Pumpkin Patch 2014

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Confession: Halloween really isn't my favorite holiday, but I love all things pumpkin and seeing adorable kiddos in their costumes. And the candy. I have a sweet tooth the size of Africa, so my giant bowl of candy is ready! Yesterday marked my last day of that stupid bet I made with Parker where I don't eat desserts for an entire month. I successfully won the bet, and now I am going to celebrate by eating Halloween candy until I drop. It's going to be magical!

In honor of the pumpkin holiday, I thought I would share a few pictures from our trip to the pumpkin patch this past weekend. I had been begging Parker to go to the pumpkin patch and he finally obliged! He was probably so hesitant because he knew I was going to dress Jenny in her pumpkin costume. He was right. I can't get over the cuteness. He was so embarrassed. Story of our life as dog parents. 

We picked a couple of pumpkins to take back home and talked about how much fun it will be next year to bring a six month old!

I hope everyone has a fun (and safe!) Halloween tonight! As for me, I'll be with the candy bowl.   

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15 Weeks

Thoughts: 15 weeks feels good! Really, all I want to do is figure out the gender of this sweet little babe. We could technically go find out today, but we are doing a gender reveal party after Thanksgiving and I highly doubt we would be able to keep it a secret until then. I'll continue to wait!

Baby: Baby is about 4 inches long and weighs about 2.5 ounces. I believe the fruit equivalent is an orange this week. Baby can now sense light and would wiggle away if I shined a flashlight on my belly. Baby's legs are slowly growing longer than his/her arms. If this baby looks anything like me, those legs have quite a bit of growing to do!

Weight: +1 pound from pre-pregnancy weight. I really don't look too much different in the mornings, but the minute I eat something, my stomach gets bigger than it used to. I assume there's not much room for food + baby together! Parker and I both think the fact that I gave up desserts for the month played a large role in the lack of weight gain. You mean not eating ice cream every night will keep me on the smaller side? Interesting.

Symptoms: I'm not as tired as I have been the past couple of weeks, so that's exciting! This past Sunday I was sitting in church and realized I had forgotten to take my prenatal vitamin. I took it when I got home and then failed to eat anything for the next couple of hours. One minute I was walking around just fine, and the next minute I was doubled over on the couch clutching my stomach. It was awful. I know not to take that vitamin on an empty stomach, but man, lesson learned. I was out of commission for a good 3-4 hours and just felt miserable. Funny thing is, I also felt grateful in this moment because it made me realize just how blessed I am to have gotten sick for the first time at 15 weeks, and it was completely preventable and my fault when I did get sick.

Sleep: I get a good 9-10 hours a night and sleep through the night. I have always been a stomach sleeper, so it's still an adjustment not sleeping on my stomach.

Cravings/Aversions/Eating: I still eat a PB&J every day for lunch. Nothing sounds more appetizing when the lunch hour rolls around than that! I am still loving grapes as well and decided to mix it up with green grapes instead of the usual red this week. Yeah, not the same.

Workouts: I am power walking 4-5 times a week and loving it. The weather here has been gorgeous! I ran a slow mile with Parker Saturday and was fine. I tried to run on my own on Monday and stopped after .3 miles. My body just said no, and I heard it loud and clear. I think I am officially done running, and that's okay. Power walking is something I can do all through the pregnancy, so that is exciting.

Clothes: Maternity clothes still aren't necessary, but my sweet friend is letting me borrow all of her old maternity clothes when the time does come. Very excited to not have to buy all that stuff! Still doing the rubber band trick on various pants.

Random: We went to the pumpkin patch this week and talked about how fun it will be to bring our then 6 month old next year. Such a cool thought!

   

The Boy Behind The Blog: Baby Daddy Edition

I thought it would be fun to use this month's boy behind the blog as a chance to interview Parker on his thoughts on being a dad. So far, I've really only told things from my point of view, so here's the husband sharing his thoughts on becoming a father in April!

 

 

 

Questions and Answers (my responses to his answers are in grey):

 

1. What's been the most surprising part of pregnancy so far?

I expected Chelsea to get sick a lot more and she hasn't, which has definitely been a blessing.

Huge blessing to have escaped the sickness aspect. My friend told me I'm the pregnancy unicorn from the movie What to Expect When You're Expecting. I'll take it. 

2. What's the weirdest thing Chelsea has done since becoming pregnant?

Probably my favorite thing Chelsea did was put the hot sauce in the freezer after lunch. Who does that? #pregnancybrain

Pregnancy brain is real, yall. The minute I start doing something on autopilot, I mess it up. 

