Jolie in 3D!

After weeks of constant wondering, bizarre dreams and almost unbearable impatience, I got a break.  We discovered that our medical benefits would cover an elective ultrasound - even in 3D!  I scheduled an appointment for the next morning. :)

My mom came with me and we got to see fully developed Jolie, looking ever so much like an actual baby.  The last time I saw her was almost 20 weeks ago, and boy oh boy, little lady has changed.  

I have worried for a couple weeks now over if she would, in fact, come out a boy and I would have to return everything pink.  It is confirmed that she is indeed a girl and I have begun cutting tags!  :)  Weighing in about 5 pounds and probably a little shorter than 20 inches, she has a head full of hair (oohh, I hope it's dark!) and is nice and chubby!  The technician showed us her fat little butt, chunky forearm and even a fat roll on the back of her neck.  Mom and I died.  Apparently, she has a wide head, too, which is something every first time preggo wants to hear. :)

As far as what she may look like, we determined that she does have Asian eyes and a wide face like me.  Her mouth, though, is all Drew.  Proof:

Jolie was pretty mad at us for interrupting her rest time; she kept trying to hide behind the placenta and her hand, and gave us a couple of mad faces, which Mom and I still loved:

We also got to see her in 2D from the side and got to watch her little mouth move around.  We got a great shot of her puckering:

And, of course, she sucked her thumb, probably trying to get us to stay away :)  (P.S. Please ignore the "I Love You!".  I'm not sure why technicians think you want that on an ultrasound picture.)

It's crazy to sort of know what she looks like!  And it's even crazier to think that we're just a few short weeks away from seeing her in person!

A few of my favorite things

As mentioned in the last post, the nesting instinct is starting to kick in hard core.  Never before have I had such a strong desire to organize, clean and organize again (Chrissy? Kaley? Jessica? DREW? Back me up, here).  I have started a "Jolie" pile in one corner of my room that is slowly growing.  Mostly, I am excited about organizing her clothes. :)

It started with these shoes.  They still sit on my dresser where I can see them everyday.  Now, however, we have entered the world of super cute hand-me-downs and thoughtful gifts!  Baby clothes are so. cute.  Since I have no closet to show yet or baby to dress, I figured I might as well confess my mini obsession with Jolie's wardrobe and show you how cute some of this stuff is.

Renata has been coming home with a thing or two over the past couple of months.  One day, she came home with these:

A former photography client of ours started her own Etsy business and her stuff is gorgeous!  I HAD to buy some stuff from Knits and What Knots!  I got a sweet hat:

And this ridiculously adorable headband:

Even though I have no baby to dress yet, I still like to go through the clothes and pick out little outfits.  Go ahead, call me crazy.  I don't care. :)  My favorite so far (compliments of Rachael and Ava!):

I would totally wear this.  Jo is going to be my mini-me.  :)  

Thank you for indulging the crazy pregnant lady.

34 week thoughts

Ever wonder what I would look like if I gained 15 pounds in my middle?  Here's what 34 weeks looks like:

Yes, for you Salisburians, I am indeed wearing the free t-shirt I got when SU redid Fireside Lounge.  It's pretty snug. :)

Time is flying and creeping at the same time.  I remember just trying to get to 12 weeks so we could finally tell everyone.  I remember reaching 20 weeks and realizing how big of a milestone it was.  I remember the first time my pants did not fit and thinking how much I was showing (this is laughable).  And now, here we are, at the brink of 35 weeks - 2 weeks from being full term.  Holy crap.

Now that I've experienced nearly an entire pregnancy, I'd like to make some observations:

1. I don't think I will miss being pregnant.  A lot of women have told me both, but I think I'll be okay.  I understand why some women do this just once.  It takes quite a toll on your body!  I am constantly in a state of discomfort, my belly button has all but disappeared, and sometimes, I really fear that my stomach skin just might not make it.  I will say, though, that I have had an easy pregnancy and it's been fun.  I will most certainly do it again.

2. I WILL miss maternity pants!  Oh, the joys of stretchy material and no worries of fat rolls.  Wonderful, wonderful invention.

3. I always thought the reason pregnant ladies waddled was because of balance.  I was wrong.  We waddle because our hip joints and back hurt.  I'm fine on my feet balance wise, but that waddle just relieves a little bit of the pain.

4. There really is a "honeymoon" stage of pregnancy and it IS the second trimester.  I was literally in a state of constant EUPHORIA during my entire second trimester.  I cried because I was SO HAPPY.  The week that I entered third trimester...well...there was definitely a change. :)  Poor Drew.

5. Being touched on the belly is actually enjoyable.  Renata didn't like it, but I do!  I don't mind when women (even strangers) ask to give it a rub.  It's just so round and there's a cute little baby in there!  Men should still not cross that line, however. :)  

6. A birth class is not a waste of time!  Drew and I took the 4 week class at AAMC and really benefitted from it.  I would recommend it to all first timers.

