20 weeks...half way there!!!

December 29th we were 20 weeks, half way through our pregnancy!! The little one is now the size of a mango and about 10.08 inches and 10.58 ounces! Growing so much!! Our little one is developing more regular sleep patters this week!! Today was the best day ever! We found out the gender!!!! ITS A..... Healthy baby :) we will reveal to our family and friends tonight at 7!!!!! Stay tuned for pictures, and colors!! 

We are so excited to make our announcement tonight!!! 

From now on, my posts will be dedicated to my SON/DAUGHTER!! 

Love, the proud parents to a baby ?????

19 Weeks...Size of a Grapefruit!

Well, we were 19 weeks on December 22!! Almost half way there! Our little one is now 8.47 ounces and 6.02 inches; about the size of a grapefruit! This week he/she is now covered with vernix, which is a white protective coating that protects the skin from damage to the womb. I get more in awe of God's creations as I see/feel one growing inside of me. This week, the baby is looking more proportioned; the arms and legs are more proportioned than they have ever been. Our little angel is awake about 6 hours a day, and I can feel he/she moving every minute of that! I feel the baby move the most when I am driving to and from work; maybe that's because I am alone and able to sing and talk to him/her :)  Another week of NO MORNING SICKNESS! Byron sure has been craving sweets this week, and I continue to crave salty foods! We find out the gender for sure in ONE WEEK! Reveal party is December 31 from 6-7 at our home and I am already getting stuff ready for that! I can't believe that this is our last Christmas without our baby! I'm so ready for 2014 it's unreal!! My sister got him/her some Green Bay Packers Onesies! Byron was exciting and said he/she will definitely be raised right! :)

Our weekly pictures! I got to go home for the weekend and visit my parents and siblings, so my dad took a 19 week belly pic with me! Hands down, he will make the funniest, most loveable and silliest PAPPY!

 

It was tradition when we were growing up that my mom got us each a new ornament every Christmas. At one of my wedding showers, she gave me all the ones she had gotten each year! Such a memorable tradition. My sister started baby Doughty's tradition with this adorable ornament :) I'm gonna get the year or the name we choose written on it :)

Another gift from my sister! Byron loves the Packers and so will our little one :)

 

Starting decorating today for our reveal party coming up! My little sister made these for me!!

 

 

Only 21 weeks to go!! Lots to do, but HURRY up MAY 18, 2014!

 

 

Love,

Byron, Kristin, Big Brother Thorn and Baby Doughty

 



18 Weeks...Size of a Dragon Fruit!

Well, on December 15th we were 18 weeks! Our baby was the size of a Dragon Fruit...WHAT IS THAT?!?!? haha...Anyways, the baby's weight this week is approximately 6.70 ounces and measuring at 5.59 inches...ALMOST HALF A FOOT!! This week our little bundle of joy can hear sounds much more clearly from outside the womb...talk about sweetness and love...Byron will get down on his knees, place his hands on my belly and talk to our angel! My heart melts every time, and I just know he/she is smiling :) Myelin, which is a protective coating of the nerves is now being produced. On December 9th, our Doctor called us to inform us that all the chromosomal testing came back negative....GOD IS GOOD! My morning sickness is almost 100% gone!! Thank you JESUS! As we get closer to the half way mark, I continue to think about what life will be like come May 2014. Thoughts continue to cross my head such as, "Will I be a good mom?" or "What if my child gets made fun of?" or "Will I set the right example?" Parenting to me appears to be the hardest job there is, yet also the most rewarding!

Byron's cravings this week included...Chicken tacos, whole packs of Oreos, Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie, Sprite, and BBQ chips!!!

My Cravings this week included Orange Fanta Soda, easy mac, and strawberry yogurt!

Grocery shopping has been quite interesting :)

Next Ultrasound is December 31st!!! Reveal party that evening at 7pm at our home!!

We are so ready for the new year, and it's bittersweet knowing this is our last Christmas as a family of two!!