3. What three adjectives would you use to describe how you feel about being a dad?

Excited, anxious, blessed

No joke, those are the three I had in mind when I asked him the question.

 

4. If you could pick one trait from Chelsea that you want the baby to get, what would it be?

Her big ole heart and how she's so sweet. And her sense of humor. She's pretty funny. Just ask her. 

Very sweet. He's pretty funny too. Just ask him.

 

5. If you could pick one trait from you that you want the baby to get, what would it be?

I would love for the baby to inherit my work ethic. 

You and me both, husband. 

 

 

Halloween Haystacks

I wanted to make a fun little Halloween treat for my husband to munch on this week, but I was really not feeling laboring in the kitchen for hours. I decided to make haystacks for the first time and just sort of winged it with the ingredients. My husband ate 3 in a span of about 5 minutes, so I am calling that a raging success. I loved how easy these were and I can't wait to mix and match this recipe for future holidays too. Confession: the whole time I was making these, I kept thinking how fun it would be to make these with kiddos. Something about this recipe was so fun and so kid-friendly, but it was definitely husband friendly as well. 

 

Ingredients (makes 25-30 haystacks):

1 3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 3/4 cups peanut butter chips

1 cup peanuts

1 1/2 cups Reese's Pieces candies

2 1/2 cups chow mein noodles (found in a bag in the ethnic section of your grocery store)

 

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt your chocolate chips and peanut butter chips, stirring frequently until fully melted and combined. Remove from heat.

2. Add peanuts, Reese's Pieces, and chow mein noodles and stir to thoroughly mix. 

3. Drop individual tablespoonfuls on wax paper. Let sit a 1-2 hours so the haystacks can set.

Enjoy!

A Letter From Darla + A Giveaway

Darla has been a part of our family for four months now, and it finally feels like the new normal. For those of you who don't know the story of our little miracle pup, Darla, feel free to read it here. It took some adjusting for both us and Darla to figure out the ends and outs of living together, but she has acclimated really well. That said, I know she misses her mama. Even more so, I know her mama misses Darla. Darla's mom is away serving our country, and I know it has to be so hard being away from her baby for so long. I cringe thinking about having to board Jenny for a weekend. I can only imagine leaving her for months at a time. Dogs aren't like people. They don't understand what a deployment means or why we have to leave them for periods like that. I think that makes leaving them that much harder. 

Darla and I teamed up with Lovepop to do something special for her mom while she is away. I was contacted by a fellow Navy wife about this new company and was instantly intrigued by such a one of a kind product. Lovepop creates unique, 3-D cards for any occasion. The intricate detail on the 3-D portion of the card leaves such a lasting impression, and I know Darla's mom is going to display hers throughout her deployment as a reminder of her little pup back home. I... ahem, Darla... wrote a letter inside the card to let her know how her pup was doing and what's been going on in our world.

The genius engineers behind Lovepop designed these babies so that they fold completely flat yet reveal an intricate, 3-D design when opened. Since this card is going to someone in the Navy, how fitting is this design? I'm obsessed! My engineer husband was so intrigued by the making of the pop up picture. If you're curious about the science behind them as well, check out this kickstarter.

Lovepop just came out with their holiday collection which looks a.m.a.z.i.n.g. How cool would it be to send a card like this to someone you really care about? Today, Lovepop is giving you the opportunity to win a card from their greeting card collection! Enter below, and good luck!

Anchors Aweigh readers can also take advantage of 10% off by using the code lovepopanchors10 at checkout!

Darla says go check these bad boys out, and really, who could say no to a dog that sits like a human?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

14 Weeks

 

Thoughts: Loving this second trimester! Baby seems to have popped out to say hello this week and I am loving it. I rub my little bump so much throughout the day it might as well be Buddha.

Baby: Baby is the size of a lemon this week, measuring 3.4 inches long and weighing 1.5 ounces. Baby now has a roof of the mouth and intestines in place in his/her body.

Weight: I am sitting here writing this at 10 PM the night before it gets published, and I just had a giant dinner at Chili's. So, weighing myself right now would not be advantageous. I will say I think my 0 number changed, but I'll be sure to get an accurate number for next week!

Symptoms: Just overall exhaustion, pregnancy brain, a little round ligament pain, and some nice bacne to boot! Same old, same old on that front.

