Here's The Nursery...Where's The Baby?

Baby Montgomery's nursery is all set! Family members are standing by... I can't call anyone anymore with crushing the sound of excitement in their voice when they realize that I am just calling to chat... and that the baby isn't on her way just yet. We are trying to stay patient! Here are some really cute pics of the Baby Montgomery's room. I've even given you a HUGE clue as to what her name will be. Check out the poll and place your votes! We have had so much fun getting her room ready to go! It is filled with so many wonderful things, thanks to all of our family and friends. Thank you all so much!! I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday. We were hoping for a baby from Santa this year but I think Baby Montgomery has decided she'd rather be born on New Year's or maybe the day the Buckeye's beat LSU in the National Championship Game...

(I secretly hope she's here to help us cheer them on in person!) I do hope that my next post is all about the arrival of our new little girl... Love to all!

"All We Want For Christmas is a Baby Girl!"

Today Nicholas and I went in for another ultrasound. Dr. Mini order one more for us so we could track the weight of our precious little girl. Her Mama was 8lds 13oz when she was born so Dr. Mini wanted to be see just how big Baby Montgomery would be mid-December. She is officially 6lbs right now! Her expected delivery weight is about 7.5 to 8lbs. She is very healthy. We could see again today that she was head down...and by the way that head is covered in hair!!! We watched as she kicked mom in the ribs a few times and made a fist with her hand. The technician checked every organ in her body and all look great! After the checking we zoomed in a bit to be sure we were still having a baby girl. We could see her labia loud and clear. Daddy told the technician he would take her word for it (because she is getting so big and is so scrunched up it is hard to see just what you are looking at.) We also zoomed in close for a view of her face. For this the technician switched from 3D to 4D so we could see her in more detail. Silly little girl was rubbing her eye the entire time we were catching a glimpse of her sweet little face. You can see this in the pictures I've posted. Daddy and I both agree that she is a very beautiful baby girl (we're already very bias of course.) We are very excited to meet her. I have four more days of school and then I am going to be busy at home trying any home remedy to induce labor...so if you have any tips be sure to leave a comment! I keep telling her, there is no reason to wait until next Christmas to meet Santa...not when she could come early and meet him this year!

One Centimeter and a Wiggle

Baby Montgomery and I had an appointment on Tuesday. We found out that I am "one centimeter and a wiggle, " dilated! I was excited to hear that I had made at least some progress towards the big DDay. Baby Montgomery has taken all necessary steps herself- to get ready for the big day. The nurse could feel her head!! Which means she is in the right position. Her job is done. Now all she has to do is sit back, relax and gain a few pounds. She is weighing in now at about 4.5 to 5lbs and she's ~19inches long! Nick and I are going to be scheduling another ultrasound soon. Be looking for pictures! Our next appointment is Thursday, December 13th.

Week 34

It's hard to believe that Baby Montgomery will be making her appearance in just a few more weeks. With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, time is really flying by!! Nicholas and I are getting very excited and anxious at the same time. We are ready to meet our daughter for the first time but over whelmed with the idea of being parents. We both know it will be a welcomed life change, but knowing just how much our lives are about to change leaves us wondering... At 34 weeks, Baby Montgomery is about 19 inches long and roughly 5 pounds. She is fully developed and her main goal now is to pack on the pounds! She is expected to gain 1/4 to a 1/2 pound each week! AMAZING! This means that Mama is going to being gaining that weight as well! At this point it's welcomed!!

I debated about these belly shots for a few weeks! I wasn't sure if I'd be the type willing to share but I'm proud of the "bump!" I also think it will help you decide which option to vote for. I hope you notice there is a new pole to participate in! Place your bets, anything is possible! Starting December 4th I will be going to the doctor every week. I have appointments scheduled right up to the day before Baby Montgomery is born! Nicholas and I are also preparing to go to those ever informative and important classes in the month of December! Lots and lots of fun ahead! We are expecting to have one more ultrasound. I will find out on the 4th when that will be happening. :) Maybe then I'll feel more comfortable washing all of those super cute, SUPER PINK items.

Thank You, Nana and Mimzey!!