Love,
Mommy & Daddy Doughty

17 weeks...size of an ORANGE!

Family & Friends,

Baby Doughty is growing and growing...he/she is up to 4.94 ounces and 5.12 inches tall! I can't believe this little miracle inside me is this size already; I remember comparing the size to a grain of rice! This week, little Doughty can make out the differences in flavors! I've been craving lots of salty things, so maybe this baby will like salty foods?!? We shall see! My weirdest craving so far has been drowning my sandwich in ketchup, and dipping my chips in ketchup...that only lasted a week (thank God cuz Byron was getting grossed out). This week, I have also been crazing orange Fanta and raspberry lemonade! This part is a little gross, but also cool...this week, the meconium (the first bowel movement the baby has after it's born) is forming in our little one's bowel! Size of an orange this week means he/she would fit comfortably in the palm of our hand! Our little one's brain is communicating constantly with the nervous system and the muscles. I'm praying this week that I start truly feeling my little blessing move. From watching the ultrasounds, he/she is a wild one, so surely I will feel a flutter soon :) As we get closer to being half way through our pregnancy, the reality continues to sink in!! I just pray Byron and I are emotionally and spiritually ready to welcome this little angel in our lives! Continue to pray for baby Doughty's health please! We love y'all!!!

Love,
Byron, Kristin, Thorn & Baby Doughty :)

Week 16...size of an Avocado!

December 1, 2013 marked 16 weeks of being pregnant! We returned home from a weeks vacation this day! Our little one is now 4.57 inches and 3.53 ounces!!! The little bitty baby heart is now pumping 25 quarts of blood daily. He/she is remaining very active and continuing to practice all those movements he/she has learned. All the bones are finally hardening and the arms and legs are now completely formed! SOOOO cool! The little baby eyes still remain closed; however, they are making little movements and even have the ability to sense changes in light through the eyelids. The flexible thumbs are now able to grasp, preparing for the day when that tiny hand will wrap around our fingers....heart warming!! We had an ultrasound on December 3, when we were 16 weeks, and 2 days!! Our little one was stubborn and we were not able to find out the sex! Our Doctor, Dr. Michael Wood is amazing...we love how he spends so much time with us, is always promt and his bedside manners are immaculate! During this ultrasound, Dr. Wood kept getting the baby's back side, finally the baby turned a little and we got a big kick with the foot...how cute is this picture...can you see the wittle bitty toes!!??!

Our little lab is a little spoiled and we are working with him daily to be gentle and not so active so when the baby arrives, he isn't too hyper!

Next ultrasound is for December 31st at 8:30, where Dr. Wood said we will know 99% sure the gender! We are planning a small reveal party for that evening :)

Only 24 weeks to go!!

Blessed Parents to Be,

Byron and Kristin

Week 14 & 15...From a Peach to a Pear!

So...I'm behind on my blog, with due to ice/road conditions, I got to stay home from work today...So, our tree is going up, I'm wrapping gifts, cleaning house, and going to update my blog and maybe even get to our Christmas Letter! I can't believe how quickly this pregnancy is going! I'm going to do an update of my highlights and amazing facts from week 14 & 15, then I'll do a new post of week 16 :)

WEEK 14...3.42 inches, and weighing in at 1.52 ounces!! During week 14, baby Doughty began twisting and turning all the tiny joints in the body, and continued to move in my uterus! I haven't actually felt the baby move, but some gas pains lead me to think I'm feeling it, but not knowing since this is all new!! The baby's skin is still very translucent and the tiny veins in the body are now visible. This week the lungs are continuing to develop and the baby is practicing breathing with the amniotic fluid on a regular basis. Also, our little munchkin may be finding his/her thumb (I sucked my thumb til 10, so lets hope we can break that habit early if it does start)!! This part is heartwarming and tear jerking...our little miracle can now frown, grimace, and squint and all the reflexes are becoming stronger! My morning sickness is becoming less frequent (thank GOD). Byron continues to kiss my belly, rub my belly, and pray faithfully for the health of our blessing! He can't wait until he can feel the baby kicking!

