DReeaaaaaammmmm....dream dream dream....

Its official...I have a case of the antsy pants....I cannot wait to meet our tiny little person. Its finally starting to sink in that we are indeed having a baby! I think this sudden "sink in" is being helped along by the fact that we have officially started work on the nursery! This past weekend Dustin and I decided to go get paint samples from Lowes for Gage's room. Dustin being the brains in this duo, mentioned that maybe we should get the curtains before picking out paint, since the curtains might heavily dictate the paint. Well, what a novel idea : ) I told you he was the brains! Except...the brains did not anticipate my next move...dragging him store to store to find said curtains! Ha ha! At one point I said lets run in to Pier One and see if they have anything. Dustin's retort was, I think I am being dooped..this store doesnt even have curtains you just want to go in here. Wrong!! Not only did we find the perfect set, this set was on CLEARANCE! Got to love a good deal, right? So curtains in tow, we were off to find the perfect paint sample. Six, yes six (thank gosh for those little sample sizes) paint samples later we found the perfect shade of blue to adorn our Peanut's walls! I will post pictures soon of phase 1 of Gage's room. Right now the room consists of 6 or 7 paint samples on the wall...the curtains are hung so I could see them in all their glory for comparitive purposes...and Gage's name is painted in a light blue paint, courtesy of his Daddy. The room is completely cleared out and the base boards and ceiling are taped off and ready for us to roll on a coat or two. Now we just need one extra weekend to get it all done. I have our furniture all picked out. Ironically the PERFECT crib for the room was at Target/Wal-mart. Its made by Graco and its called the "Lauren" crib...how funny is that? Picture of it below. I still need to find the bedding...but other than that, we are ready to go. I have the wall pictures picked out as well...but mums the word on those still..pics to come at a later date.

In addition to getting the nursery ready this past weekend, we celebrated my birthday with my family. My god parents hosted a nice dinner at their home, complete with my all time favorite chocolate cake!! And...I got some great gifts. My grandma and papa gave me all kinds of Ghiradelli chocolates to curve those chocolate cravings...as my grandma said on the card, "sweets for her sweet" My Aunt Debbi got us some very cool baby proof gear for the house. Score! My god parents got us our pack and play which will no doubt come in super handy on trips to see our family and show off our new addition. Dustin and I are so blessed, and the influx of baby gear has us even more excited about Gage's arrival. One thing I may mention....while sitting at dinner with my family we all started to recall how different things were when we were growing up. One of the most fascinating recollections for me...was my Grandmother talking about when they had kids (only 50 years ago, not that long really) they would just put the baby in the front seat of the car next to them and drive with one hand on the baby, and one hand on the wheel. No car seats, seat belts, none of that..just a swaddled baby on the seat of the car. My Dad mentioned a strap in the backseat of the old 52' Pontiac that was installed so the kids could stand on the seat and hold on. My, my, how things have changed : ) I also couldnt help but take note that Grandma didnt have an epidural the FOUR times she gave birth...whew...I fell in love with that woman all over again...my heart goes out to people that gave birth before this great new invention. I thought about how they just dont make things like they used to...including women..those were some tough cookies in not so long ago times.

I am also dreaming about our little nugget...which further adds to my antsy pants. Last night I dreamed that it was "D day" aka delivery day. I had no recollection whatsoever of getting my epidural or pushing or anything...? Just one minute Gage wasnt there, the next, there he was. Strange...! However, I find it extremely hilarious that even in my dream I made sure to get that epidural!! The part of the dream I loved most was when they brought my angel to me. He was PERFECT! He looked just like Dustin!! He had dark hair, and Dustin's great skin coloring with one tiny little curl towards the front of his head. All of the doctors kept commenting on how big he was, and how tall. (Guess I will put these big child bearing hips to use afterall LOL) I was so proud of him, he was so perfect, except one little thing. In my dream he had something wrong with his belly button? They had to do surgery to make his belly button look right and it was all bandaged up so I couldnt see it? Other than that, he was the most beautiful little person you had ever laid eyes on..funny belly button and all! I mentioned this belly button situation to my Dad this morning. He laughed at how absurd my dream was and then asked if we needed him to wait in the wing to cut the cord. He said he did good belly buttons, just look at Ashley's (he didnt get to cut my cord) I must admit...that kiddo has one cute belly button (but everything about my sis is adorable) I told Dad to wait in the wing..but I have full faith in DK's cut the cord abilities : )
Sigh...I cannot wait to meet Gage and kiss his sweet skin and hold him close!!

