SO...

In case you haven't heard...

IT'S A GIRL!

Yes, we're sure this time. Yes, that was a surprise. Yes, we are delighted. Of course, we were happy either way, and it certainly took a few days to readjust my world view, considering I had gotten pretty used to the idea that The Doodle was a boy. And, yes, Baby Girl Hall will have to spend the first few months of her life wearing a lot of blue (as much as I loathe hair bows on a bald little baby, I'm thinking I might have to subject the little girl to one out in public, lest her momma get in trouble for snapping at the people who mistakenly say, "What an adorable little boy!". It's cool, I never really liked pink that much anyway). The nursery and all the big ticket items we already purchased were picked with gender-neutrality in mind, and I so prefer greens and yelllows in decorating, it probably would have all gone that way regardless.

Friday evening after our earth-shattering ultrasound, we were driving home with a take-n-bake pizza, and suddenly I felt bubbles run up my expanding bump to my belly button. And thus, The Doodlebug's first kick was felt. I don't know if it was all that bouncing she did during the ultrasound, or the constant pressure of the scanning on my belly for an hour made me more aware of my uterus, but there it was. And I've been able to feel her tossing about in there ever since. When Matt asked what it felt like, I thought about all the comparisons I've heard (bubbles, fluttering, popcorn), but honestly, that sensation reminded me of something else entirely. "Did you ever fart in the bathtub as a kid? And the bubbles run up your back? That's exactly what it felt like."

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So, according to the scan, Baby Girl's organs are all functioning as they should. She's right on target at an estimated weight of 13 oz. and her heart beats at a beautiful-sounding 148 beats per minute. She is perfect.

As for me, well, allergies are kicking my ass. I still can't get more than a few hours solid sleep at a time. And the last trusty pair of jeans that fit are suddenly a lot more comfortable if I leave them unbuttoned. I caught a glimpse of myself in the window at Target yesterday, and I realized my center of gravity has shifted, and suddenly my bump is a belly. I've put on minimal weight since getting pregnant, my doctors say the numbers are right where they should be. But, clearly, things are movin' around in there. And, they reminded me this week, those numbers? Are about to explode. Awesome.

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Our chief occupation since learning the news Friday has been trying to pick a name. When the baby was a boy, we knew instantly, and in a week or two our whole family was referring to him by that name. Now that he's a she, well, we're having trouble pulling the trigger. Early on, we had two front runners, and suddenly now that we knew for sure, we had doubts. And mothers with opinions. And helpful suggestions. And now, instead of narrowing our list, it grows longer every day. So, I figure, what the heck....I'm humbly asking for your suggestions. Keep in mind, our last name is Hall, so there are a lot of names that will be ruled out simply because together they sound like a dorm. Lately our litmus test has been, does the name sound better in one of these two phrases:
"Ladies and Gentlemen, please rise. The honorable Judge _____ _____ Hall, presiding." Or, "Gentlemen, please welcome to the main stage of the Snake Pit Lounge, ______ _____ Hall!" Obviously, we prefer the former...

So...suggestions? I'll probably post our list at some point...we'll see.

Random Thoughts Masquerading as Cohesive Ideas...

Yeah. I'm pregnant. That is my excuse. FOR EVERYTHING.

19 weeks is pretty exciting, I must admit. Nearly halfway (or, well, probably halfway, considering I believe very strongly I won't go the full 40), and I'm really starting to feel pregnant. I haven't felt the baby move yet, my doctor has predicted I won't til 21 weeks or so. But I can feel my uterus if I poke my belly button, which, quite frankly, is just bizarre. I already have to get up twice a night to pee (I'm sure this has just as much to do with the fact that I'm drinking water like it's a competitive sport as it does pressure on my bladder). I've got one pair of jeans that still fits with no problems, and most of my favorite spring shirts are working just fine, but, well, there's no disguising the Belly (which, I'm kind of digging, but will dig more once it's *obviously* a Baby Belly). I'm not sleeping all that well during the night, but my schedule let's me do some solid sleeping from about 6am to 8:30, once Matt gets up and herds all the animals downstairs.

I had my first visit with my High Risk Perinatologist (thanks to my ol' pal, Daisy Bee Bees), since the pregnancy hormones will progressively complicate how my body processes food, glucose, and insulin. I don't yet love them like I love my OB (who I get to see in conjunction with the perinatologist and who will be the one to deliver my baby, yay!), but they're all very helpful and understanding. It sucks, of course, to not be able to binge on cookie dough or french fries, but the five months or so I have left are well worth the sacrifice for a healthy baby. My biggest fear about being a pregnant diabetic has nothing to do with birth defects (which are highly unlikely anyway), but more selfishly, to do with the fact that diabetic babies tend to be on the, um, LARGE size. I'd like to avoid a C-section if possible, but I'm also not excited about the prospect of pushing a line-backer out of me, epidural or no.

We're slowly but surely amassing more, well, stuff. Yeah. There's a lot of stuff that goes with babies, huh? The nursery is coming along swimmingly. After doing some measuring Matt and I broke out the graph paper (like the nerds we are) and diagrammed all possible set-ups for the furniture. We threw out our original configuration, and I think the new arrangement is much better. We also scored the perfect rug, on clearance, for about $20, and suddenly this room that was collecting furniture became The Baby's Room. We're still waiting on the crib *ahem, cough, Mom and Dad, cough* and we have to buy the shelves for the opposite wall, but the plan is in place. Several people have mentioned it seems like I'm really getting a jump on the nursery, which is true, and I tell them all the same thing--my plan is to finish it all in the second trimester, so while I'm gigantic and pregnant and uncomfortable in the unbearable heat of a Tennessee summer, my biggest project will be finding some air conditioning and the perfect position to prop my feet up and fan myself while I drink ice tea.

Work continues to be awesome--I love what I do, it's not stressful or hard for me, and I get paid well by people who appreciate both my work and my work ethic--truly, what more could you ask for? As a new business we're still working out kinks with scheduling and hiring and marketing, but those headaches seem minor in the larger picture, which I think bodes well for me and my future there.

And, it's Spring. Oh, how I adore Spring. The transitional season (Spring and Fall) have always been my favorite, and if it weren't for the horrific allergies I suffer through every year, Spring might just be the winner. Even with the sneezing and congestion and the itchy eyes, it's hard not to get a little rapturous at the weather and the sunshine and the greening grass and budding trees. Spring in East Tennessee is so beautiful, and I appreciate it perhaps this year like no other...