It's a...

Boy!

We found out last monday that our little baby who has been kicking me gently for about a week now is a little boy! I'll post ultrasound pictures when I get them scanned... it was amazing getting to see him moving around & just hanging out with his feet up over his head - had his feet up already, just like his mama. Max & I were speechless the whole time, when we weren't asking questions or saying nonsensical things like "wow" and "look at that!"

No names yet, so we're still having fun coming up with ideas & dreaming about plans for/with our son.

I've finally started to gain weight - hadn't gained a pound until my 18 week appointment, and that was a 6 lb gain since my 16 week appointment. I guess all that extra eating I"ve been doing finally paid off... I thought for sure this little "parasite" would make me waste away to nothing!

I started showing in the past 2 weeks, too. To me, I still look like I just need to lose 10 lbs, but since it's all concentrated in my belly, I've had folks contradict me & tell me that I am a very cute pregnant person. I'll post a belly shot soon... as soon as there's something distinctively "belly" to show. For now, I love my little bump, and show it off whenever I get the chance.

I can't wait to meet this little person inside of me, and experience life as a mom. What a treasure, the responsibility of raising a child. A daunting task if I ever had one. What I love most is that Max & I are doing it together. Sometimes it takes us longer to make a decision, or even implement something we've already decided, but I've learned that the decisions we DO make are amazing. I love being married to him, having a baby with him, and getting to share life with him. It's not always been fun, and it's not easy. But it is so much better than being without him, or even just dating him.

We had friends of ours get married today.

They did it mostly to get military benefits, and acted "like it was no big deal." Max & I were tripping over ourselves trying to convey the "big deal-ness" of a wedding and, even more so, a marriage. We both admitted how immediately we felt a change in our relationship after our wedding, and how our thought patterns changed towards each other.

Here is my nightly prayer for these newlyweds, and for others who have recently gotten married (Julie & Andy) - may you sense the "big deal" of being married, and cherish it and protect it daily. It's not easy, but it's always worth the effort.