Just when I thought a baby could need no more Nana and Mimzey proved to me that what she really needed was a celebration with family! As parents, Nicholas and I feel so blessed to have such a supportive family! It was very comforting looking out at all of the beautiful smiling faces; faces our daughter will be surrounded and uplifted by. Nicholas and I both had the wonderful experience of growing up surrounded by Grandmas, Grandpas, Aunts, Uncles, and lots of cousins to play with! As I looked around the room on Sunday, it became apparent that Nick and I will be able to provide that same experience for our little ones. There are no greater gifts!!! Our little one was blessed to have four Great Grandmothers at her shower on Sunday. Great Grandma Finerty, Great Grandma Newman, Great Grandma Powell, and Great Grandma Wine! She was supported by Great Aunt Teresa, Great Aunt Patti, Great Aunt Karen Sue, and Great- Great Aunt Sally. Not to mention all of the many cousins who were present, as well!!! Aunty Heather made the trip from Baltimore, Maryland, Grandma Newman came all the way from Florence, South Carolina, and Lori from Ashville, North Carolina. Everyone gathered at our house for the occasion. This was fantastic because everyone got to check out the nursery! It was a great day. I will remember it always. Thank you, Mimzey and Nana for all of your hard work to make the day so special!

Lucky Ladies!

Baby Montgomery and her Mommy were absolutely spoiled again! Mimzey's dear friends: Linda, Diana, Teresa, Sharon, Janet, Sue and Francie threw us a beautiful baby shower on Sunday, October 28. The center pieces were pumpkins painted all the colors of our nursery with an adorable baby carriage painted as well! So very cute! The pumpkins highlighted the gorgeous fall day we had to celebrate. Many of our close friends were there; many friends who have know Baby Montgomery's Mommy and Daddy their entire lives. It was a very special occasion. On the menu was chicken salad croissants, fruit salad, a too pretty to eat Tuscan salad, cute cookies and cakes, plus Pretty in Pink Princess Drinks. :) Baby Montgomery and Mommy got the princess treatment. It was such a wonderful afternoon. We are two very lucky ladies. We were showered with the sweetest gifts. I can't wait to see our little girl in all of her beautiful clothes! I am going to be changing her three times a day so I can see her in each and every adorable outfit. One gift I must mention is the gift from Cathy, Joy, Diana and Gina!! All four of these special ladies have known both Nicholas and I most of our lives. They have known Nick since he was born! Knowing so much about us both you can only imagine the funny stories and pictures they have to share. Their gift was themed around a very cute picture of Nicholas when he was itty bitty... As you can see from the picture to the right...this cowboy is wearing no chaps! To carry on the Montgomery Cowboy/Cowgirl tradition the ladies got Baby Montgomery her very own pink and white cowgirl boots! They are a fancier version of her Daddy's boots, but I know she'll wear them just as proud and just as nude! If you know Nicholas well you can imagine his extreme shade of red when I told him about the gift and showed him his daughters cowgirl boots! When we got home and unloaded all of her new goodies, Nick and I both couldn't believe that someone so small could "need" so many things! We know she will appreciate each and every item just as her Mommy and Daddy appreciate each and every one of their amazing friends. Mimzey said it best in a poem she wrote for each of the guests... "I'd like to say, though I'm not here yet, Thank you for the gifts I'll get, And thank you from Nicholas and Ryan, too For all the gifts in pink. My closet was empty, my belongings were few But that's all changed, thanks to you! Thank you again ladies for a beautiful day!

Baby Montgomery's First Baby Shower

Baby Montgomery had her very first shower this weekend. We flew down to South Carolina for the occasion. It was so wonderful to be able to go to school (Royall Elementary) on Friday. I spent the day visiting with friends and students all day long. My old students were all very excited to see me. Some were also very surprised by my baby bump not knowing that I was pregnant. On Saturday, Joni Tarte hosted a beautiful "keepsake" themed baby shower. The table (as you can see) was beautiful! Hanging from the chandler was silver baby keepsakes borrowed from Joni and Georgie's family. They were absolutely precious. Each was tied up with pink ribbon and were accompanied by a little babies breath. The lovely ladies in first grade each prepared a salad. It was a special treat because a few of my students were able to come. Caroline Gatchell came with her mother. She is in third grade now along with Elizabeth Singleton and her sister Mary Hampton who I've stayed with while their parents vacation. It was a beautiful day for a shower. Sunny and 75. We spent the lunch-in chatting, opening gifts, and eating delicious dishes. I did not want the day to end. It was an absolutely perfect day! Our entire visit was very special to me. When I said good-bye to friends it became apparent that the next time I saw any of them I would be a mother. :) I can't wait! The rest of the weekend was spent with Dad and Tangie. On Friday, we met Don and Bev Brown for dinner to celebrate Bev's birthday. We went to the Japanese Steakhouse in Florence and at our table was an OB specialist. He was giving Grandma and Grandpa Newman tips to help induce labor. They of course want Baby Montgomery to come while they are home for Christmas. If she's anything like her bullheaded mother and father she will come when SHE is ready... but I'm willing to try anything. :) Not even 30 weeks in my belly and Baby Montgomery has done so many wonderful things! After this weekend we can add an airplane ride to the list. (Thanks Mimzey and Dan-o) Baby Montgomery had an appointment on Thursday. Everything is going perfectly. Her heart rate was 141 (perfect) and she's growing at a good pace. Right now she a little over a foot long and weighs a bit over 2lbs. My belly is growing at a quick pace as well. You can see quite a bump if you look at the picture where I am opening Elizabeth and Mary Hampton's gift. :) I would like to close with a quote about friends in honor of my beautiful friends in South Carolina. "Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." Thank you, ladies for sharing your worlds with me.

