16 weeks= FOUR months!

Holy Moly!! Has it really been 4 months already? As slow as it feels at times, this pregnancy really is flying by.

I know I have been horrible about updating, and have even missed a few weekly updates, but let me tell you... if my head wasn't screwed on, I would have lost it by now. My life feels like a crazy whirlwind that leaves me lifeless by the end of the day and especially by the end of the week. Sadly, I feel like I'm not getting to truly enjoy this pregnancy like I hoped since I am so busy. If I get a few minutes a week to look at baby items on Amazon, I'm a happy camper. I think it is finally starting to sink in that I'm not going to get to "fully" experience this pregnancy since we are so far away and in such a remote area. I don't get to wander the aisles of Baby's R Us or Target, instead I have created my baby registry(s) all online. Never getting to see these items in person, relying solely on the reviews of other customers.

Don't get me wrong... I LOVE being pregnant, and am extremely grateful for this. Of coarse I had this all pictured completely different in my head, but what can I say... my whole life seems to be in a place that I never imagined. God works in mysterious ways, so I am letting him take the wheel!

But enough of that... now for a quick update of what has and is going on.

First of all, about 2 weeks ago a broke out in a weird rash all of my chest. Turns out it was an allergic reaction to the cocoa butter stretch mark cream I was using. But because of the rash I got a surprise visit to the doctor, where I got to hear the heartbeat for the first time! It was such an amazing sound. It was a strong 155 beats per minute, which according to the old wives tale is a girl (guess we will have to wait and see if that is true or not!!).

This past Friday (October 8th) I had my normal scheduled appointment. It was pretty basic, with nothing too exciting. I am still only up 1.5 pounds which I'm pretty happy about. We also got to hear the baby's heartbeat again, this time it was up to 160 beats per minute. The doctor didn't even have to look for the baby- as soon as she put the doppler on my stomach, there was the heart beat. It makes my eyes water every time! Other than that, I got my flu/H1N1 shot and that was it. Oh- and I still haven't felt any movement yet. There have been a few times where I thought "hmmm.... maybe" but nothing very distinct yet.

And I almost forgot... and we scheduled our gender ultrasound!! We will be finding out if we are having a little boy or girl on November 5th at 9 am (Alaska Time Zone). I am so anxious I can hardly stand it!!

It still seems so unreal that we are having a baby. I honestly "forget" that I am pregnant, and then something will flip on in my brain and all of a sudden it's like- "Holy Crap! This thing has to come out somehow..." Just Kidding. That has only happened a few times (mainly because I read the labor/delivery section of my book and nearly fainted!)

But it really does hit me at random moments and makes me realize that mine and Kevin's lives will never be the same. We are bringing a tiny person into this world- that we created together. It still amazes me (and of coarse makes me cry thinking about). I already can't wait to meet him or her!