Is that my nose?

June 21st- Today, we went for our week 12 OB visit!! This was a marathon visit. We met with the OB nurse (Molly), the nutritionist, the financial councilor, the ultrasound tech (Juli) and with my OB!! Whew!! The BEST part of course was the ultrasound!

Today, our ultrasound was 1 hour long, because they were doing the neural tube screening and our little nugget just would not cooperate.



First, he/she was TOO wiggly (probably because I had Diet Mountain Dew- what a great Mom I am going to be! HA!- before I went to the ultrasound), which Richard thought was JUST like me.

Then, he/she fell asleep on their side, which I thought was just like Richard. If you look to the left, that is his/her little rump! How cute! The HR was perfect at 153!!

In this picture, Rich thought that the baby's nose tipped up at the end like a ski slope!! Just like my nose and my Daddy's nose!! It REALLY is OUR baby!!

Look at that cute little spinal column!!

I still can't believe that this little baby is ours!!! So sweet and so cute!!

In an effort to get the right shot, they had me drink some juice for a sugar rush! Unfortunately, this just led to way too much squiggling around and not the perfect shot of his/her neural tube we were hoping for. Like mother, like child. Sorry baby... I see some Adderall in your future!

Richard's First Father's Day!!

June 18-19th: For Father's day this year, we had a Lake Day Celebration with our BIG family (i.e. the Tober's, the Monk's and the Cogdill's)!! This was super fun with lots of corn hole, swimming/floating, Mexican train, Farkle and delicious food!! Pictures for this event are unfortunately on Alyssa's camera so you will have to wait for pictures at a later date!

When we got home on Sunday, I gave Richard his first Father's Day presents ever!!


Richard with his Father's Day Gift!! And yes, those are fancy beers on the bag!!

He got a book about being a father and about pregnancy!!

Best of all he got a baby bib that says "Daddy's HUGS are the best!" Needless to say our current baby (a manx named Maxwell (aka Baby Kitty or Chairman Meow) Monk) looks pretty cute in it as well!

HAPPY FIRST FATHER'S Day to the bestest, cutest man I know!!! I love you, Ricky!! You are going to be a great Daddy!!

Babymoon!!

June 13-14th:
First off, a disclaimer: This is totally a stolen idea; I am not the originator of the brilliant term "babymoon."

When we were trying to get pregnant, one of the baby books I was reading talked about going on a "Babymoon!" What is a "babymoon" you might ask? The concept of a "babymoon" is that you take one last romantic trip together as a couple, either as you are trying to get pregnant or shortly there after. I thought this was a brilliant idea (mainly because I love vacations and fancy hotels)!!

So, about 2 months ago Richard surprised me by buying a Living Social Getaway to Jekyll Island, GA!! After some plotting and planning, we were both able to get some time off this past week! The hotel was beautiful and very historic. It was built on this private, natural island in the 1800's. It has been the vacation spot for such famous people, such as: J. P. Morgan, The Rockefeller's, etc.

Jekyll Island Club Hotel

Part of our package included bike rental for 2!!

Rich and I took a 10 mile bike ride to Driftwood Beach! Very Beautiful!! After 5 miles in the sweltering heat on a bike, I though I was going to die! Luckily there was a little hut selling water and slushies on the pier...life saver. If you look closely in this picture, you can see 3 people riding horses on the beach. This sounds like a good idea, but then imagine 100 degree weather, at noon, on a horse! Totally gross! I felt so bad for those people!! Even worse, they probably paid A LOT of money to do something that disgusting. Wow... I had no idea I felt so strongly about horses on the beach! My apologies to all you equestrians out there.

That evening after refreshing afternoon at the pool in the shade, we got dressed up and headed to a fancy dinner at the Crane House. This was considered their "casual dinning" option, but it was definitely not casual. But definitely delicious!

  These are a few more pictures of the Jekyll Island club hotel. Top Left: Crane House, where we had dinner. Top Middle: The Front lawn, including the croquet court. Top Right: The Hotel on the Marsh at sunset, GORGEOUS!! Bottom Right: Crane House courtyard, where we had dinner.

This was a perfect, little get away!! Much needed and much enjoyed!!

Is that a baby or a bubble?

May 11th: Our first OB visit!! Richard and I both snuck away from work for the afternoon to go to the OB for the first time together! Super strange to have a man back there with you. Most people if they had missed their period by 7 weeks AND had a positive pregnancy test would assume that they were pregnant. Unfortunately, I was not (for the first time in my life) in this optimistic camp. I was absolutely convinced that it was a Molar pregnancy, Cancer, Premature Ovarian failure, etc, etc, etc....
For once in my life being a doctor was NOT a good thing. I had become a hypochondriac!

I was soooooo, sooooo nervous! I couldn't sleep the night before, and I couldn't eat anything before the appointment. I wanted so, so desperately for it to be a baby.... but I was so scared it wasn't! Until....

Our BELOVED Bubble!!! You can't see it in the picture, but in the live shot you could see the tiny, flickering heart!! It was a baby! A real baby!! Our baby!! Richard and I both got misty, and then I really cried. We were going to be parents... with all the responsibility and joy that entailed!! What a blessing!!