We May Not Know A Lot...

But we know she'll be a Buckeye! Today our little girl experienced her first Buckeye game. She went with her Mommy, Daddy, Dan'o and Mimzey! It was a beautiful day to be out cheering on our favorite team. We even had our picture taken with the BuckeyeMan! He said that she was the fan of the week. Needless to say we can be certain she'll be a big football fan just like her Mom and Dad. I have been feeling more and more movement. Nick can feel her moving around now too, which is very exciting. For someone who is only 1.5 - 2lbs she can really pack a punch. As you can see from the picture I'm growing just as quickly. Last week I went shopping with Mimzey to buy my first maternity items. Tomorrow, Nana and I are going to get a few more things... Six months pregnant and I'm just starting to get into the maternity clothes. I must say the pants are FABULOUS! I have had the best pregnancy thus far. I feel very fortunate. I've been full of energy and haven't had a moment of sickness. Nick and I keep saying that if the baby is as easy as the pregnancy we've got it made!!

It's A Girl!!!

Today at 8:30am we were formally introduced to our little girl! We first looked at her little head and measured her smart little brain and then we scanned down and saw her little face. What an amazing experience! It's impossible not to be moved as you watch your tiny baby moving around inside of you. She wasn't super active this morning... I think she likes to sleep in like her Daddy! However, she did give us a big yawn, stretch her arm across her face and roll over on her side. It was really fun to watch her move! Dr. Mini checked a few other things and then went to work. She is a wonderful doctor and was not going to give up easily! Finally, the mystery was solved. Dr. Mini pointed out just where to look and we both agreed we were having a little girl. As doctors love to do, she gave herself a window of uncertainty. She said, "I normally say I'm 80% sure with most couples but I think I could even go 90% with you two." Of course, just as last time I wanted to know when we could do this again. I am in love with looking at her in my belly. Dr. Mini told me that she would think of something to report so we could get one more look towards the end of our pregnancy. :) Little Baby Girl Montgomery is a whole pound now which is a bit smaller than some of her peers, but not to worry, Dr. Mini said she will hit a growth spurt soon. She did measure her femur bone and told us she has really long legs! Those must come from Dan'o'! :) Nicholas and I both left with a huge smile! It was so fun calling family to tell them all about the morning. We feel very blessed that we have a beautiful healthly baby growing inside me.

SO.....
LET THE SHOPPING BEGIN!!!

P.S. We are going to "try" and keep our name choice a secret until the day Baby Girl Montgomery is born. You are welcome to try and get us to blab...GOOD LUCK!

