Almost 1/2 way there!

Life has been really busy for us lately! Max took off to Pittsburgh last Monday (we are back with APX and joined the Hanna's team). We were a little hesitant to go out again after our experience last year, but he has been working for a week now and has already done SO great! 10 sales under his belt is a perfect step towards a successful summer! (Not to mention it beats working two full time jobs and going off of no sleep! I love you for it babe!) I am staying in Idaho until next month; finishing up with work and going to baby appt's. It will be hard to be apart like this again, but we will focus on the positive! Jeremy came to visit last week and we had a blast! Molly, Dawn & baby are coming up sometime next week as well as my cousin Maria and her family. Molly is even going to stay with me and then drive out to PA with me next month:) Josh lives close by so I will see him regularly too. It is going to be wonderful having so many visitors! Max, I'm sorry. I wish you had as many visitors too, but I am so proud of you and keep up the awesome work! I will be there before you know it!

On another note, I have absolutely loved being pregnant! Minus the occassional swelling, charlie horses and back aches, I have felt great! I feel very blessed to have such a great pregnancy so far, I know not everyone is as fortunate.

Besides seeing and hearing the heartbeat, I had one amazing experience last night. I was laying on the couch with my feet propt up and I felt this "bop" in my stomach. I didn't want to get my hopes up too much, but started wondering if this is the moment I've been waiting for. Sure enough there were 3 more little "bops" and it was confirmed... I felt our baby move!! It is really one of the most incredible feelings in the world! I wanted to squeel "Oh hi little one! You really are in there!" It was so exciting and I can't wait until I am feeling the baby regularly. I LOVED it! All my mother friends, do you remember the first time you felt your first baby? I'm sure you were just as thrilled as I was!

I think I really blossomed last weekend and took a random picture at just over 18 weeks. I thought I might really mind having a growing belly, but I absolutely don't! I'm just happy the baby is growing and it sure needs the room. And the weight gain is not as bad either. Again, it's for the baby and if I am eating healthy, then does it really matter how much I gain? (For the record, my total weight gain to date is approx. 8 pounds. Good? Bad? I figured they would tell me at my next appt.) I do think it's funny, however, when people offer me the excuse I'm eating for two. It is a true statement, one which I even occassionaly use, but you are really only to increase your caloric intake by about 300 calories a day and I have tried to be mindful of that. I do crave healthy foods, fruits and vegetables mainly, so the offer for that extra piece of cake is sometimes really not that tempting. However, I'm no nutty, only-healthy-food pregnant guru!! Present me with a cheeseburger or Craigo's buffet and I am game!
We will find out next Tuesday the gender of the baby! Any guesses? We have some names picked out, but I figure when we really know what it is, that's when the focus start on names. I'll post next Tuesday and let you know...boy? or girl?