Weekly Update

How Far Along: 21 weeks

Baby Nickles Weight: 12 ounces

Baby Nickles Length: 10.5 inches- think the length of a carrot

Baby Nickles Heartbeat:  153 (going from the last Dr. visit)

Sleep: Stephen makes fun of me because I go to sleep so early. I can't help it! I am just SOOOO tired! Plus, I still wake up every three hours so its kind of like I nap on and off all night long. :-)

Best Moment this week:  We bought a crib and a dresser! Wha hoo! Also, crib bedding was delivered today!

Movement:  Yes, she is still nudging every now and again. I feel her most when I am hungry and just after I eat. Unfortunately, we still can't feel her from the outside.

Food Craving: Wouldn't it be nice if I craved something healthy? Nope, food of this week is Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies.

What I Miss:  Nothing. I am really excited about this little one. For the moment I am really content with being pregnant!

What I am looking forward to:  Starting the nursery. Finalizing on a name.

Symptoms:  Still feeling good. I am hoping to ride this all the way into the third trimester!

Half Baked!

How Far Along: 20 weeks- Half way there!

Baby Nickles Weight: 10.5 ounces

Baby Nickles Length: 6.5 inches- think banana

Baby Nickles Heartbeat:  153 (going from the last Dr. visit)

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  9lbs

Sleep: I sleep in 3-4 hour intervals....then wake up and either have to pee, blow my nose or eat. Rinse and repeat.

Best Moment this week:  I finally found the crib bedding- its so cute! We are just about ready to start the nursery.

Movement:  Yes, but not on a consistant basis. Its getting a little more forceful than before but I still wouldn't classify the movement as a full on kick or punch. Just a nudge.

Food Craving: Pasta, pasta, pasta... oh and avocado.

What I Miss:  Going on a walk and not getting out of breathe.

What I am looking forward to:  More movement from our little girl and starting the nursery.

Symptoms:  Besides the usual, I am feeling really good at the halfway mark!

Big Weekend

It was all baby, all the time this weekend in the Nickles household.

Stephen and I finally started our registry (Buy Buy Baby, Babies r Us, Target), bought the crib bedding and even finished going through the name book! Wheww- I am exhausted, but glad that we have tackled these major steps.

We also agreed about the nursery theme (ladybugs) and the colors (pink and green). Once the bedding is delivered to the house, we can go get the paint to match bedding. See pic below for a sneak peak of the bedding... we are still in the process of deciding on the crib but we know we want white.

What's In A Name?

Now that we know its a little girl, Stephen and I are diligently working to find the perfect name. As a matter of fact, we bought a book tittled 60,001+ Best Baby Names last weekend to help us out.

We have some front runners... which I won't say yet. We still have a long way to go. Stay tuned for more on the hunt for the perfect name....

Weekly Update- 19 Weeks

How Far Along: 19 weeks

Baby Nickles Weight: 8.5 ounces - the size of an heirloom tomato

Baby Nickles Heartbeat:  153

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  9lbs

Maternity Clothes: Yes, see previous post. Its a slippery slope, I may never wear regular clothes again!

Sleep: Pregnancy congestion makes it hard to sleep through the night. These days I not only have to get up a million times to go to the bathroom but I also have to blow my nose a lot. Fun times. Doctor says that this will probably last until the baby is born.

Best Moment this week:  Feeling the baby move around!

Movement:  Yes. It feels like I have a fish swimming around in my belly! I can't wait for Stephen to be able to feel the baby too!

Food Craving: I consume enough Chicken Pad Thai to keep our local Thai restaurant in business.

What I Miss:  Regular water... it gives me heartburn

What I am looking forward to:  More movement from our little girl and finalizing our registry.

Symptoms:  Pregnancy congestion and heartburn.

Maternity Wear, Here I Come

Last weekend Stephen and I were invited to attend the Mayor's Ball, a big shindig benefiting the City of Fort Worth and celebrating the Mayor's contributions. It's a fun event that includes live auctions, music, dancing and requires formal attire.

Originally, I thought I would just wear something that was already in my closet. I have several formal dresses from events in the past. Then I remembered that my boobs and stomach are much larger than they used to be and I can't fit into anything in my closet! So, cue the dress search....on the afternoon of the event.

