass the corn tradition" My family has a tradition that when we sit down at the table for Thanksgiving dinner each person has 5 unpopped pieces of popcorn at their place setting. As we sit and enjoy the meal we pass a small dish around the table and each person drops a corn kernel in & shares something they are thankful for! Baby Muth was mentioned several times as well as how thankful we all are for our spouses & families! It was a very special time spent together as a family! This was the first time I felt baby muth move FOR SURE!! I had been feeling the flutters for weeks now- but the morning after Thanksgiving- laying in my bed upstairs at my parents- I felt baby muth kick me- a real kick!! It was an amazing feeling that I will remember forever!

Back to see Dr. Martin for Confirmation... this time we brought Sally

Dr.Martin was able to see us again on December 4th to try to confirm his thoughts that baby Muth was a baby boy!! As soon as we left our last appointment and Dr. Martin had invited us back to follow up I knew that I wanted to invite Sally- Nate's mom- to come to the ultrasound. I thought that she would really love meeting Dr. Martin & I knew that she would enjoy getting to see the ultrasound in person. Originally it didn't look like Nate was going to be able to go to this appointment with me- but things worked out perfectly in the end and the 3 of us were able to go the appointment together. After the m&m disaster at the original 16 week appointment I avoided all chocolate before this appointment!! Well you'll never guess- baby Muth was even LESS cooperative at this appointment than at the 16 week appointment! Baby Muth slept through the entire thing! Dr.Martin tried and tried and tried to get baby muth to wake up and move around - but NO luck! We left that appointment with the same 90% certainty that baby muth was a baby boy! It was of course fun to get to see baby & listen to the heart beat - but we were really looking forward to confirmation of the sex of the baby!! We would have to wait for the 20 week ultra sound to know for sure if baby muth was really a baby boy!

The BIG Appointment- 20 week ultrasound

Our 20 week ultra sound would not be with Dr.Martin- it would be with a specialized ultrasound tech at Dr.Allaire's office at the Long Street Clinic. This ultrasound was more than just a "fun ultrasound" to check for the sex- this was a very important scan. The tech was checking to make sure baby muth was totally healthy & all his bones & organs were growing at the right rate & all that good stuff! We were both really anxious to hear that baby muth was healthy that the sex of the baby took a back seat as we waiting for this appointment! As soon as the tech started she asked us if we wanted to know the sex of the baby- we of course said YES!!! We then told her that we wouldn't be surprised if she couldn't tell us for sure because Dr.Martin had been unsuccessful 3 times in a row at giving us a solid answer- her reply was priceless & had us both cracking up!! She said "I don't know what baby Dr.Martin was looking at- maybe he needs to get glasses- because that is a baby BOY" We were both so overjoyed to know for sure!! From this moment on it would not be "baby muth" - we are having a son!! We picked out the name Mason Thomas Muth! Nate claims he knew from day one that it was a little boy- I will give him credit- he never changed his response- no matter how many million times I asked him :) I however- went back and forth in my predictions- but was happy to know for sure that it was a little boy. Since I was a little girl I have always wanted to have a baby boy first and then a baby girl second - but when it came right down to it- I was nervous about having a baby boy. I do not KNOW boy- I've got girl on lock down- I know about little girls and teenage girls and grown up girls, I know all about girl stuff & mother daughter relationships- I AM CLUELESS WHEN IT COMES TO BOY!! I am excited and nervous all at the same time about being a mother to a son! Nate on the other hand has the polar opposite feelings- he knows boy! He can do boy! He is overjoyed at having a son - i think like most men would be :) Okay- back to HEALTHY baby mason... the whole point of the ultrasound! Dr.Allaire told us that everything looked perfect! We were able to see all 4 chambers of baby mason's heart, his kidneys, lungs, bladder, etc. EVERYTHING LOOKED GREAT! All the measurements of his bones were right on track for his due date! He weighed 11 ounces & his heart beat was right at 150 bpm :) In true pregnant momma form I cried after we heard the news that everything looked great! I had the quad screen blood test done that day also and we are waiting on those results- but I am confident that everything will come back perfectly normal there too :) It was the greatest day so far in the pregnancy journey!!! After the appointment we were off to Babys R Us to register & then to a celebratory dinner with Tom & Sally- our post doctor's appointment tradition :)

Registering at Babys R Us- WHOA!!!

With a firm confirmation of baby Mason's manhood - we were off to register!! I had spent alot of time researching and quizzing my friends on all the things we would need for Mason. Thanks to Amy, Analisa, Maria & Elizabeth I was able to compile 10 pages of notes to help us register :) I would have never been able to do it without my friends advice & I plan to one day pass it on to other new mothers that are looking for the same advice :) Despite all the research- Nate & I were both overwhelmed at the whole process :) Nate made comments like "this is all becoming very real" & "whoa- I'm actually going to be using these things with mason REALLY soon" It was a fun, emotional, exhausting 3 hours spent in Babys R Us :) We can't wait to meet Mason & this made it so much more of a reality :)

Pre-Christmas Celebration in Tennessee with Aubre, Mike & Madison

I traveled up to Tennessee with my Mom & Dad this past weekend to visit Aubre, Mike & Madison!! Since we are not all able to be together at Christmas we just moved our celebration up a week! Sadly Nate had to work and was not able to make the trip with us- we were very sad & missed him very much!! We all had a great time together just hanging out & enjoying each others company! Mason received his very first Christmas presents from Auntie Aubre' & Mike & Madison- a super cute little outfit & a pack of newborn diapers! Again- another moment in time that it "got very real" :) It was so sweet of them to get Mason a gift - he's already spoiled & he hasn't even been born yet!!! Mason is kicking and moving around like crazy now!! Its an amazing crazy alien took over my body type of feeling!! :) ha ha :) I love it and am creeped out by it all at the same time! Nate can NOT wait to feel baby mason moving by touching my ever growing belly! It's so cute- every time he kicks or moves or punches me- nate tries to feel it - but so far- no luck!! Mom & I were able to spend the day together yesterday & she was so generous to take me on a shopping trip to my new favorite store- Motherhood Maternity! We had lots of laughs about my ever growing bust- I didn't even know there was a cup size E!! Holy Hell- the things pregnancy does to your body!! Mom was SUPER SUPER generous and bought me several outfits that fit that ever growing baby bump!! It has been wonderful spending so much time with my parents these past few weeks!! Nate & I are both really looking forward to going up to Rome on Wednesday to spend Christmas with my family! We however are equally sad that we will not be able to spend Christmas with Nate's family!! Because of Nate's work schedule we were not able to make the trip to San Antonio this year :( We really are going to miss seeing Will & Jack open presents!! We treasure the time we get to see Melanie, Eric & Adam since we all live in different parts of the United States- and we are very sad that we have to miss that time together this Christmas!

Well... That about covers the past 8 weeks :)

I am not going to ever go so long between posts ever again because so many details of the past 8 weeks have been lost :( I kept saying... "as soon as we know the sex for sure i'm going to update" and then time just got away from me & I got busy with the end of the school year... blah blah blah- excuses I know! I'm sure I forgot & left out lots of details- but at least I am some what caught back up now! We love all of your very much & have appreciated you checking in on us & keeping up with baby mason :) We are exactly at the half-way point & we are so excited for the second half of the journey! I sent Christmas cards out a little late- as in TODAY- but they will get there eventually :) Merry Christmas to all of you!! Nate & I have a greater appreciation for Christmas, God's Love and the miracles that God performs! God is Good and we are so blessed this year!!