7. Husbands are the best idea EVER.  No matter what I always have someone around who will rub my back, help me put on my socks, pick up things I drop, make sure my fly is not undone (since I can't see it anymore), tell me how pretty he thinks I look, freak out with me over how weird my belly looks when she rolls around, encourage me, listen to every fear and keep me grounded.  Even though I get jealous sometimes that he gets to be a parent without going through birthing the child, I am so glad Drew is around.  

8. Nesting is REAL!  I am anxious to put things away and get things ready.  Since Jolie's room is not quite done yet, I have been limited to rearranging piles of her stuff in my room.  It's killing me a little.

9. Besides labor and delivery, I think my biggest fear is that she will actually come out a boy and I will have nothing but pink things to dress him in.  I'm praying about this one. :)

I have many more observations.  But this will do for now. :)  I'm going to take a pregnancy nap while I still can.

November-January : The Holidays, et al.

I guess since it is January, I should probably just get my holiday post over with.  The pictures have just been sitting patiently, waiting.  A lot happened in the past three months I'd like to archive!

November

I got to have lunch with a fellow preggers, Danny!  Our husbands were best friends in childhood and it's really cool to be going through the experience with her.  We both super crave Mexican, so we went to On the Border and unashamedly ate our weight in Tex Mex.  Mmm.

Smizzle got engaged this year!  I got to see her briefly for dinner...and got asked to be a bridesmaid - holla!

For our last childless Thanksgiving, we went on vacation with Drew's family to the Poconos.  It was wonderfully relaxing!  We stayed in a gorgeous cabin on a lake, read to our hearts' content, visited Scranton and had a great time.

December

The Christmas season was a little overwhelming for me this year.  I entered my third trimester...and became somewhat annoyed. :)  Amidst hustle and bustle, we really tried to soak up Christmas this year.  And we even let ourselves dream a little of next year when there's a little one to wake up on Christmas morning! 

Renata's dad, Charlie, came to start work on Jolie's room!  The boys have worked tirelessly over several weekends and it's almost done.

This was scary:

I got to go to my first Sara Groves concert this year!  We drove all the way to Hershey, PA on a weeknight, arrived a little late, and drove home in blinding snow (and at an average of 25 MPH) all the way home.  This picture is blurry, but it was a great concert and worth noting.

Last year, Drew and I did not exchange Christmas gifts.  I think we went on a trip and called it our mutually beneficial Christmas exchange.  This year, we purposefully decided to get gifts.  Drew pimped it out.  

A few weeks before Christmas, he told me that my Christmas present needed to be given over a certain weekend in December.  And even though we ended up ruining the surprise (THAT'S a funny story that includes pregnancy hormones), it was fantastic.  He planned a weekend trip to New York City, including site seeing, the Brooklyn Tabernacle and a visit to the Rockettes!

I also got to see my childhood best friend, Elizabeth, who happened to be in NYC the same weekend!  We had lunch in Union Station.

Funny enough, we actually escaped a good deal of snow by traveling north.  At home, they received about 2 feet of snow.  We got a dusting in New York...just enough to feel like Christmas. :)

I had a fantastic time in New York and loved being surprised.  I did get Drew a gift (that didn't even hold a candle to his) that he opened first thing Christmas morning: several books he wanted, new slippers, new pajama pants and a picture frame for Jolie to sit on his desk.  He liked them.  Then, he gave me ANOTHER gift - a maternity massage.  Let's just take a moment to reflect on Drew's awesomeness.  :)

We spent Christmas traveling between both of our families, which was kind of crazy, but good.  My sister, Rachel and her husband Harry were town from Texas and it was SO SO GOOD to see them.  My parents randomly decided to purchase a Wii and we spent the day eating and laughing.  Instead of exchanging presents this year, my mom just decided to pimp out the food, which did include cookies that her and I made a few weeks prior with my new Williams Sonoma cookie cutters!

January

For New Year's, the AckerJanes decided to party it up at our place!  We invited over our LifeGroup and friends.  As is becoming tradition, hats were made and the photobooth took place.  Drew and I kicked butt in the Wii tennis tournament!  It was wonderful bringing in the New Year with those people. :)

Overall, I enjoyed the holidays, but was glad when they were over.  I couldn't believe that there were no more significant holidays before the baby comes.  And I still can't.  But, bring on baby. :)

27 weeks and getting fatter...

I've really ballooned in the two months!  At my last doctor's visit, I had gained 10 pounds in ONE MONTH.  Holla at some Mexican food. :)

There is no denying I'm pregnant anymore and this month marks my first experiences with strangers asking me about the pregnancy.  I like it!

Jolie weighs about 2 pounds now and I can feel her stretching those 16 inches of height.  My stomach frequently changes shape.  Drew and I felt a foot or hand or something the other night, which was cool.  I'm right on target with the book and having weird dreams about what she looks like (including being completely covered in hair and distinctly looking like Drew...but an asian girl...).  

Third trimester, here we come!