Sleep: I traveled for work this week (and got to see my family!) and had the military ball last weekend, so I didn't get as much sleep as I would have liked. I prefer about 9 hours and really don't function well on less than 8. I've always been big on sleep though! I swear that's the reason I hardly ever get sick.

Cravings/Aversions/Eating: I still want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch every single day. I was home with my twin earlier in the week, and I said, "oh my gosh, let's make nachos in the oven like we used to eat when we were kids! And scrambled eggs!". And then that's exactly what I ate for lunch, so that was strange.

Workouts: This past week I think my body was really trying to tell me to take it easy. I ran my usual 2 miles one morning, but it was so difficult. I wasn't really breathing heavily, but it was so hard to get my body to actually move. I finished the run much slower than normal, exhausted, and my heart rate was 20 bpm higher than it's supposed to go while pregnant. It was a wake up call that I am not taking it easy enough, so I've been sticking to power walking. My sister and I power walked 3 miles earlier this week, and it felt amazing!

Clothes: Thankfully loose tops are the style right now, so I can still wear pretty much everything. Thanks to the rubber band trick on select pants, those all still fit too!

Random: Baby Phelps attended his/her first military ball this past weekend! I bought a fetal doppler so I could listen to the heartbeat at home (apparently I'm that mom, and it's Sonaline B if you're interested in being that mom too), and I was able to find the heartbeat for about 10 seconds! It was hovering between 140-150 bpm. I brought it home with me to Texas for my mom and sister to hear, but after trying to find it for about 5 minutes we gave up. Baby is so small and wiggly, so it's pretty hard to find right now. I'll try again soon!

And because this is just too good not to post, my twin sister posted this picture on Instagram with the following caption: "My twin and our baby bumps! Spoiler alert, one of our bumps was actually fathered by a Taco Bell burrito. I won't say which one." Can't. Stop. Laughing. 

   

Three Words I Never Want My Child To Hear Me Say

Knowing there is a baby growing in my belly is the most joyful thought in the world. I wonder who he or she will be, what their little personality will be like, what they will look like... I really just can't wait to meet this child. Knowing I am going to be caring for this little one is the most humbling thought, but also one of the most intimidating. They will look up to me, rely on my to teach them right from wrong, watch my every move and learn from what I say and do. Hello, pressure.

I was trying clothes on the other day and looked into the mirror and said, "Ugh, I look so fat". Obviously I am pregnant, but I don't have much of a bump yet and instead am rocking the bloated look. That's not the first time I've looked into the mirror and said "I look fat". Not even close. I am a thin person and have never been "fat" a day in my life. I know that, but there are still those days where I, along with a lot of girls I think, look in the mirror and decide I look fat today. 

I remember getting ready in my mom's bathroom when I was in high school one day and telling her I thought I looked fat in my outfit. She said something she probably doesn't even remember saying, but it stuck with me all these years. She said, "Chelsea, how do you think it makes people who are bigger than you feel when you say that?". I had never thought of it that way. I'm not fat nor do I have any type of eating disorder (I eat more than most girls, and my family/friends could attest to that), but I still look in the mirror and have vanity issues just like the next person. I'm confident in my body and the way I look, but I'm just like any girl- I can find the imperfections. 

I don't know if this baby is a boy or a girl or what they are going to look like, but I am going to love them and think they are absolutely perfect no matter what. I'll always see them as perfect, but the rest of the world won't. Society will remind them they don't look like the supermodel in the magazine. Society will tell them they're too fat, too skinny, too short, too tall. I can't shield them from the harshness of the world, but I can equip them with the self-confidence to realize both their outer and inner beauty. I can make sure they know just how fearfully and wonderfully made they really are. I can make sure they know they are perfect.

When this child starts watching my every move and mimicking what I say, I want to be a positive influence. I want them to look in the mirror and see beauty, so I need to do the same. If this child looks anything like me, they are going to be naturally tall and thin. They won't ever have to struggle with weight issues if they lead a healthy lifestyle. I may not look like a supermodel, but I was created in His image to be beautiful. I want my child to know and see the same in themselves.

E2/C2 Ball 2014

Pregnancy exhaustion has hit in full swing, so I thought I would make it short and sweet today and share a few snapshots from this past weekend's ball! We forewent the usual Navy Birthday Ball and attended the Greyhound Hawkeye Ball instead. I prefer the birthday ball, but the cool thing about this ball was there was a costume after-party! We came so close to skipping it because I was so tired but decided to stick it out at the last minute, and I am so glad we did!

