Fence Building, Baby, and Backaches

So it's been a while. I've been keeping pretty busy.

UPDATE:

We started building our fence last weekend. WOOO HOOOO! I can't tell you how great this makes me feel. We've needed a fence at our house since we moved in. Jasper gets out and will go all over the neighborhood and that's not ok. So we get part of the fence built last weekend. We couldn't do it all because #1 we didn't have the daylight and #2 we didn't have all the materials.

Let me just tell ya. Fence building is not meant for the pregnant woman. You see, we had guys there helping, but I'm not the type that can just sit there and watch. I have to be in on the action. So I did. My dad and I were setting posts and putting up nailing boards while Neil and Bill were digging the rest of the post holes with the most amazing contraption there ever was. This digger was on the back of a tractor and just dug the hole, right there, like 2-3 feet into the ground. And all in about 30 seconds it seemed like.

So I'm going and helping and carryin on. We got done about 9:00 and went straight to bed. Now mind you, my feet hurt like hell when I got into bed, but that was the last of my concerns when I got up the next morning. Neil had only been up since about 4:30-5:00 b/c he was hurting too from all the work. I walked back to the bathroom (ok "walked" isn't even a comparison word, more like shuffled) and get a "you look like shit". No good morning, no how are you feeling, simply you look like shit. Since I knew this and also felt like shit, I was ok with that, but also knew that there would be no fence building in my agenda for that day. All of the "Lindsey, you need to sit down and take it easy"s the day before were now haunting me! Luckily, Dad brought Capel over that day to help, so I was home free.

As if that isn't enough of a project to do to the house, we are also painting the utility room. Now that I can handle, but then there's the getting up on the ladder part and moving the washer and dryer part and this I really wasn't supposed to be doing either. Finally after a while, I'd had enough. I just went after it. Now the utility room is almost done! Then we can get back to the fence and get that done too!

If you can't tell, I'm really excited about it! Pictures will be posted of out "new back yard".

Now on to more baby related stuff. People have been getting her so many new outfits! They are so cute. I can't wait to actually be able to put them on her and see how cute she is!

That being said, she better be appreciating all the food I'm giving her now and all the weight I'm gaining for her! I went to get my bridemaid dress yesterday for my friend Ashley's wedding that I'm in in a few weeks. Let's just say that this dress in certain size that all my friends were telling me was going to be so big it would fall off isn't quite as big as y'all thought it would be. In fact, it fits perfect right now. What a bummer! I know that I've gained weight, but I never thought the day would come that I had to buy a dress in the size this one is in. Needless to say, I went for a run when I got home! Hey, if this baby is healthy and at the right size, there's no reason for me to feed my face and gain weight for no reason!

We'll see how the next 3 weeks go. Maybe all this running will finally start showing the payoff!

22 weeks this week, folks. Some would say I'm on the downward slope, which may be true in numbers, but I have a pretty good premonition it doesn't get easier on this "downward slope"! It's going to be a long summer!

It won't be so long for the next post, I promise!

Running and Baby

20 Weeks

This baby is an energy vacuum. Ok, so I know what you're thinking. Duh, Lindsey. Of course it is. It's just that I thought that serious exhaustion was done for a while (like until the baby was born and I can't ever sleep again). Maybe it's more the fact that I get winded doing the laundry or cooking supper. The second trimester is supposed to be the "honeymoon" trimester. You in a good mood, having fun, picking out things for the baby. I'm not so sure about this. Now don't get me completely wrong here, I'm actually in a good mood and that's saying something for me.

Then there's the exercising portion of my life. I'm still running, or should I say slowly jogging with several walk breaks in between. This is great. An I usually feel so much better when I'm done. But yesterday, while I was at the track to get in a quick (easy on the quick part) workout, my shins and calfs starting hurting really bad. I stopped and stretched. I haven't had shin splints since high school...seriously. This is what I get for buying the "cheaper" shoes this time. Serves me right. Then there's my hips. No kidding on the widening of the hips. It took me back to a day I remember oh so well. I was a sophomore in high school and running cross country. I wasn't running quite as well as the previous year and was kinda down about. When going to my lovely father for advice, I got "Well Lindsey, you're a girl. You're hips are getting wider and your butt is getting bigger. You're not gonna run like you used to." It was then, that I knew...don't go to Dad for advice unless you wanna get the cold hard truth.