Babymoon!

*I started this post in November when we returned...and am just now posting it. Whoops. :)*

We're back from our whirlwind, yet relaxing babymoon to Florida! Drew is ever the vacation planner (seriously, if you need someone to plan a fantastic vacation, call him) and we had such a good time!

We flew into Fort Lauderdale on Thursday evening, checked into our sweet hotel and headed out for a late dinner of (what else?) Mexican food. Drew researched restaurants around the area and the place got great reviews! It looked like a long standing dive; it had to be good, and it was!

We woke up the next morning to drive down to the Keys. Drew planned on stopping in Miami to check it out. The beach was gorgeous, a little windy, but the water was beautiful!

We had breakfast at the 11th Street Diner, which has apparently been on the Food Network. It was a fun experience, but the food was only okay. :)

We spent the night in the Keys, only to wake up to wind, rain and a forecast for much of the same. Drew had planned on hitting several different beaches during our stay...and that's it. We decided we could sit in the condo all day OR change our trip completely. We found the local library and booked a hotel in Orlando, where the sun was shining!

Before leaving, we headed down to Key West, just to go. We had lunch at the Southernmost Beach Cafe, which I'm pretty sure is the southernmost restaurant in the US.

Since we were in the Keys, we decided to try some Key Lime Pie. And we didn't like it. :)

On a sunny day, you can see Cuba from this point!

Redundant much?

The drive to Orlando took about 6 hours and we got there late Saturday evening, crashed in our hotel and slept great. The next day, we were determined to get some rays at the beach. We headed to Cocoa Beach where it wasn't raining, but the wind was still killer! We stayed for about 30 minutes and decided to stop trying to be brave. (I did, however get to dig a hole in the sand for my belly to fit in - it was so nice to lay on my stomach!)

Apparently, the world's largest McDonald's is in Florida. They have a full arcade and play area, plus a gourmet menu. Weird. We didn't eat there, but I did get to pee in one of the most unique McDonald's in the world.

Before we left Orlando to come home, we just had to visit Universal and Disney. We went to Universal for dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe and ended up seeing a crap movie, but it was fun. The next day, we went to Disney.

Since I can't ride anything (literally), we didn't even buy park admission. We rode the free tram from park to park and then the ferry from parking to the Magic Kingdom twice. Man, we know how to vacation :)

It was a lot of fun talking about bringing our kids to Disney one day and dreaming about our upcoming family. I didn't realize how much Drew and I had been lacking in quality time! We came back relaxed and happy. It was a great trip to commemorate our last big splurge as 2. The next time we see Florida, we're bringing more Ackermanns. :)

Jolie Kate Ackermann

Two weeks ago, Drew and I went for the 18th week sonogram of Baby Ack.  We really wanted to find out what this little person was, and I was told by some wise women to drink a Mountain Dew before going to ensure baby moved around a lot.  Since our appointment was at 8am and I had to drink the fluid an hour before, I was up at 6:30 chugging 16 ounces of Mountain Dew.  Ick.  Halfway through, I told Drew that I never wanted to drink Mountain Dew ever again.

It paid off, though!  Not only did we get to find out sweet baby's gender, we got to see her move around like crazy!  Drew stood behind the technician's shoulder, enthralled, and I smiled like an idiot the entire time.

We wanted to find out the gender alone, so we had the technician (who was super nice) print out the image and put it in an envelope for us.  We planned on having breakfast together to open it, but couldn't even wait until we go to the restaurant.  We tore it open in the car.

She kindly drew us a diagram. :)  Sweet baby GIRL!  We both were ecstatic and started calling people right away.  We had already decided on names for either gender, and we're happy to announce that her full name will be Jolie Kate Ackermann (first name pronounced JOlee).  Holy moly, I love her already.

At breakfast, I couldn't stop being excited.  Maybe it was all that Mountain Dew. :)

The technician printed out so many images for us; the paper stretched out was my height!  Here are some cool ones:

Beautifully formed spine:

Suuuper creepy image of her face.  We both kind of jumped when it came up on the screen.  I got to see her sweet little lips move around and I totally think she has my jawline :)

Profile!  Drew's nose maybe?

Arms and legs both crossed:

The technician showed us her four heart chambers, different organs, brain, everything.  I was amazed.  Everything is looking good and I came out of there feeling so, so grateful.

Now that we know she's a she and she even has a name, I feel so many things.  I have moments of intense fear over everything, and I have days of deep, deep contentment.  Mostly, I am finding how crazy it is to love this little thing so much without ever having seen her face to face.  I can't wait to dress her up and sing to her and take her places and to call her Jo and for people to say, "She looks just like you!".  I can't wait for the rest of her story.

Proof...

There IS something growing in there! I can't believe I've become one of those people who post pictures like this:

Whatever.  I'm freakin' excited. :)  New pictures of baby girl (!!!!) coming soon!  And more pictures of Ackermann adventures.  I promise not to become the person who only blogs baby things. :)