 He continues to get more and more EXCITED!!!

CAN YOU TELL YET? I SURE FEEL LIKE YOU CAN!

WEEK 15...3.98 inches, and weighing in at 2.47 ounces...getting bigger!!

You ready for this, it's a miracle...this week, our precious angel can rub his/her eyes, yawn, and even blink! How amazing! Our baby this week has learned how to grasp ahold of the umbilical cord! Hair is beginning to grow on his/her head!! I bet it will be brown :) Our baby can now hear sounds, and can also hiccup! I had no morning sickness the whole week 15!!! I was very thankful for that because Byron and I took a whole week off work and spent it together in the deer woods! This was our baby's first (and not last) hunting adventure! We also took our boy Thorn and he had a blast! Here's a couple pictures!

Time is flying by quick!!

Love,

Byron, Kristin, Thorn, and Baby D

Week 12 & 13!

Playing catch up from week 12 and 13. The past couple weeks, I've been pretty sick, but I'm making it knowing that the outcome is such a miracle. We have had some major changes in our little bundle since I last wrote! During week 12, the baby was approximately 2.13 inches, and weighed around 0.49 ounces! It was during this week that the liver and spleen began producing blood cells and the pancreas began to release digestive enzymes. If this isn't a miracle in itself, I don't know what is!! Now get this...this week, our angel is beginning to bend, stretch, kick and even make faces! WHAT?? But the most amazing thing about week 12 is that Byron and I got to LISTEN to the HEART BEAT! That's right, talk about teary eyes, and a heart full of love!! We had an ultrasound on 11/5/13, at 12 weeks and 2 days!! The picture was as clear as daylight to us...we saw the fingers, toes, ribs, butt cheeks, you name it. But when the loud beat of the heart was pounding in the room at 150, my heart literally stopped. It was the most precious moment; an indescribable feeling. Byron had drill the first weekend of November, so me and my little brother drove to Fayetteville to visit my family. So, my dad and I were able to do our "belly pics." HAHA

I would say my dad may be just a little excited; after all, this will be the first grandbaby on my side of the family.

 

 And I couldn't go home without a trip to Cabella's!! This would look great with peals too :)

How amazing is this picture! He/She looks so comfortable and warm! This was 11/5/13, at 12 weeks and 2 days!!

Byron was very excited about week 12...it's the last wee of the first trimester!!!

Week 12 was wrapped up with me doing more cleaning out of the guest bedroom to prepare for the nursery!! And just like that!!! The first trimester has come and gone!! And we are now in week 13, size of a kiwi!!

WEEK 13
This week, our little one has grown to approximately 2.91 inches, and is now about 0.81 ounces! Still too small to determine the sex of the baby, but growing so much, our Dr. said I will soon start feeling it "flutter." This week, the little fists are able to open and close, and he/she is able to making sucking noises with it's mouth! It may possibly be this week that our little bundle will start sucking their thumb (after all, I sucked my thumb until  I was 12)!!! I've heard the next few weeks, I will begin to feel a lot better (Praise God). We did the old tale with the string and wedding ring, and it says BOY, but we will see! We are still tossing around names! Is anyone else's mother ALWAYS right? Well, my mom said she has a gut feeling it's a boy, so she spent her weekend at Carter's grabbing boy outfits!!

Our excitement continues to grow and grow. I'm looking forward to more milestones such as the gender reveal and the baby kicking!! Taking it day by day, and enjoying each blessing as it comes!! 

16 week appointment is December 3...crossing our fingers we find out the gender this date!!

Continuing to pray for a healthy, happy baby Doughty!

Love and Hugs,

Byron, Kristin, and Baby :)

11 weeks, size of a fig!

