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