Week 19 & 20

WoW! These past few weeks have been busy! Baby Montgomery has been to Frisch and Moe's Wedding in Athens, A Pro Football preseason game in Cleveland, in a 2nd Grade Class for a week and helped us celebrate my 28th birthday!!! SUPER BABY!!! With all of this excitement there should be no doubt that Baby Montgomery has been doing a lot of moving and shaking as well. Within the past few weeks I have finally felt some movement in my belly. When I'm able to sit still I can feel our little one doing his/her exercises! I really feel a lot of activity right after meal time and right before I go to bed. Last night I felt a bump on the outside of my belly. To prove it to my self I set the remote control on my belly and actually saw it move when the baby bumped!! This was very fun! Nick was already in bed at this point so I didn't wake him to feel but now that I'm starting to catch on to our baby's routine I'll be able to have Nicholas ready so he can have a preview of whats to come. On August 21st I started teaching 20 very sweet little second graders! It was an exhausting week but so much fun getting back into teaching for the year. We were doing a counting exercise the third day of school where we were touching our head, belly and toes. I kept saying, bump your head, bump your belly... etc." One of my little students said, "You sure are bumping that baby around a lot today!" LOL, very perceptive! I've just begun my 21st week of pregnancy and I feel fantastic. I am starting to show more and more every day and can't wait to go maternity clothes shopping with Nana and Mimzey! Baby Montgomery is growing just as fast, weighing in at an impressive 10 oz! Hope everyone is doing well! The count down is on... Only 11 more day until we know whether Baby Montgomery is a little boy or a little girl! Get your votes in now!!!

Weeks 17 & 18

I'm finally starting to show!!!! It is very exciting! I catch Nicholas looking at my belly sometimes and I ask, "Are you looking at your baby?" He is so sweet! We have had a very busy last few weeks. Nicholas has a brand new job (he starts on Monday) and I've been working daily in my classroom getting it all ready for the August 21st start date. This past weekend we took a long weekend trip to visit our Godparents, Scott and Heather in Baltimore. We were able to see Heather's new house and a lot of downtown Baltimore. On Monday, Mimzey, Great Grams, Great Aunt Kathy and Cousin Maria (future babysitter) flew in for a visit. We spent the day with family around Baltimore. We even stopped in a shop and found the PERFECT rocker for the baby's nursery! Thanks to Mimzey it's made it's way to Pickerington where it is getting some much needed "warm up" rocks.

Baby Montgomery is ~7 inches long and weighs ~6 oz. I haven't felt any movement yet...but I imagine I'll feel him/her soon. Nicholas and I go for our BIG APPOINTMENT on Sept. 6th at 8:15am!!! As long as the baby feels like sharing we should then know if we're having a little boy or a little girl!!!! Mark you calendars....I'll try to blog that day at school but it might not get posted until later that evening.

Week 16

Everyone in the Montgomery house is doing well. The baby is growing... I'm still not seeing a lot of changes in my appearance but I have a feeling it's soon to come. We've been doing some painting in the baby's room this week. It's really coming together nicely! I'll be excited when it's finished and all ready for our new family member. Our big family news this week is that Nick will be starting (another) new job soon. He is soon to be the HR Director at a company called Hagglunds Drives. He is very excited for the opportunity! The best part... He didn't even submit a resume for the position. He came highly recommended and they called him!! (quite a compliment!)

Week 15

Well the colors have been chosen and the plan is draw out... Now it's time to get to work on the nursery!!! Nicholas and I decided to go neutral in terms of the baby's nursery. We are hoping to expand our family more in the future and with a neutral design we'll be able to use it for all of our children. :) I'm hoping to have the painting done by the end of the month...before I have to really get busy at school and before I get too far along in my pregnancy. I love to paint so it should be a fun project! Before anyone starts to worry I've already gotten the OK from our doctor. She told me paints aren't as toxic as they used to be and therefore a lot safer. Plus the baby's room has three windows so it will be totally ventilated. My Mom is throwing a baby shower at our house in November for our families and close friends! We'll have the nursery ready for the unveiling then!

This week the baby is about 4 inches long (head to rump) and is weighing in at a whooping 1.5oz! Our little one is doing a lot of moving and shaking, however I won't feel the movements for a few more weeks. All pregnancy journals love to compare your baby's size to the size of a fruit... This week Baby Montgomery is the size of a grapefruit...but I'm sure much sweeter!!!

Week 14

We had our second doctors appointment on Tuesday. Everything is going very well with me and our little one. It was a pretty uneventful visit. We didn't have an ultrasound and it doesn't look like we are going to have another until September.... This September ultrasound will be the big one! It will (as long as our little one cooperates) tell us the sex of the baby. I had originally thought this ultrasound would be done in August but Dr. Mini likes the mother to be past her 20th week and I'll only be at around 18 when we go for our next visit. I guess we can wait one more month!!

The baby is about three inches long! The baby's heart rate was 148 beats per minute. It's amazing that something that small can already suck his/her thumb and wiggle and move around! I can't wait to feel the baby for the first time! I can't imagine what it will feel like. I know it will be a feeling I'll never forget. I'm not showing much at all yet, but Dr. Mini said I will notice some real changes before my next appointment on August 14th.

