31.5 Weeks

I am finally getting around to putting my shower pictures on. Cheryl, my mom and Mike's mom threw me a shower on December 1. It was really great having my mom here. I got a lot of stuff and am anxiously waiting for him to get here and use it! His furniture arrived Wednesday and I am busy setting up his room. It feels like I still have a lot of time and no time at all! Christmas is in a week and then New Year's and then we will have one more month! It is starting to freak me out a bit.

Michael has been gone for three weeks now, coming home every weekend, except for this one. He won't be home until the 22nd and then will leave again Christmas. I hate it and it sucks! We are hoping that he will only be gone for one more week after the new year, putting him home the 11th. For a total of seven weeks. I don't know how people do it. I do enjoy being alone some days, I seem to get more done around here! At least I have something to do! And my girlfriends Cheryl and Barb take turns babysitting me.

I am feeling great, although huge! I think I get bigger every minute! The pictures from my shower are two weeks old and I think I am twice that size now! I am starting to feel uncomfortable all the time and can't get into a good position at night or just sitting. For all of you carrying twins...good luck.

When I get his room together I will take some pictures. It is turning out really cute! And Congratulations to Casey and Jeff for the birth of their third child, Hunter!!

Hope you all are well. Sorry these pictures are blurry!

My mom and Millie

Sorry, but I can not rotate this and I cant' take it off!

This is the littel girl I take care of, Nicole

28 Weeks

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone had a nice day yesterday. We are doing well. I feel huge and am not fitting into anything, including my maternity clothes! People keep telling me how small my belly is, but I don't believe them. I am almost getting miserable...not quite there yet.

Just a quick catch up since I dont' have a lot to say. I did go to my excercise class finally and actually liked it. I am trying to go once a week at least! Michael is going out of town for a few weeks to work. Work here is bad and he needs a couple weeks of hours before the end of the year. It sucks, but he has to go. And on a good note, my mom is coming out next weekend for my shower and I am so excited! It feels like I just saw her and she will back back again in a few months for the birth!

Also, my cousin Zack and his wife Julie just had twin boys on November 21. Congratulations to you both! And good luck!

Hope you all are well. More later.

These were taken last week

I couldn't resist putting Molly in. She hates us, but this is her on Halloween!

24.5 Weeks

I am three days away from my third trimester and am starting to freak out a bit. Mike and I started child birth classes last night and it is really starting to feel real.

Just wanted to put up a picture before we get to our next milestone. And by the way, yes, I did chop all of my hair off. I am not sure about it yet, but at least it is different.

Hope you all are well

23.5 Weeks

I haven't been good about updating, so I though I would spend a few minutes telling you how we are. I had a fabulous week in Seattle with my mom and my brother. I am so glad that I got the chance to see all of my friends too! It makes me truly homesick and I am not sure how I am going to to get through this here in Philly without all of you. It will be very hard. I feel so much love and support from you all.

I finally signed up for the exercise class I am supposed to take and will start Tuesday. Thanks to Linda, because she nags! And the baby has been kicking up a storm. I first felt him on September 15Th while helping Cheryl move. It was a small flutter and seemed to occur every time Mike walked out of the room. I thought it was cute. Now, it is not so cute, especially at 2 in the morning! He kicks hard and low. I have tried many times to have Mike feel him, but he always misses it. I swear the baby knows he is coming.

Mike and I spent the entire day yesterday buying the babies furniture. After many hours of me researching on the computer, we finally walked into a store. I can't wait for it to come in. It is in the Cocoon 1000 series at http://www.forevercocoon.com/, if anyone wants to see it. We wanted black, but settled for espresso.

That's about all for now! I will try to get a picture up this week. I am growing bigger by the minute. Compared to some women due at the same time, I am still small in the tummy, but not so much in the tush! Damn those Craig genes.

Take care

Week 19.5

Well, we had our ultrasound today and most of you all ready know, but for those who don't , we are having a boy! I can't believe it! We were so sure it was a girl. Everyone thought is was a girl. Gary told me to not bother with the ultrasound cause he was so sure.

I will write more later! And for those in Seattle, I hope to see you all next week!

17.5 Weeks

Just to catch everyone up on the last couple of weeks. I have yet to sign up for yoga or the exercise class recommended by my OB, but I did get some physical therapy done and am feeling much better. I had a little argument with my OB, we'll call him, Dr S, about getting PT, but I got it anyway and will try to sign up for that exercise class this week. I met with the other OB doctor, Dr T, yesterday and I really liked him. He gave me the go ahead for an ultrasound any day after Wednesday (tomorrow). I have been told that I should wait until I am closer to 20 weeks to make sure they can see the gender of the baby, so I am waiting until September 26th, one day before my 20th week. I am so excited!

My mom has been bugging me about a picture, so I enlisted the help of Gary...I mean Michael to take a picture. Just a simple picture, but since I did marry a man just like Gary (and I do mean that as a compliment to you both), it had to be perfect. "How about under the Japanese maple," and "I want to see how far this camera zooms, so back up." He just wanted it to be nice. So of course, I hated all of them. I don't know where to put my hands and I feel so dumb. It's weird to want my belly in a picture! So we tried again today. I thought I would put in one of each. I hope this works!

This is me at 16 weeks...in front of the Japanese maple

And this is me today 17 weeks and 6 days (It looks like I got a tan in the last week!)

I can no longer wear my "regular" clothes and am almost totally in maternity. My belly really popped out last weekend and although this picture doesn't make it look so big, it is ALL I see! I had the 5 year old that I take care of take a picture of me on my camera phone to send to my mom and it turned out better than these...probably because he cut off my head!



I hope to continue to taking pictures and keeping this current. I hope you all are well! I am coming home next month for a week and hope that I can see all of you!

I can't resist adding a picture of my dog, Molly, now that I have figured out how.

Week 15

My mom talked me into doing a blog. I have never been computer literate and even though Gary and Michael have tried and tried, I haven't caught on. So please bear with me through this whole process. I am hoping that I can continue to keep it up after the baby is born so you can all watch "it" grow. I have been inspired by my friend Meg who has done a blog since her daughter was just home from the hospital. I feel that I have been able to watch her grow up and that I know her with out ever meeting her. I hope the same can happen with our child.

So here we go...

Michael and I are expecting our first child, as you all know, and my mom thought it would be fun for everyone to share it with us. Those of you who live far away can watch me grow too! Just to bring everyone up to date, I am 15 weeks and 2 days as of this posting. I had a great first trimester with no morning sickness and minimal discomfort. Now, a week into my second trimester my back hurts so bad I have a hard time walking! I am seeing a chiropractor weekly and am looking into getting some massage work done. Once I figure out how to get the insurance people to pay for it! I am also looking for a prenatal yoga class at Gary's suggestion ( I use that term loosely, Gary). As I join that I will be sure to keep you all informed. I finally picked a doctor that I think I can live with. There is no use in having an experienced OB/Neonatal nurse in your family if you are going to live 3,000 miles away. Finding my own doctor has been very hard. And this one is a man! Never had a man gyno and not really looking forward to having a man OB, however, he comes very well recommended and seems like a nice guy. To be determined!

So that is it I think for now. This might be fun, I can keep you all informed and share my thoughts. I hope you all enjoy it and feel free to give me positive feedback regarding my writing. And if there are a few grammar mistakes along the way...let em go!

A picture will be next. I haven't taken one yet!



Take care!