Here are a few photos at the ball! I love it when the guys get to wear their dress uniforms. Parker just looked so handsome!

We love getting dressed up and were glad for an excuse to escape the Aggie vs Alabama game and go to the ball (worst. game. ever.), but the after party was definitely the highlight of the evening. Naturally, the only good picture I have is of the impressive ice sculpture. It was a costume party, and the theme was sci fi. Since that is my least favorite genre of movies ever, I was at a loss. We went to Target the day of to see if we could work with anything there, and Parker grabbed two Duck Dynasty beards and said "these will be perfect". On what planet is Duck Dynasty sci fi, I have no idea, but I went with it. We decided we would be "Rednecks from the Future" (so lame, I know) but realized 5 minutes after we left that we left the silly beards at home. So we each had boots, jeans, and plaid shirts. That + sci fi equaled space cowboys. It was passable, and we were in the perfect clothes to dance the night away. Winning.

And just for fun, 8 years of balls with my favorite forever date. We are getting old over here. 

When We Started Trying & The Freak Out That Ensued

I wrote this post in March when we decided to start trying for baby Phelps. I was so excited but completely freaking out at the same time, and so was Parker. I didn't know if this would ever get published, but I wanted to write down the raw emotions I was feeling in the moment. Because we all know I like to document everything, I thought I would share.

..........................

It's Monday, March 3, 2014. After a long conversation yesterday, Parker and I decided I would stop taking my birth control pill. It's something we have been discussing for months, but I really didn't think it would be this soon. Realistically, I thought we would probably stop using birth control this fall. Deciding to stop taking birth control was so exciting though! Except for now I'm freaking out a little. 

I woke up this morning, and the first thing I did was not take my pill. What?! Did I actually intentionally not take my pill? I say intentionally because I have forgotten here and there, but for the most part, I am pretty good at remembering. It's no secret among our friends and family that I have been the one with baby fever, and now I can just not take my pill. Parker, what are you doing to me?! It's one of those things where we have talked about going off birth control for months, but I didn't actually think Parker would say yes for a few more months. It was easy to ask when I knew the answer was no, but now this yes answer has me totally freaked out. 

I was at church on Sunday, and we sang Oceans, one of our favorite songs. The line "Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders" really resonated with me, and I repeated it over and over again. I really felt like God was telling me to trust Him fully with expanding our family. We were at a place where we felt good about it, financially, mentally, and spiritually. Now it was time to give the timing to God and let His will be done. 

The truth is, I think the fact that I am kind of freaking out today is a test of trust. The easy thing to do is go take that pill and say just kidding, I wasn't ready after all. Honestly though, I don't want the pressure. God knows exactly when He wants us to start a family. If we see two lines on a pregnancy test next month, we will be thrilled. If we see them next year, we will know that was God's perfect timing for us. 

I have no idea what the future holds, and I feel like Parker and I have given up the control we were retaining, and now it's in God's hands. I can't help but smile as I type this. The floor is yours, Lord. Let's see what you've got planned.

.......................... 

Baby Phelps is now 13 weeks along in my belly. God's timing is perfect, and we are still just honored that He chose us to be the parents of this little one!

13 Weeks

Thoughts: I can't believe we are officially in the second trimester! Although I had a very easy first trimester, I feel like I was kind of holding my breath, waiting to reach 12 weeks. I love waking up every morning and running to the bathroom to see if my belly is any bigger than it was the night before. I keep hoping to wake up with a giant bump... one of these days!

Baby: Baby Phelps is the size of a peach, about 3 inches long. Baby has fingerprints and reflexes. We like to gently poke my tummy because we read that the baby's reflexes will cause it to wiggle out of the way. Obviously we can't feel any movement yet, but it's fun to think about the little one wiggling around in there!

Weight: +/- 0. I weighed myself on my home scale, and I weighed exactly what I did 9 weeks ago when we found out we are pregnant. I haven't been sick so I haven't lost anything, and I've been trying to work out and keep the diet in check so I don't gain too much. I have a feeling that 0 will go up soon, but I am proud of myself for not gaining any unnecessary weight right off the bat.

Symptoms: Sleepy, sleep, sleepy. I have plenty of energy in the mornings, but all I want to do is nap in the afternoons and lay on the couches in the evenings. Round ligament pain here and there, but nothing too painful at all. 