Other than funny belly button dreams and feeling excited things are going great. I continue to feel Gage move around in there and it still brings a smile to my face every time. I can feel that he has gotten considerably bigger from his movements. He takes up a lot of room in there already! I have my next Doctor's appt on Friday at 3pm to see how our Peanut is progressing. I will keep you all posted about what the doctor says. Only 4 1/2 more months to go!! I hope with the approaching holidays it flies by!!

Just a quick update : )

It was a great birthday weekend surrounded by good food, family and friends. My sis cooked a fabulous steak for the family Saturday night, my Dad made Gage and I a really nice dinner complete with a very cute cake..and although it was one of the more melow birthdays I have ever had..it was really nice. Sunday my mom made a really good home cooked, stick to your ribs kind of meal that put both Gage and I in a food coma. Our tummies were happy campers : ) Dustin surprised me with a new fancy smancy Nikon camera for my birthday and I LOVE it! He done good again : )

I continue to feel our little peanut moving around in there. I am starting to get used to his schedule already. He is active about every 3 hours now. Guess I had better sleep while I can. Dustin has been able to feel him moving around. His movements are still really light and you have to be patient to feel him kick externally...but its there!

I thought I would post a quick synopsis of what is going on with Gage right now and how much he has grown...followed by a recent pic of my tummy! This was the 21 week update..I am now at 22 weeks! Happy reading....

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like he's practicing martial arts as his initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to his activity as you get to know him better.

My tummy at 21 weeks

I FELT THE BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Thats how I feel right now!! Totally, completely, beyond words over the moon EXCITED!! Elated!!! OK, OK the whole story.....last night I went to have dinner with my Dad. Dustin was having dinner with his best friend so Dad and I decided to have a daddy daughter date night. I mentioned to my Dad on the way to the restaurant that the one thing I REALLY wanted for my birthday was to feel the baby move. He was surprised (like many) that I hadnt felt the baby already. I explained to him how nervous I had been about this....most people I know felt the baby at 16-18 weeks...here I was going on week 22 and nothing! I had actually mentioned to Dustin that I was nervous (OK really scared) that something had happened to our lil nugget and thats why I couldnt feel him. Dustin kept assuring me that there was nothing to worry about and Gage would "kick" at the right time.
So at the wee hours this morning my precious princess decided she wanted to get in the bed. Sometimes she and I host covert operations to sneak her in the bed without Dustin knowing. Well, last night she wanted to sleep right next to Dustin's head...which his allergies were having no part of. Not to mention...how can you be stealth when you're butt is parked next to Dad's head. So, we both kicked her out of the bed and I laid there trying to get comfy again when all of the sudden I felt it...It was just like everyone said it would be....a little butterfly feeling. I thought, this is too good to be true and figured it was just gas. I waited a few more minutes and then there it was....no mistaking that! THAT "bam" was definitely the baby! I jumped up in bed and told Dustin, "I felt the baby, I felt the baby!!" He sat up and asked, "do you think I can feel it," I told him I dont know try. So he placed his hand on my tummy and we sat there perfectly still. I was even scared to breathe...I wanted to feel it again so badly. Then all of the sudden..KICK...Dustin felt it too!!! Then the acrobat show really started...we laid there watching my tummy move every which way for about 30 minutes. SOOOOOO AMAZING!! I was so excited I told D I wanted to call everyone right then. I literally wanted to go knock on every one of our neighbor's doors and tell them I felt the baby move!! I started writing this blog in my head before the sun ever thought about coming up. I have never been so excited in my life! This was even cooler than when we found out Gage was going to be a boy...this was amazing, I cant stop saying that! : )

Last year on my 27th birthday, I got a house and an engagement ring from Dustin. We have all razzed him about how he would never top that birthday. This morning we laughed, and I told him somehow he had pulled off the unthinkable...this had definitely surpassed last year!! So DK, what are you going to do for my 29th? : )

This is hands down the most incredible feeling I have ever experienced...BEST. BIRTHDAY. EVER!! Big thanks to you all for being such a tremendous part of my life this past year...its been a heck of a year!! And my precious little angel Gage Matthew Kelch...THANK YOU for the best birthday present ever. I couldnt have asked for a more amazing, perfect gift. God is GOOD!