Only 29 weeks to go, and we will on our way to the hospital and become a family of 3. Seems to far away, yet to close. Time seems to fly by when you have a lot on your plate! Today, October 27 marks 11 weeks! This week, our little Prince/Princess will grow to 1.61 inches, and weigh around 0.25 ounces. I am getting close to my second trimester already! During this 11th week, our baby is becoming very active inside my uterus, and is going through a growth spurt. The fingernails are growing this week; if only I would hold his/her little hand this week! This week is when our baby really starts to take form; the neck is becoming more visible, the back is straightening out, and the skin is becoming thicker!! How crazy is it that our baby's head is the same size as the rest of it's body this week! This week, all the VITAL ORGANS will finish being formed! HOW AMAZING!!! Only 9 more days, and we will be back in the ultrasound room, watching our blessing move around inside me!! I CAN'T WAIT!

A recap of week 10...I felt sick the fist half of the week, being nauseous, headache daily and just blah. As the week went on, I began feeling better and now feeling sick just comes and goes. I haven't had any weird/unusual cravings this week; however I had to have Sunny D every day this week, and my hubby was sweet enough to keep me stocked up!! Not sure why he didn't just get a gallon, but this made me just as happy!

 

Aunt Rochelle continues to spoil the baby; she got two more outfits this week!!

My family lives 3 hours away, so I don't see them every weekend, so this week, my dad had to text me his traditional weekly belly picture! He's crazy and he's gonna make the funnest Pappy!!!

Well, I'm so ready to see what week 11 has to bring, how things change, and excited that it's another week closer to due date!! Today, I've started cleaning out one of our guest bedrooms to prepare for Baby Doughty's nursery! We've done lots of discussing about names, and will have our final decision made once we know the gender! I'm starting to plan a gender reveal party for December, and hoping we will know the gender before Christmas!! Continuing to pray daily for a happy, healthy, chunky baby!

Blessed Parents,

Byron & Kristin

10 weeks, size of a date!

A day late, but October 20, 2013, we were 10 weeks along. This week, our little blessing is approximately 1.22 inches, and 0.14 ounces. This week, he/she has all their internal organs, and the heart is almost FULLY developed. Only 2 more weeks, and we get to HEAR the HEARTBEAT. The baby's ears are getting their final shape this week; he/she will soon be able to hear the world! The diaphragm is also emerging this week, meaning our baby will start making noises. This is a huge week! That's a lot for a little baby!

I decided to start stocking up on things this week...so every time I go grocery shopping, I plan to buy a couple necessities for the baby. This week, I bought a box of 112 diapers, and some Johnson's and Johnson's shampoo. Before we know it, May will be here! Praying each and every night for a happy, healthy baby!

Blessed Parents to be,

Byron and Kristin

New Mommy!

Well, I've never been one to blog, but with a little one on the way, I thought this would be a fun way to make an electronic scrapbook! A little history about me and Byron! We met in March of 2010, and began dating in April of 2010. We were both a little shy, and living 45 minutes apart, tried to spend as much time together as possible. During this time, I was in my Junior Year of College and Byron was on orders at the Perryville Armory. We enjoyed 4-wheeler riding, mudding, movies, dinner, and hanging out with friends. We fell in love, and on August 19, 2011, 16 months later, Byron got on one knee and asked me to spend forever with him. Seven months later, we said "I do" and began our "happily ever after." We spent the first year of our marriage working, raising a puppy, buying a new car, moving into our first home, attending church, and growing closer as husband and wife! We had always talked about kids (of course), but wanted to be married at least a year and enjoy "us" time first. AND THEN HE SAID IT. "IM READY." I always thought I would be the one begging for us to start our family; however, about a month before Byron turned 25, I was cooking breakfast, and he came up to me and said, "I'm almost 25, I'm ready to start a family, what do you think?" I told him, "If you're ready, I'm MORE than ready." So, we began trying. It was a good solid 7 months until we finally got the positive test!!!

Now, my story begins...