Sleep: Yes, please. I sleep 8-9 hours in the evenings and take hour long naps on the weekends. If I didn't have a job, I think I would nap every single day! I am sleeping pretty well, but it has been an adjustment training myself not to sleep on my stomach.

Cravings/Aversions/Eating: I always want macaroni and cheese, but I don't think this counts as a craving because I wanted this every day before I got pregnant too. Right now I am all about watching TV on the couch with a bag full of red grapes. I also can't eat enough PB&J's. I want one every single day, and it's almost always my lunch.

Workouts: I run 2 miles 2-3 times a week and walk the dogs every day. On the days I don't run, I try to power walk at least a couple miles just to get moving. I keep telling myself to start lifting weights... maybe tomorrow. 

Clothes: Still in non maternity clothes. Tops fit just fine, and I am doing the rubber band trick with most shorts/pants these days. 

Random: Jenny has been adorably clingy lately and loves to cuddle as close on the couch as she can. Yesterday she kept laying next to me and putting her paws on my stomach. I don't think she knows I'm pregnant (she may start thinking something is up when I get bigger and the baby starts kicking), but, come on, how adorable?

   

Finding Out

I always thought I would find out I was pregnant and tell my husband in an adorable, Pinterest-worthy manner. In the months leading up to finding out we were pregnant, I took several tests when I thought I might have been, but they were always negative. For each of those tests, I strategically took them in the morning after Parker went to work so that if it did have the wonderful plus sign, I'd have all day to put something cute together for Parker. Yep, that's not how it happened.

The week before we found out, I took a test and it was negative. We had been "trying" (I seriously find that term so awkward, and I have no idea why) for several months, so the negative tests were frustrating but for some reason, I always thought it would take us a little longer to get pregnant. I thought it would take a while for my body to get with the program. I ended up flying home that weekend to surprise my sister at her graduation from nursing school and avoided the celebratory margarita just in case I took the previous test too early. 

 

I flew back to Virginia and resumed life on Monday. It was a work day for me, and Parker was off that day, so he was busy working on the new coffee table he built. It was around noon that he started staining the coffee table inside the house, and instantly I noticed how strong those fumes were. Since I was still late, I decided to take another test. I knew that if I was pregnant, all this staining/painting business would need to take place outside. I took the test, set it on the bathroom counter, and went to go check a couple of emails. I returned to the bathroom about 45 seconds later, and there it was. Clear as day, staring right at me, was a positive test. I was pregnant!

 

 

I grabbed the test, tripped over the dog gate, and flashed it in Parker's face as I fought back tears. I've never been so shocked in all of my life. I was ecstatic but really just couldn't believe it. Parker's face instantly turned into a huge smile, and we sat down and just stared at that beautiful little pee stick together. We couldn't believe it. We were going to have a baby!

The rest of the day is a blur. We took a walk and talked about how far along we thought we were, when we thought this baby would be due, and just the overwhelming thought that we were going to be parents together. We found out we are pregnant with our first child on August 11, 2014, and it's a day we will remember forever!

Sausage and Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I just love Fall food. It is the time for soups and casseroles and hearty dishes, and that just makes me smile. I love making soups, but Parker is a guy and wants a decent amount of protein with every meal, so I can't usually make soups as a stand alone dinner. I was so intrigued when I found this recipe because it is the classic broccoli cheese soup that I love so much with sausage thrown in. Happy wife, happy husband. I altered it slightly from the original, and we both loved it!

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 lb Italian ground sausage

1/2 onion, chopped (a whole onion if you're an onion person)

1 Tbsp flour

3 cups 2% milk

4 cups chopped broccoli (fresh or frozen that has been thawed)

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pot over medium heat, brown your sausage and drain excess fat. Add your onion and a pinch of salt and pepper and saute about 3-4 minutes. 

2. Sprinkle in your flour and immediately pour in your milk and whisk about a minute. 

3. Reduce heat to low and stir in your chopped broccoli. Add a pinch more of salt and pepper and continue to simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently. 

4. Stir in your shredded cheese and continue stirring until all is fully combined and your cheese is fully melted.

Enjoy!

Weeks 4-12

First of all, we can't thank you enough for all of the calls, texts, emails, and love we received over the weekend. We are so blessed by all of the people who already love our little one and so glad this pregnancy is finally public knowledge! Keeping a secret is hard, yall. I thought I would give a quick rundown of the first 12 weeks and our experience so far. I won't be offended if these posts aren't your cup of tea. This week will be pretty baby centric just to catch up, but I'll maintain more of a balance in the weeks to come. I love following along in pregnancy journeys though so hopefully you do too!