The 50 yard line and the case of the tiny body snatcher!

The half way point of this pregnancy..woo hoo!! A little over a week ago I hit the half way point, the 20 week marker..and goodness was I happy to see this milestone. Not only do I get the satisfaction of knowing I am half way through (is that really possible, where did the time go) this second trimester also brought with it, a much needed sense of normalcy! A little over a month ago I woke up with a serious case of morning sickness...which was odd for me because I normally got sick at night vs the morning. Then that night I felt awful again. The next day was a Saturday and I remember feeling great the entire day and I was so relieved to feel better. Then the next day was another good day, and then the next, and the next and so on..and what do you know...a whole month of feeling good! Its incredibly odd to me that one day the nausea is a double dose of eww...and then the next day, nothing and its gone for good? The last 2 weeks I have felt GREAT! My energy levels are back up, I can sleep at night, Im not getting up 4 times a night to use the restroom...aside from the doctor reassuring us that baby Gage is fine and my pretty constant weight gain, I wouldnt even know I am pregnant...Well, let me take that back. I still have a serious case of food adversions...Gage is very clear still about what he will and will not eat and chicken is still a DEFINITE NO. So, that lets me know our lil Peanut is still very much in charge of momma's body for now, the lil body snatcher : ) But otherwise, we have quite the lil trooper in there. So much so that 2 weeks ago I decided I was up for a girls weekend in San Antonio. I met up with 5 of my closest girlfriends and we headed for the Riverwalk. Gage and I were champs on Friday night. We hung out with the best of them while we sipped on our club soda and lime or just plain old water. The next day we all got up went shopping, had a nice lunch and then laid out by the pool. While my friends were sunbathing Gage and I fell sound asleep in the sun. Im talking full on REM sleep, dreaming, drooling, the whole nine yards. That evening we all went to dinner and I felt brave. Chicken fajitas sounded absolutely fantastic. I went ahead and ordered them and as soon as they made their way to the table I knew I was mistaken. Gage was having no part of those fajitas. I paid my $24 tab and told the waiter he and the waitstaff could have dinner on me..I didnt even touch it. I felt terribly frustrated. I hate wasting food number one, and I hate having extra attention drawn to me...and my refusal to eat that night at dinner I know had all my friends worried and I hated that. After dinner we wrapped up and decided to go to a piano bar. We made our way through the crowds and inside the bar. Unfortunately San Antonio has not joined the rest of the world on the indoor smoking ban. The smoke, coupled with my growling stomach were no combination and I decided this pup had better pack it in and let the big dogs stay out. After assuring my friends I was fine and pleading with them to stay out and have a good time, I relinquished myself to the hotel where I took a hot shower and put on my favorite pair of stretchy pants. I was still hungry so I decided to order room service. This was a very nice hotel so everything was expensive..but hey, this girl had to eat. I accidentally flipped the room service menu to the kids section and there it was....the $10 Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich! I had to have it...right then!! I quickly ordered it on white bread even (I splurged) with a tall side of chocolate milk. The milk alone was $4. After I paid the room delivery charge, and tip, this PB&J with chocolate milk cost me $20...it was the BEST $20 I ever spent. The sandwich was warm but not toasted and the peanut butter and jelly were ooey gooey and oh so delish! Our tummies full, and stretchy pants on...Gage and I were happy campers. We found a good movie on TV and life was perfect! The girls came back around 11pm and we all giggled for a bit before going to sleep. Despite my inability to "hang" and turning in early on a girls night out (a FIRST for me, I am usually the dancing queen) I had a blast just hanging out with my PB&J and baby Gage.