It really wasn't a difficult search, I was expecting much worse. Stephen convinced me to go to a store called A Pea in A Pod which specializes in higher end maternity wear. Since I was short on time, I agreed and it ended up being the best decision I ever made! Not only did I find a cute dress (on sale none the less) but I also ended up buying two pairs of jeans and several new shirts. I am such a happy camper... and let me tell you, these are the most comfortable clothes I have ever had in my closet! I will probably wear these jeans post baby, they are that comfy!

Anyway, we ended up having a great time at the Mayor's Ball... special thanks to my sweet hubby who helped me shop and even danced with me at the Ball!

Packing the Closet!

Here is a glimpse into our new little one's closet.... slowly growing larger and definitely showing a pink theme. So far we would like to thank Disney, Target, Macy's, TJ Max, Gymboree and Mom & Dad for their contributions to the closet! Stay tuned, we plan to tackle our registry next weekend.... should be fun!!

Baby GIRL Nickles

It's a GIRL!

We are so excited to have a little girl on the way that we can hardly stand it! I have already made my way out to the mall and bought LOTS of pink outfits. Girls are so much more fun to dress than boys. (No exclamation mark there because its so true).

Last night's gender reveal party didn't quite go as we had planned. Despite our attempt to head off technical difficulties with a trial run last week, we still had issues with Skype Video Conferencing. I will attach the Flip Video that we recorded during a part of last night's call-- its pretty funny. At the very minute that we opened the present box to reveal whether it was a boy or a girl, our video and speaker went down. I assured everyone once we booted the call back up that we hadn't planned that part of the reveal... we ended up having to do the rest of the call without video. Bummer.

Anyway, participants in the call included: Mom and Dad, Phil and Katie Hughes, Patty King, Uncle Mike, Angie, Kristin and Steven Campbell. It was a fun group and we are so lucky to have such loving and supportive family and friends!

18 Weeks 1 day- Melon Stage

How Far Along: 18 weeks and 1 day

Baby Nickles Weight: .5 lb 

Baby Nickles Heartbeat:  153

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  8lbs

Maternity Clothes: No. My belly has grown a lot in a week though, its hard to fit into my regular pants. I have resorted to very stretchy material!

Sleep: It is really hard for me to stay up past 10pm these days but I am always awake early in the morning.

Best Moment this week:  Finding out its a GIRL!

Movement:  No, which still worries me but I imagine it won't be too much longer since she is getting bigger by the second!

Food Craving: Fettuccine Alfredo. I am big on pasta....

What I Miss:  Sleeping through the night without having to get up to pee!

What I am looking forward to:  Shopping for our little girl and getting the nursery together.

Symptoms:  Pregnancy congestion and heartburn. (An old Wives tale says that if you have heartburn, then your baby will be born with a lot of hair...)

Our New Flip Video Camera

In preparation for the little one, we decided to purchase a new Flip Video. We love it so far and so does Tillie....

Broadcasting live from the Nickles couch, here is Tillie doing her "Poochie Dance."

Super Weather

So far Super Week has proved to be a super dud. We planned for just about every scenario and hoped for the best. Turns out no one can harness mother nature. Monday night, snow and sleet rolled in accompanied by incredibly cold wind and temps (highs in the teens with wind chills making it feel like -1). North Texas has been in a holding pattern ever since. Schools are closed, roads are covered in ice and most local attractions (including the Stockyards) have been shut down. ESPN, which is broadcasting live from Sundance Square is not seeing the crowd that they had expected. The crowd is mostly Steelers and Packers fans who are staying in local hotels. They are pretty much enjoying "spring like" weather here in Texas. Please keep in mind it was -24 in Wisconsin yesterday.

Meanwhile, back at the Nickles household, Katie and Tillie are safely cuddling on the couch watching LOTS of TV. (Stephen has made it to work safely both days.) I guess we shouldn't complain. The power is on and we have the internet back today to keep us busy. Fingers crossed that some of this ice melts this afternoon... I am going a bit stir crazy.

Here is a quick pic of Tilliebean snuggled on the couch. She's hogging all the covers!