Moving on and moving out

Apparently, Drew and I can't do just one big life change at a time.  We got married 3 months after I graduated college, 2 months after I started my first real job.  Neither of us had never lived anywhere but our parents' houses outside of college.  What a whirlwind time.  Now, at the onset of the pregnancy, we are preparing to make another huge life change: moving.  And not only moving, but living with another family.  

We decided to live with the Janes in late winter and began joint house hunting.  After 2 failed offers, we were beginning to feel discouraged.  Finally, on a whim, Tom and Renata found a new development of townhouses being built right near our church and parents.  We signed a contract in April and the house went up quick!  We were supposed to close today, but due to several different things, we are still in our basement room with our boxes.  

We are excited to move into our brand spankin' new house and even more excited to live with some of our best friends.  We should probably credit Tom and Renata for encouraging our desire to have kids, as they have two incredibly cute boys.  

Both families know we're giving up some things.  But the pros outweigh the cons.  We've all prayed and thought and discussed and made lists.  While it will be challenging at times, this decision is allowing both me and Renata to stay at home and still afford a house.  We'll be working from the house, as we do from our homes now, but our priorities are our families, and this gives us the opportunity to serve our families better.  And the biggest plus?  No longer throwing away money for rent.  Yesss.  

Hopefully closing will happen sometime this week.  And I'm sure I'll be posting pictures I take with my new little point-and-shoot Canon, which Drew and I bought this weekend!

The Thank You post

It's been 13 hours, 50+ Facebook comments, 3 text messages, and many phone calls since our news went public.  And we want to say THANK YOU for the kind words and support!  Being privately pregnant is a much different beast than being publicly pregnant and we are so grateful for our friends and family. :)

I'd love to chat with everyone who asked us questions, but since that's not possible, I figured I'd post an all-clarifying list of facts:

1. Yes, it's true.  I am pregnant.

2. I am due smack in the middle of March.  We found out at the end of June and I'll be 12 weeks along on Tuesday.

3. The past 2 months were challenging for me, with a lot of nausea and tiredness (especially not being able to tell anyone!), but the past two weeks have been looking up and I'm feeling better all the time!

4. I'm not showing at all really, so don't think I'm lying if you see me in person.

5. No, Baby Ack's name will not begin with the letter "A" or be another kind of derivation from "Andrew", like "Andre".

6. I think we're ALL hoping it looks more like me than Drew.  Just kidding. :)

It's been fun telling and getting reactions like these:

• Let's hope he/she looks more like you, Drea.  Thanks, Bob! :)
• To Drew: So, you figured it out, huh?  Uncle Alex in CO
• I can't wait until little Jessica Sheena Ackermann is born...Maybe Sheena Jessica Ackermann is more appropriate...Maybe Booze Sheena Jessica Ackermann would be best.  Jessica, Sheena, Jenn via email

Seriously though, thank you for the messages of support!  Please feel free to call us, take us out to dinner, join me in peer pressuring Drew to sleep on the couch so I can have the whole bed once in a while, suggest great baby music, and get excited :)

Baby Ack's first pictures

Today was our first doctor's appointment, and it felt like it took forever to get here!  I am a week further behind than we originally thought, about 11 weeks, and due in the middle of March.

We finally got to see Baby Ack!  With a heartbeat just a fluttering, it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.

We're allllmost ready to go public!  We need to tell some more family members, a few key friends and then, Facebook here we come. :)

The first 11 weeks

Week 11

Finally!  My appetite is returning!  I got on the scale last week and was shocked to see that I have dropped 10 pounds.  TEN.  Um, shouldn't I be gaining weight?  I'm sure it will come soon enough, but it was a little concerning.  

Reading over the last few weeks makes it seem so short.  But time has been dragging!  As I approach the end of week 11, and the beginning of coveted week 12, I feel so many things.  I'm almost relieved...and I'm still scared...and I'm just ready.  On Monday, I have my first doctor's appointment and ultrasound and, if everything is well, we go public.  And I'm still not sure how I feel about that.  It will be a different experience for sure.  Our poor parents have been troopers and I think everyone will be relieved after Monday.  

