Tank's first Christmas - nine weeks down!

Tank, we visited your Reschly grandparents at their gorgeous Victorian house in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, over Christmas. We got to share the news about YOU with all of your Reschly aunts, uncles, and cousins!

It was a cold week - around zero - so we stayed in the house, visited with family, and got pranked by your older cousins, especially Justine and Maddie! They put a bunch of Post-It notes all over the walls in the room where we stayed, they put Legos on your dad's side of the bed, and they put toys on top of the ceiling fan so when we turned on the light, toys came raining down on our heads! I'm sure you'll get to see (and participate in) more of their pranks in years to come.

Different background, because this one was taken at your Reschly grandparents' house in Iowa!

We made delicious homemade cinnamon bread, but since we forgot to take it on the road to Iowa, we got to chow on it when we got back home.

First prenatal visit!

[Tank, I have been slacking... no blog entries since December, and now it's mid-June and you're almost here! I figured I'd go back, post our weekly "bump" pictures showing how you and I have grown, and add basic facts.]

Tank, we got to see your little gummy bear body for the first time right before Christmas - best gift ever! Your heartbeat showed up like a little pulsing dot, and you did a little dance for us that looked a lot like the gopher from Caddyshack (ask us about that movie later). You measured two days ahead of my LMP due date, so the doctor left my due date the same - July 30, 2014.

Brian and I met with the prenatal nutritionist and Dr. Pierce, my OB, and got lots of info on what to expect in the months to come. We shared the photos and news with Uncle Luke and Aunt Sarah, then we left for Christmas with your Reschly cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents in Iowa (your first road trip - smooth sailing and Mommy didn't get sick the whole week!)

We got to share our news AND your pictures with everyone - cousin Eli was really hoping you'd be a boy since he's the only boy cousin right now and he feels outnumbered.

We loved seeing your round little belly and your tiny finger buds!

You turned around so we could see your spine forming - everything looks great!

Eight weeks down!

Well, Tank, at exactly eight weeks, I hit a new milestone - I barfed for the first time! Your dad was so excited at this sign of pregnancy that he came home that night with a treat for me: red velvet cake from Taylor's Bakery. Other than that, we're just getting ready to visit your Reschly grandparents (and all your Reschly aunts, uncles, and cousins) in Iowa for Christmas. We've got our first prenatal appointment on Monday the 23rd, right before we leave... we hope to see your little heartbeat for the first time!

Tank's first hike!

Tank, your mom and dad love to hike - it's what got our relationship moving to a deeper level, and it still sustains us. We hiked 6 miles through a river the day before our wedding, and 7 miles the day after our wedding! I want to introduce you to the beauty of the outdoors as soon as it's healthy after you're born. Until then, though, you won't have much of a view; sorry!

We went to Marott Park on the north side of Indianapolis yesterday. It had snowed overnight, which made for a pretty walk, even though temps were over 32 and the ground was getting a little slushy.

Mom and a very tiny Tank on Tank's first hike!

This is about as hilly as central Indiana gets

Seven weeks down!

Oh, Tank, you must be working VERY hard in there, because I'm exhausted! People keep asking me if I'm OK because the dark circles under my eyes keep spreading. I'm lucky to have a flexible schedule so I can catch up a bit on my rest... grow, baby, grow! (The photo makes it look like I'm showing - but it's still just a "blump"!)

Custom-made housewarming gifts rock

My dad made us a coffee table as a housewarming gift! This will last us for years to come!

Six weeks down!

Not much to report here, but a new bloaty bump picture for the six week mark... note Sox's paws sticking out from under the door.

I forgot to mention - we also told our parents we were expecting over the holiday weekend. My mom said she knew it (apparently I'd mentioned my boobs hurting while we were cleaning the house before move-in). Brian's mom wants us to have twins because Maddie and Justine were so cute when they were little. We've asked them not to tell our siblings yet; we'd like to wait until the first ultrasound on 12/23 and then tell everyone over the Christmas holidays in person.

First ultrasound (sort of...)

Well, Tank, we had our first, unplanned, ultrasound on Saturday - well, at least I did. I had pain inside my left calf, and I thought I felt a little lump inside the skin. I called Dad (my dad) and then the OB on call, and they both said to come in for a Doppler of my leg in case it was a clot. Because I'm pregnant, I got to wait in the maternity triage area instead of the ER, which on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend was a huge bonus for Brian and me.

I don't have a photo of the ultrasound - guess they only give you souvenirs when they're taking pics of a baby! - but everything turned out OK. Guess I was just an anxious first-timer pregnant lady with a leg cramp and Google. Fine by me! I was kind of hoping they'd slide the machine up to give us a glimpse of you, but no dice. Guess we'll have to wait another 20 days to see your little heart beating!

Brian and I did get to hear a lady in labor in the room next door until they wheeled her off for a C-section... a little prep for next summer!