Over the next several days, we got to experience the joy of telling our family and friends!! Everyone was so excited. Katie King cried in simlab, Kayla started talking ONLY to the baby, Poppy was speechless, and Grandma Koko had lots of advise regarding Morning Sickness ("...lay on the floor and don't get up.") I think everyone is looking forward to meeting our new addition!!

May 31st: The baby is now 10 weeks old, and the size of a large date!! (this seems like a very reasonable comparison, considering how popular date's are in our culture!) Time for our 2nd ultrasound!!!

Measuring in at just under 3cm!! He/she is growing so fast! Mommy and Daddy are so, so proud of you!! At almost 10 weeks, the baby has elbows but no knees yet. You can't tell in this picture, but in the live shot he/she was really squiggling (ie dancing) around in there....I wonder where they get THAT from!? My OB said she had never seen a 10 week old baby move so much! I think we might be in trouble!

Month 2 Pictures

May 21st: Month 2 was super fun....1) because we got to start telling the WORLD that we were expecting and 2) because we got to go to my 10 year High School Reunion!! It was super fun to see everyone again, tell them about the baby, and to wear a size 10 for the last time before I developed a bump!

Month 2 Picutre... still no bump yet!! Farewell size 10!!

Richard and I headed to the Reunion from the Lake House!!

An EARLY Mother's Day Present

May 6th: For those of you who know me well, you are well aware that my in-laws currently live in Nova Scotia, Canada. For those of you who don't, let me fill you in a little.

Richard's parents are originally from Miami, FL... but moved to Summerville, SC after Hurricane Andrew when Richard was still a little boy. Several years ago they retraced some family history, and discovered that my mother-in-laws family is from a small town in Nova Scotia- Granville Ferry. While they were there visiting, they discovered that the house that Miss AnnMarie's Great (x4) Grandfather built was 1) a bed and breakfast and 2) for sale. They bought the house on a whim, and spent summer's fixing it up. Then (at EXACTLY the same time that Richard and I started dating...hmmmmm?) in 2007, they decided to move up there full time, retire and run the bed and breakfast!! It is beautiful and suites their personalities perfectly. When (and you SHOULD) visit there, it hard to believe that they ever survived in Miami, FL.

All that to say, that when we found out we were pregnant with the first grandchild... we could not wait to tell them. But I had a dilemma.... they were coming down to visit for Mother's day weekend, because Richard's brother (Brian) was graduating from C of C, but we had not yet had our first OB visit to confirm the pregnancy and we were only 7 weeks pregnant!!

Solution!! So I decided to drop some pretty BIG hints, disguised at Mother's day presents! We just could NOT pass up the chance to tell them in person!!

Me and Miss AnnMarie before we told them our BIG news!! We had to hide in our bedroom, because Grandma Lipinski was sleeping and we had not told ANYONE yet about the baby except for our parents!

An abbreviated version of her Mother's Day card:

"Happy Mother's Day Ms. AnnMarie!! There have been some recent DEVELOPMENTS that we just HAVE to tell you about. It is VERY TINY, but in time I think you will think it is the BEST Mother's Day present!! This is a BIG, LITTLE secret so don't tell ANYONE. I don't want to tip my hand, but Happy (GRAND) Mother's day!!

Love, Richard, Lauren, and ....."

Do you think she figured out all the clues? If not, the next present probably did. We gave her baby stuff with little MONKeys all over it.... for our "little Monk-ey!!" Ms. AnnMarie was totally surprised, but Mr. Bill's response was the BEST. He was totally shocked, and in fact, he really didn't get it... for several minutes. For those of you who know him well, we left him SPEECHLESS! I know... totally shocked.

Yeah for baby Monk!!!

Baby, Baby, Baby.... OH, Baby!!

Month 1: We are barely pregnant, and I can still hardly believe it!! So strange that there is a baby in there...weird! Maybe when I start to show it will become more real. I want to catalogue this pregnancy with pictures, so here is month 1.

Month 1: "NOT Showing"

I'd like to take a moment to bid farewell to my waistline and the ability to see my toes. Over the last year, I worked really hard to get in tip-top-baby-making shape, and I lost 85 pounds! It is strange to go from working so hard to loose weight, to now KNOW that I am about to purposely gain weight! Don't worry waistline.... I'll see you again, SOMEDAY!! Until then- farewell sweet friend.

Special Delivery: We're Pregnant!!!

April 29th: BIG NEWS!! HUGE!! We are having a baby!! Richard (my adorable husband) and I recently found out that we were going to be parents! I promised my sister, that when we had children I would start a blog to help us remember all of our special memories.... and I decided, why wait? I am so excited about being pregnant, and I want to remember every detail!

Richard and I with our beloved "pee stick"!! We were so excited that we literally forgot how gross this really is!! I think Rich might even be rocking it! HA!

May 8th: My first MOTHER'S DAY!! For Mother's Day Richard built me a SURPRISE garden box and planted it with all vegetables that were recommended for pregnancy!! Sadly, the first garden was destroyed by some evil pressure washers... however, Rich prevailed and planted a second garden! 

Richard planted basil, oregano, tomatoes and sweet potatoes! I love watching it grow!!