19 weeks

I am thrilled to say that we are 19 weeks pregnant!  In the beginning I didn't think I was going to be able to say that, but here we are and Oh So Happy!!  We will have our next appointment and ultrasound on December 5th, so put a vote in before then (if you want to guess, that is).  We are excited to find out...we might have the ultrasound technician write the gender on a card and seal it in an envelope and wait until Christmas morning to open it...what do you think?  I think it would be so fun!  It would totally make me feel like a little kid again come Christmas morning :)  But at the same time, if it's a little girl it would be nice to be able to receive some things from family for her...Don't know what or which to do....maybe I'll add another poll for that

I feel the baby move a lot now and I don't have to be sitting down, paying attention to it in order to feel it.  I love this time, when the little flutters inside of me are all mine.  It's my special moment with my little one, that only we get to share.  It's selfish of me but I truly treasure this time.  And just feeling the baby move inside of me in general.  My mom once told me that she doesn't miss having babies (she's grateful she did it but also grateful that time of her life is done and completed "Women weren't meant to keep having babies, that's why God stops it.  I'm sure grateful for that...I just don't have that energy I use to to be a new mom" - this is paraphrasing, of course) but she did say that she does miss being able to feel the baby move.  She always talked about it like it was magical - she's right!

That being said, Nathan felt the baby move for the first time 4 nights ago while we were laying in bed reading scriptures.  But it had to have been a back flip because that thing really moved that time!  Most movements are mine all mine :)

I'm still cramping a little; still very low on my belly.  If I wear the pants with the low waist line it presses too hard on those muscles or something and makes it quite a bit worse so I've started avoiding those.  I'm getting more energy which is very nice.  I'm sure it makes Harlow more happy too.  My sciatic nerve is starting to bug if I sit or lay down for too long.  Makes me feel very old and decrepit when I stand up...

Favorite Story of the Day:
Today I watched a friends little girl (Lilly, daughter of Dez Roberts).  Poor thing was pretty distraught when Mom left.  But what was fun was seeing Harlow react to her.  He was so sweet and you could see by the looks on his face that he knew she was upset and sad.  He tried to give her hugs, touch her hair, pat her back, give her books and toys, hold her hand.  Every time she would swat his hand away and cry louder.  Harlow gave me this look like "this girl/girls are crazy!" but he kept on trying.  It was so fun to watch that interaction.  He's going to be a great big brother!

Nothing like a morning bath!  Harlow loves baths, especially ones with bubbles :)  

He will lay himself down on his back getting his hair wet, he drinks lots of bath water, gets on his tummy and wiggles his legs and bum all around, throws cups full of water out of the tub and onto the floor, hangs from the small wash cloth bar on the side of the tub, sings, is starting to blow bubbles...he LOVES bath time...so if something is not quite right come evening and I just need him to be a happy boy it is off to the bath tub for us :)

 

His love for the camera is also growing and he wants to look at the picture he's taken as soon as he's done taking it...his smiles for the camera are no less cheesy though

Pheasants!!

Pheasant season opened yesterday and so Nathan went bird hunting yesterday morning with some buddies from school.  Not to totally brag but My Hot Honey out-shot the other 6 guys and brought home 4 beautiful pheasants!  After some pictures with Harlow and his prizes, he cleaned out the birds for me - isn't that so nice, I thought so!

Tonight we ventured to cook up the pheasants, something I have never done before.  Nathan made the brine yesterday and let them soak until this afternoon.  We pulled out Grandma's pressure cooker and crossed our fingers...

Wow, this was the most tender poultry I have ever made and possibly eaten.  It was tasty too.  (It was a little too salty, we think if we don't brine it for quite as long next time it should fix that and make it pretty darn near perfect)  I have never even eaten pheasant before tonight.  It was so fun to cook up the pheasants that Nathan shot and brought home, and have them turn out so good!  I know I am not the only one who has tried something for the first time, spent a lot of time on it, just to have it not turn out...I am so glad that is not what happened tonight!!