I can definitely tell that my uterus is expanding this week!  It's positioned lower than I thought, but I did a double take in the mirror when I saw it.  

It still hasn't quite sunk in for Drew, yet.  But I have money on the fact that he'll shed a tear or two at the ultrasound on Monday :)

Week 10 & 2 years

Here I am, at the beginning of week 10, trying to choke down a tuna sandwich. My gag reflex has been on overdrive lately. It seems I can hardly brush my teeth without gagging and I have to yawn very carefully. Another fun fact, my ears pop a lot. It feels like they are clogged, which causes me to yawn, which causes me to gag...which we know is trouble. Pregnancy sure is glamorous.

On a happier note, today is Drew and my two year anniversary! It's been so overshadowed by the baby thing and the moving thing that we nearly forgot. But at this moment, I am overwhelmingly grateful. Grateful for my sweet hearted husband, grateful for my life.

Weeks 8 & 9

Am I being monotonous yet? Week 8 & 9 are about the same. It was a little crazy to pass the 2 month mark and I'm starting to get very anxious to just get to 12 weeks, see the ultrasound and tell the world. It's just so close...it's getting harder to keep my feelings in check. I find myself being extremely anxious sometimes about everything: miscarriage, finding out the sex, birth, being a parent. The list could go on.

I am finding already that just as marriage has been used in my life to draw me close to God and shape my character, being pregnant is another heart changer.

Week 7

Dear Week 7 baby,

You were so much better than week 6.  I can't describe how happy this has made me.  Even though you only let me eat about 1/4 of what I usually do and sleep frequently...and be winded after going up the stairs, I am appreciative.  

Thanks for waking me up promptly at 4am every night.  I appreciate the bathroom break reminder, and so does Drew.  

Because of week 6, I actually weigh less this week; my pants are a little looser!  It's difficult to tell if there's a little bump...but that will come soon enough. :)

We told our LifeGroup about you this week!  They were all very excited and are praying for you, which we are grateful for.  

Baby, you are doing weird things to my body!  My body hair grows extremely fast!  I have to shave 2x more frequently.  

Even though I still have several food aversions and am pretty picky, I am grateful for you.  And hopeful that I will get to see you soon.  

Week 6

The first 5 weeks of my first pregnancy have been relatively uneventful, at least body change wise.  The 6th week, if I may say, was a bitch.

I woke up Tuesday morning feeling queasy.  My first instinct was just a stomach bug.  But it didn't go away.  On Wednesday, I picked up my week-by-week pregnancy book only to find out that morning sickness usually begins around week 6.  Awesome.

Since then, I have been nauseous everyday from sun up to sun down.  My appetite is 1/4 of what it usually is, even though sometimes I feel hungry.  Since I can't eat, my body is tired all the time.  I get winded going up the stairs.  And I wake up several times during the night, either to pee or just continue feeling nauseous.  I've been taking about two naps a day, once in the late morning and once when Drew gets home.  

This week, we celebrated Drew's 26th birthday!  We took a trip to Philadelphia to celebrate and Drew was very gracious with his sicky wife.  We also took our video camera and Drew made this:

VIDEO

Here's hoping week 7 is better!

The first 5 weeks

This week marks the sixth week of my first pregnancy.  Sometimes, I can really tell.  Sometimes, I forget.  I've felt some tingles in my body that feel like what I imagine mild electrical stimulation would feel like.  I haven't had any nausea yet, so that's a plus.

I have been craving green vegetables, especially spinach!  I've been really wanting ice water and having to go to the bathroom what feels like every 20 minutes.  

We told our parents a couple of weeks ago.  We told Drew's family on a whim while on vacation at Hilton Head, scaring a couple of people in Panera.  We told my parents at home on the porch.  Everyone's excited, but still trying to be cautious.  

I don't have an appointment with my OB/GYN until the end of next month, so we'll find out a lot then, I'm sure.