So as I'm taking a literal and figurative jog down memory lane, it dawns on me, will I be able to run the same when this baby is out of my body or will I forever be doomed by the baby body? Oh God! This was bad, because it only made me wanna run more. That combined with the fact that I've been eating like TLC's "Half Ton Mom". (I hope you get a kick out of that Deanna!) So I will exercise tonight keep my hopes high that I can burn some of the calories I've been taking in.

What's even better, is I wish I could see an ultrasound of what the baby looks like when I'm running for a long period of time. For my amusement and also for Neil's sanity because he thinks the baby is being thrown up and down. I assured him that she's not, but hell, who the hell really knows!

So here I am feeling like all this weight I've gained is straight up fat. I know it's now, but it just doesn't seem to be going to the right places. My butt really is getting bigger, my thighs are getting bigger and so are the so-called love handles. Now I didn't create pregnant women, but my thought is, shouldn't your thighs get smaller and more toned? That way they aren't crowding the baby when she's trying to get out. I have a "bubble butt" anyway (again, thanks Dad for the brutal honesty and the genes). But maybe God could say "Lindsey, since everything else on you is getting bigger, I want to shrink your butt for these 9 months." I guess I should just be appreciative since he is giving me bigger boobs!

It's a.........

So last week on Friday, Neil and I strolled off to the doctor to see if baby was doing ok and tel hopefully find out for sure what the gender is on the little one growing inside me. Well if you're wanting to know, you've come to the right place! Baby Atkins is for sure a girl. This just confirms what Grandma De thought at the last two ultrasounds that she did. Baby girl was showing it all that day.

She has anything and everything that a baby at her stage should have. The tech showed us her brain and nuchal fold, which were both normal (actually her brain was probably better than normal b/c we've already decided she's going to be a genius). I mean what else would she be coming from the both of us. Keep your comments to yourself, people! Her heart and other organs in her abdominal area all looked great as well!

Even though Neil still had a little bit of hope that a little wenus had sprouted since the last time we looked (he wore a blue shirt in hopes), he is also very excited! I tried to tell him that every man wants a boy until he has a daughter! He said he still wants a boy though. :)

Now we just need to get to looking for all the fun stuff. Bedding, room decor, clothes, etc. I seriously can't wait. I look at this stuff all day!


So to go on with what happened this weekend, we also got married! It was an amazing day. There was a 90% chance of rain for most of the day and we didn't get a drop until about 9:00 that night. We were able to have the wedding outside and everything turned out phenomenal. What an awesome thing to feel; be married to the man I love and have a little baby girl in there to be a part of it.

Needless to say, we couldn't have done it without the help from many many people. Now for my Oscar speech....

I just want to thank my Mother, she helped put this together in record time! If it weren't for her, I would not have been able to stay on task! I want to thank my Step-Mother. She helped keep me sane when she knew I was going to kill my mom for asking me so many questions! (still love you, Mom). I want to thank my step-grandmother, Judi. She has a creativeness that one can only be born with. She took a blank slate and made it look like a picture from a magazine. I would also like to thank my Dad for knowing what was important to me and what wasn't. I thought that our walk down the aisle and our dance was more than any daughter could ask for. I didn't even cry! Thanks to Hannah and Capel for being a part of the wedding and being good sports. Thanks to Connor for dancing with me TWICE in the dollar dance. That extra dollar was definitely worth it. :) Thanks to Grandma Jane and Grandpa Jack for so graciously letting us use their humble abode to have the ceremony. It was beautiful. And last, but definitely not least, thanks to my wonderful husband (still makes me smile when I say it or write it) who was very very patient with my during my hormonal planning stages for getting this all together. I couldn't have done it without you. No really, I couldn't...I don't think Mike could've married me to myself.

I know I've missed some people and I'm sorry, but with my pregnant brain, this sometimes happens.

So now to get on with the rest of everything...it's going to be an exciting ride and I can't wait to make every memory there is! Love you all!!

