I finally snagged my dream job!

This is the time I've been waiting for since... well, since I was a little girl! Josh and I are 9 weeks pregnant and are due February 12th!!! I cannot tell you how happy we are!! When I was little and people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was always, "a mom". Not a teacher or a doctor or a movie star (definitely not the last one!). I practiced by taking care of my Bitty Baby and my little brother, Davis. Mom says that I would even brush his hair in the car on the way to school... Poor thing, it's a wonder that he can do anything for himself now. :) I thought my mom was the BEST, and couldn't imagine a better job than hers! After having two wonderful years of marriage with Joshua, I'm so excited to be starting my dream job and adding a Little baby to our family!! We are so thankful to God for this wonderful blessing and pray that we will be great parents to our child.

I'm on the iPad now, so I can't post my 6 week ultrasound picture... Although there's really not much to see but a little round thing that, I am told, is my baby! We DID hear the heartbeat, which was the most heartwarming, amazing little pitter-patter I have ever heard! Someone told me that one way to "predict" your baby's gender is by how fast it's heart beats... Well, it was 153 bpm, which is apparently right in the middle, so Baby Little isn't giving out any hints! My 10 week appointment is Thursday, July 21, so hopefully I'll have a picture with a little more definition then.

Several of our friends are 100% confident that we are going to have a baby boy! I cannot WAIT to find out the gender, which will probably happen around the end of August. I'm lucky to have an ultrasound-takin' sis-in-law who can scan me whenever I make the trip up to Huntsville, so she may be able to tell the gender before my doc appointment! I know that people always say, "I don't care what it is, as long as it's healthy".... But DITT-O! I get so excited thinking about both a girl and a boy, and so does Josh, so we really will be thrilled either way and just pray that we have a very healthy child!

At 9 weeks, I believe the baby is the size of an olive. I'm not showing yet, although when my niece Liz asked to see my belly, she was QUITE convinced that she could tell I had gotten bigger and that I was pregnant..... Haha! Thanks, Liz!! I have purchased a "belly band" to help keep me in my pre-pregnancy pants as long as possible... I'm a little nervous about having to buy a whole. new. wardrobe. Maternity clothes ain't cheap, people! I'm also nervous to see what I look like after gaining 30 pounds, but I guess that's normal. So far during this pregnancy, I feel pretty good. I am just outrageously exhausted ALL the time! I have had the hardest time sleeping, which has never been a problem for me. I'm one of those that falls asleep within 30 seconds and could sleep through anything. Well not anymore folks. This weekend I had the worst headache, which I think was caused by not enough good sleep. Last night, Josh got me some Tylenol PM and I slept so soundly!! I just had to get up once to go to the bathroom. I do not usually take medicine unless I'm super sick, but this was MUCH needed. (And, yes, Tylenol PM is on the list of med's I can take from my doc.). I am thankful that I haven't had any morning sickness because I know that lots of women have a much worse first trimester than mine. Just a few more weeks to go and maybe I'll have a little more energy!

Thanks for reading, and maybe I'll post more often since I have something to talk about besides my attempts at decorating a house! :)