With Byron being in the National Guard, he has drill on the first weekend of every month (most of the time). Well my birthday fell on the first weekend of September (and of course he had a 3 day drill, at Ft. Chaffee). So we both took off the following Friday through Sunday to take a mini vacation. We went up to Mount Nebo and stayed in a Cabin...we did nothing but relax, eat, took a couple walks, and saw lots of deer. It was a great weekend.

That Monday after our long weekend is when I decided to take my first pregnancy test because I was 5 days late, which is UNHEARD of for me! I got two 88cent tests, and sure enough one was positive that night and was positive the next morning. As soon as I took it, I was ecstatic; I ran into the living room with it and I know Byron couldn't understand one word I was saying. He was smiling, but just kept saying, "don't get too excited, lets get you a doctor appt first to confirm it." I tried to explain to him that I'm never late, and I was 99.9% sure this was right! So on September 17, I made an appointment, and got blood drawn, and YES, we were having a baby! From blood work only, they estimated a due date of May 21, 2014 and scheduled an early ultrasound for September 25th!

September 18, 2014...only a day after finding out, we couldn't keep it a secret! We drove around to Byron's immediately family telling them our exciting news. Since my family is 3 hours away, we had to be creative, because we didn't want to wait to tell them! So we face-timed them!! Actually Thorn is the one who broke the news!

 We went to our first ultrasound on September 25, where Dr. Wood estimated us to be 6 weeks exactly! He stated at our next ultrasound, he would measure the baby and give us an exact due date and exactly how far along we were. As Byron and I looked at the ultrasound screen, we starred in amazement of what a blessing this was. However, this ultrasound didn't look like much more than a blob, we knew it was our baby just as tiny as a grain of rice!

We left our appointment with happy hearts, a little nervous, but all smiles! Our 8 week ultrasound was scheduled for October 10, and we would be back to get our exact due date! This will be the first grandchild on my side of the family, and I have to say he/she will be a little spoiled! My parents are on cloud 9, and my dad is so excited to take milestone "belly pics" with me!! Below is our "6 week belly pic."

Aunt Rochelle has started the spoiling already!! She loves shopping, and has already bought 4 outfits!

Well, at this point, I had no sickness, and no symptoms of pregnancy. Of course I had the millions of questions and emotions running through my head that I'm sure is normal to any expecting mother. But with prayer, I knew God was going to bless every day of my pregnancy. Up to this point, there were some days it truly hadn't sunk in yet that I was a mommy.

8 week ultrasound...this was the day I knew in my heart that I was 100% pregnant, on October 10, 2013. Looking at the ultrasound screen couldn't make it more clear. This day, Dr. Wood confirmed that we were 8 weeks, 4 days, and due on May 18, 2014!!! This day, our little one's heart beat was 173, which was perfect! We were able to see where the baby's spine was forming, and can see the arms and legs beginning to form!! How amazing is this picture!?!?!?

After leaving our appointment, I starred at this picture all day. It looks like he/she is reaching out for a hug and it brings joy and tears to my eyes. Words escape me, they often do. Some things are just too big for words. Words are funny at times. I know our world will change over the next 9 months. Byron has changed since we found out we were expecting. Everyday, he kisses my belly, and talks to the baby. It's the most precious feeling, and it's crazy that I am falling deeper in love with him everyday. We won't be perfect parents. We will make mistakes. We will not always be right, and we won't always make the right decisions. But we will be parents, and that in itself is a blessing from GOD.

My parents have been supportive and already chosen their names to be "nana" and "pappy." They came and visited last weekend. My dad did a little landscaping for us, and my mom and I got some time to spend together! I look forward to many visits from them and many trips up to visit them! Here is my dad's "9 week belly pic."

Psalm 127:3 

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward."

Genesis 1:28
"And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Psalm 139:13-16
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."

GOD IS GOOD...I will try to post once a week major milestones of the week!!

Blesses Parents to be,
Byron & Kristin