I have to say that after reading this, anyone who has experienced pregnancy might really hate me. I have had an amazingly smooth pregnancy so far. I managed to escape all of the nausea and morning sickness, and for that I am truly thankful. I know I am one of the lucky ones in that regard. Other than bigger boobs and acne worse than that of a teenager who's just hit puberty, I really haven't had any symptoms at all. Honestly, this has been both a blessing and a curse. Not being sick is a huge blessing that I don't take for granted, but it has been hard to be overly excited right off the bat because I haven't felt pregnant at all. That doesn't help with the worrying aspect, but Baby Phelps is right on track and growing beautifully!

We found out we are pregnant pretty immediately. I believe I was about 4.5 weeks, and I will post that story later this week! I will be 13 weeks tomorrow, and the doctor thinks my belly should start protruding any day now, so that is exciting! I am all about the bump and basically wanted one right after I peed on that little stick. 

Week 4

We found out we are pregnant! We are in shock/awe and honestly just can't believe it! My twin sister and my mom came to visit us that weekend, so we told them in person and then Facetimed my dad so they could all find out in the same weekend. Still doesn't feel real!

Three generations ;)

Week 5

Wait, we're pregnant?! Still not sinking in!

Week 6

I had my first doctor's appt, and we thought I was about 8 weeks, but the doctor did a little math and decided to hold off on the ultrasound for another two weeks. I was so bummed, but he assured me he just didn't know if it was late enough for a heartbeat. It turns out I was only 6 weeks at this appt, so the doctor was spot on. 

Week 7

We had our first ultrasound! Seeing our baby on the screen and that little flicker of a heartbeat was the most beautiful sight. Parker and I held hands the whole time and just watched the screen, completely mesmerized that we were looking at our baby. The ultrasound dated baby Phelps at 7w6d, so basically 8. The heartbeat was 136, and this is about the time I start convincing everyone I know it's a girl because my friend is having a boy, and his heart rate was much higher at this age. Yes, that is what I solely based it off of.

Week 8

Parker's parents came to visit us, so we were able to tell them in person with a sonogram! It also happened to be my father in law's birthday with my mother in law's birthday close behind, so we used their birthday gifts to tell the good news. We also Facetimed my little sisters and were able to tell Parker's sister in person as well. Immediate family knows- time to tell the extended family!

Week 9

We told a few more people the good news! It's so weird telling people- we are so used to keeping it a secret! We love sharing it though!

Week 10

I am still feeling good and have run almost every day this week. I've really tried to keep the exercise going during pregnancy, and getting in 2 miles almost every day has been awesome. The way I see it, I haven't been sick, so I have zero excuse not to work out.

Week 11

Round ligament pain started in the form of a sharp tingling pain, and the doctor said that means baby's growing and I will likely start showing soon. This is basically my first real symptom besides the boobs and bacne, so I kind of love it. We also got to hear the heartbeat this week at 11w2d!! The doctor let me record it since Parker couldn't be at that appt. It was the most beautiful sound at 140 bpm! Also, I now think it might be a boy. Parker can't believe I'm not positive, with all those years of medical school I have. Okay okay, it's just fun to guess!

Week 12

Round ligament pain is still coming and going from time to time, but the biggest thing that has set in is the pure exhaustion! I am not doing anything more than I usually do, but all I want to do is take a nap in the afternoons. It's hard work growing a human! I took a nice hour long nap both Saturday and Sunday, and it was just what the doctor ordered. You can't really see it through my clothes, but I am starting to see the tiniest little bump (really it just looks like I had one too many cheeseburgers)! I can't wait for it to get bigger!

Now that we are all caught up, I can start with the regular bump dates later this week for week 13! It's been a wonderful ride so far, and I am enjoying every minute of growing this sweet baby.

Arriving In April...

Sitting here typing this, I still can't believe it's real, but it is! Baby Phelps will be joining our family in April 2015, and we could not feel more excited for this wonderful blessing. I will dive into all of the details next week on the blog, but for now we are overjoyed to finally share our news with the world! We are 12 weeks into this journey and have loved every minute of it. We covet your prayers during this new chapter in our lives and look forward to sharing it with you all!

Love, 

Parker, Chelsea, Jenny, and Baby Phelps

"For this child I have prayed, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him."- 1 Samuel 1:27