I have had a lot of people ask me how we are doing the nursery so I am posting a pic below. I have a few tricks up my sleeve so I cant reveal everything yet...but..the nursery will look a lot like the pic below. The walls will be blue, the crib white, and I am on a mission to find those chocolate brown and orange curtains. This orange accent color is a huge hit with me right now? I dont know why...maybe its Gage's favorite color and he's subconsciously letting me know? Who knows..but this orange accent color is my new "thing" I am also going to take pictures of hammers and nails and construction type objects and have them printed in sephia print with big white mats. This will give the room a construction theme without it being too "baby-ish"







Dustin and I have been really busy these past few weeks, hence my lack of blogging (which I promise to get better about) but we do plan to spend the next couple weekends painting Gage's room and getting ready for our lil man's arrival. Dustin and I are still so excited!! Dustin sends me emails throughout the day to check in on me and see how I am doing..these emails often start with...how are my babies? I love it : ) I must admit though...it still hasnt really sunk in yet that we are going to be parents...I blame part of this on the fact that I am still not "showing" very much...so the reality of our lil man being in there is still hard to believe. But I know these next few months are going to fly by, especially with the holidays approaching and I know Gage will be here before we know it.



Finally...I hate to end this on a sad note...but I have been thinking and praying about this one little family for quite some time and have to mention them in here. I almost dedicated an entire "reflection" blog to this family but decided I couldnt put in words just how incredibly lucky I feel to be where I am. Before I say more, let me preface this by saying that D and I are blown away by how much our thought process has changed already...about EVERYTHING! For example, I saw a commercial on TV the other night for petfinder.com. The commerical starts with a little girl talking about how she finally got to spend the night in a tent in her backyard, her dad finally said yes...but only because Buddy was with her. The TV then pans over to a 100lb German Shepard...aka Buddy. I laughed, but then I couldnt help but think...oh Gage will never be allowed to sleep in the backyard. Then I laughed at myself..the backyard, really? Should be pretty safe, right? But the thought of my baby in a tent, in the backyard, where anyone could come and get him...I thought I was going to die. Let me also say that I dont leave Daisy in the backyard unattended either. So...I guess you could say I am doomed to be the worst mom ever...poor Gage will be locked in his room with me standing guard so no one can hurt him...EVER! But I am also logical enough to realize...doing things like camping in the backyard are a right of passage, and I have got to learn to let go a little. Im sure I will find the strength...gulp...heavy sigh...somehow..but for now...lets just say I am happy Gage is warm and in my tummy..he will never be safer! OK, so I got off track a bit. In thinking about how to protect your kids, your most precious thing in the world, and just how incredibly lucky I am...I found this blog about this little family. I went to high school with this girl and BOTH of her kids have mitochondrial disease. I wont go in to details but this is an awful, awful disease. Recently, the youngest boy lost his fight to this awful disease and at the age of 4 passed away. My heart breaks for this family. They fought so hard...they went through things no ONE should EVER have to go through. I have always wondered why God takes such little angels...but good things come in little packages and I know he needed a tiny angel and Samuel was just the kiddo. What a remarkable family, an amazing sense of faith, strength and spirit. I dont know what I would do if anything ever happened to my husband, or this tiny life we have created and grown to love (already) more than we ever thought our hearts could love! To make things worse, their older daughter is fighting her own battle with the disease and may not make it either. To lose one is something no parent should ever deal with...to lose both...is just...unimagineable. Or to fight this hard to keep your kids safe. You always think about protecting them from strangers, robbers and the like. But rarely do we think about protecting them from the unknown...and all to often in adults and children alike we take our health for granted until we are sick and then we remember just how valuable it is. Samuel's mother reflects back on his 4th birthday and how all they wanted was a day without needles, without IVs, no hospital visits, no pain....just normal! Having my renewed sense of normalcy back I can definitely appreciate what a gift a day without hospitals must be like. I will wrap this up now, I apologize for the length...BUT...I would like to take this moment to count my blessings (again) I have been blessed beyond words with good fortune, family, friends, health, and of course, you my angel..Gage Matthew Kelch.



If you are reading this, please do me a favor and pray for not only this tiny fallen angel..but for the peace and healing for his family, and to count your own blessings. Each day truly is a gift. Samuel Knight you are a hero and I thank you for putting up a good fight. May this blog be dedicated to you and your spirit, humor, and strength! God speed little one...may you finally find peace!!!

(To read more about this amazing family, click here http://www.missyknight.blogspot.com/)



Finally, I just want to say thank you..for each and every one of my many blessings...and thank you God, for our angel..may he always be happy and safe and trust in you.