It's a BOY!!!

haha! I guess I never did post about that...we've known for a month now, but in all the excitement I forgot about this blog, so the update is a bit late.
We had our ultrasound appointment where they would be able to tell us the sex of the baby scheduled for August 6, Kyle's birthday :) I was SO anxious by the time that appointment finally got here that I had a mini breakdown on my way there because I couldn't find the right parking lot. Poor Kyle had to deal with me freaking out and starting to cry because I was so frustrated and tired and worked up and just wound for this appointment. Naturally, he was a pro and just talked me through the directions until I found the place. He's going to be the BEST daddy in the world!!!
So, in the weeks leading up to the ultrasound, I had started having dreams about my baby, and in all the dreams the baby was a boy. Outside of these dreams I didn't really have any intuitions about whether baby was a girl or a boy, and we didn't have a preference. I just wanted to find out, and the wait was killing me. I got to the point where I was having a hard time focusing at work in the week leading up to the appointment, I wasn't sleeping well. Everyone kept wanting to tell me their horror stories about being told they were having a boy and then it turned out to be a girl, or going in for the ultrasound and the nurse not being able to get a good enough shot of the baby to tell whether it was boy or girl. My mind was spinning and I just really really REALLY wanted the appointment to get here and to be able to find out.
And, having had the dreams that it was a boy, I as getting anxious to find out. For some reason I was thinking I was going to have a guilt complex if it turned out to be a girl, because I had been dreaming about a boy, and even though I really didn't care whether it was a boy or a girl, I kept thinking that if it was a girl I'd feel all terrible for having dreamt about a boy instead of about my girl...yes, I realize this is crazy.
And then, finally, the day of the appointment arrived, and (after the parking drama) Kyle and I were finally there sitting in the waiting rooom for our turn. Naturally, they were running late so we had to wait an extra 45 minutes (and, yes, my bladder was full and it was uncomfortable) but the moment arrived and it was our turn. We went back to the room, I laid on the table and Kyle sat next to me. We waited for the nurse to get the goop on my belly and get the machine set up. And the first image we see is proof beyond all doubt that this is for sure a boy! What an awesome feeling. I just had this major relief that we were able to see what we were having, no more waiting and wondering. I held Kyle's hand and the tears just streamed down my face. I had been so anxious to know, and all worried about the dreams, and tired from not sleeping and it was just such a sense of "ahhh, finally!" hard to explain, but a truly wonderful moment! The rest of the ultrasound went well, Baby was really active so it was hard to get some of the pictures. But, we were able to see both kidneys, all 4 chambers of the heart, the hands and feet, and got a great picture of his little profile. Kyle was most proud of the picture that proved we were having a boy...typical guy! He was actually so excited about it that he had us stop in the lobby on the way out so he could take a picture of the ultrasound printout with his cell phone and send that pic to his work buddies. Awwww, the proud papa :)

27 Weeks!

This Thursday will mark 27 weeks, which leaves me only one week until I officially enter that 3rd trimester...unbelievable! When I think back to just one year ago today, I was putting the finishing touches on my wedding plans, scrambling around to get the details of the reception tied up and getting ready to start my marriage with Kyle. Now, here I am, almost a full year into that marriage and preparing for yet another of life's grand adventures :)
We are working through the Great Name Hunt right now, finding it much easier to come up with the list of names we don't want, but I'd guess that's pretty normal. I'm confident we'll come up with the perfect name for our little guy!
Baby is moving and shaking in there! Kyle was finally able to feel the movement this weekend, it was the best look on his face when he realized what he was feeling under his hand :) Over the past few weeks Baby has developed a habit of moving around quite a bit in the mornings (between 9 and 11), the afternoons (from about 1 to 3) and then seemingly nonstop at night, from about 8:00 all the way through the night. I'll wake up sometimes at night and just be able to lay there and feel him kicking, punching, flipping, and whatever else he has going on in there.
Last night I woke up during the middle of the night and it just hit me out of nowhere "I'm going to have a baby in this house in just a few months!" This is just such a major thing, sometimes I lose sight of just how "big" this is because I'm so excited about everything. I'm working hard to appreciate and enjoy these last few months of "couple time" for Kyle and I, everyone I talk to says to make the most of this time. I try to make sure we have at least one lazy morning each weekend together. I usually wake up before him on the weekends, so I use the time to read my book and enjoy the silence. I make breakfast so that the smells wake him up (although he does tend to wake up as soon as he hears the dishes moving around in the kitchen!) and then we eat a lazy breakfast together and just hang on the couch for an hour or so watching some silly movie or whatever. I figure it is going to be a loooong time before we'll get to do this again once Baby is here!
According to the books and websites, my uterus is the size of a basketball now. That blows my mind!!! The thought of an entire basketball inside my belly...basketballs are BIG, well, so is my belly, so I guess it all adds up, but still, for some reason a basketball just seems huge! Baby is around 2 pounds and 15 inches long from head to foot now. He can hear me when I talk, and will begin to recognize my voice and Kyle's voice soon. His eyes are open now and he can see light, so they say if I shine a flashlight on my tummy then Baby will respond with a kick or something. I tried it once to see if it would help Kyle feel Baby move, but I don't really like the idea of bugging Baby with bright lights, he moves plenty now and Kyle has for sure felt those kicks, so I think we'll let Baby rest in his cozy home without the nuisance of bright lights.
One fun thing, when I read my books (which, as we know, is always!) I have found myself resting the book on my belly. Inevitably, Baby pushes, shoves, and/or kicks where the book is, and he is strong enough to where you can actually see the book jump. Guess I better be careful about resting any hot chocolate or anything on there! ;)