Traveling, Baby, & Taco Bell

So today marks my first day on the road for the spring round of the user groups we do at my job. I get to travel across the state and do trainings for our clients over the course of about 2 weeks. It's a lot of fun....usually. This time is a little different. I'm pregnant for one, but that's not the biggest concern. I'm getting married this Saturday and it's makes it a little difficult to get things done for the wedding. That being said, I delegated all tasks to my lovely mother. HAHAHA Actually I can't even say that. She's been doing everything this whole time anyway.

Thank God for her! Ther thing is, I'm a bad bride! Call me crazy, but I just don't care about all the things that those so-called normal brides care about. I picked my colors and my dress, but from there on out, I've left all decisions up to my mother, step-mother, and step-grandmother, Judi. By the way, they've done a pretty good job if I do say so myself. We'll see how it goes this Saturday.

Anyway, so back to the main top at hand. I'm pregnant and traveling. This makes for an interesting schedule. First of all, I had to stop and pee like 5 times on the way up today. Second of all, I'm hungry, but can't figure out what I want. So I sat there and thought about the places I saw on my way to the hotel earlier. SONIC! It sounded soooo good, so I thought, I'll just go.

So I'm on my way to Sonic when I see a Taco Bell. I'm not even kidding you...I swerved through traffic to get to the place. It was like I was the 3 Wise Men and saw the star! Granted, no one was injured during the process to get me 2 crunchy taco supremes and 1 soft shell taco supreme, but it could've turned out much worse!

That's been my first experience of being pregnant and wanting something so bad to almost maul people over to get it. Glad it was up north and no one at home got hurt!

So very excited about my doctor's appointment on Friday! We really can't wait! I just hope that "it" is very cooperative that day! Good night from Joliet!

He or She??

To let everyone out there in on some things, WE'RE HAVING A BABY!! This may be big news to some, not to others, but I thought this would be a great way for those who care and want to keep up an opportunity to do so!

Neil and I are expecting a baby on September 28, 2010. Although unexpected, we are very thrilled for all the changes that will be happening in the next several months.

Even after getting a "Big Fat Positive" 5 times, it still didn't seem real. Once we went to the doctor and heard the baby's speedy heartbeat, it pretty much confirmed that things were real.

After keeping it a secret for well over a month, we decided that we needed to start telling people, at least our families. This would make it easier to handle/deal with, not to mention planning a wedding is warp speed time! Of course as soon as we told my family, my step-mom wanted to start doing ultrasounds to see our little one.

This brings me to the question for today. Is baby a girl or a boy? No doubt, if anyone knows Neil, even a little bit, they know that he's dying for a son! I would love to give him one, but as anyone who has taken a basic A&P class knows, the daddy's little spermies are the ones that determine whether or not baby with be a boy or a girl. Immediately, everyone thinks that I want a daughter. Is it because I'm a girl? Is it just something that people assume? I don't know. After contemplating this for a long time and knowing that either sex would be fine with me as long as baby is healthy, I began thinking more, would I really prefer one sex over the other?

Girls would be fun. You get to put bows in there hair and they get to wear cute little spring dresses, yadda, yadda, yadda. The I started thinking on down the road. Girls go through drama throughout their entire lives. They have to start their periods and get in knockdown dragouts with their best friends and cry over the boys that won't go out with them. OH MY GOD! Am I ready to deal with being a counselor for my daughter the rest of my life?

Boys, on the other hand, dress in t-shirts and play shorts, have cheaper quicker haircuts, and when they get in fights, they usually get black eyes rather than broken hearts. They also usually make up with that "best friend" that they just beat the crap out of two days earlier. While there are some parts in their lives when boys get their hearts' broken, they bounce back period is much shorter.

With this being said, I would love a daughter or a son no matter what. This isn't the only child we're going to have and chances are, we'll have the "opposite sex" at some point in time and things will equal out.

For the sake of Neil's sanity, I hope there's a boy inside of me, but for those you who are still holding out for bows and prom dresses, I will do what I can to make it a girl. :)

Stay tuned for the sex announcement next week!