Week 13

It is hard to believe how fast these weeks go by... I know once school starts for me in August time will only fly by faster. During our 13th week of pregnancy we celebrated a few things. Nick and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary, we've named our God Parents to be...and we also celebrated the 4th of July. The "three" of us went and enjoyed an Italian feast with the grandparents to be (Dad and Tangie) on our anniversary. It was very yummy and lots of fun. Early (2:30am) on the 4th of July we learned a very important lesson... The baby does not care for BBQ ribs. We won't go into details. Needless to say the baby and I will not be having any more.

Nicholas and I have officially asked Heather and Scott to be our baby's God Parents. We are happy to report that they were both honored and are excited to spoil their future Godson/daughter! We couldn't be happier with our decision and foresee many cherished memories to come.

Our baby is now about the size of a peach! He's/She's moving quite a bit, although I'm not able to feel it just yet. He/She has their very own fingerprints and has figured out how to put his/her thumb in his/her mouth. With all of this his and her'ing' I should also mention that our baby's secret is out, however we won't have another ultrasound to determine the sex until week 20. I know everyone has been patiently waiting to buy all of those really cute outfits. I promise to let y'all know as soon as we find out!

Week 12

We are into our twelfth week now and I am feeling better than ever! I feel like the luckiest pregnant women! My first trimester has ended and I'm officially into my second trimester. My only complaint about my first trimester was how tired I was. Last week I had a surge of energy that's made me feel like myself again. :) One funny story... I sat outside reading a book one cool but sunny morning and came in with the worst tan lines I've ever had. I had them on the tops of my shoulders and I'd put the straps down on my arms and I had them on my arms too. Later, my mother in law informed me that because of my hormones right now that I needed to wear sunscreen. I've almost corrected the damage....The lines are beginning to fade.

11 Weeks

Well, we've just started our 11th week. Our baby is going to start growing fast from this point on... and so is mom. I'm still feeling great! I've even graduated from my mid-afternoon nap. :) Nicholas is such a wonderful daddy to be. He has been reading lots and exercising with me too! Nana(my mom) and I were out shopping yesterday and Nana bought the baby his/her very first pair of designer shoes and burp rags (yes, designer burp rags!) It is already quite obvious that the baby will be a very loved, well dress and accessorised kid!

Our First Doctors Appointment

The Montgomery's had their first appointment today!!! Both baby and mama are very healthy! Nicholas and I were both very excited and a bit nervous this morning... I woke up around 5:30am and couldn't go back to sleep. Our doctor is amazing! She is very personable making it so easy for both of us to ask questions and feel at ease. I went through some tests...blood being drawn and some other more unpleasant tests and then we started the ultrasound. I've been excited about having an ultrasound for a few weeks now. Not having any sickness and no belly to speak of just yet it was hard to believe I was really pregnant. Nicholas stood beside me and held my hand as our baby came into view. Seeing our baby for the first time is an emotional moment I'll never forget. Tears instantly came to my eyes... We had such a clear view. So clear we could even see our baby's little heart beating. With our doctor navigating we saw all things important; little arms and legs, eyes, umbilical cord and a healthy beating heart. After the doctor scanned around just to be sure there weren't two... we were able to focus in on the heart and hear it beating. This for me was so life changing. Knowing there is a healthy little baby growing inside of me with a strong healthy heart beat changed me instantly. Nicholas said it all became so real watching our baby, seeing and hearing it's heart beat... AMAZING! Our due date as of right now is January 4th. We won't have another doctors appointment until July 10th. I jokingly told Nicholas after the appointment I wanted to buy an ultrasound machine! I could have stared at that baby all day long!

Just a few more days until our first doctors appointment. I've been blessed so far... no sickness! Let's just hope this continues. Nick and I are visiting Aunt Heather and Uncle Scotty in Baltimore this weekend. We have also had the chance to see some friends from college. They were all very surprised and excited for us! I have three more days of school and then I'm done with subbing! I'll start my full-time position in the fall teaching 2nd grade... Until Winter Break any way!!!!!! Hope all are well. I'll update again after our doctors appointment Friday morning.

Nick and I are expecting a brand new family member in January! We are very excited about our new addition to the family as were our friends and family when they found out. We decided to start a blog to help spread the news and update family and friends. Our first doctors appointment is next Friday. I'll update after.

ENJOY!!