8 weeks 2 days Pregnant

We finally got to see our baby and hear the heartbeat today! It was a strong 172 beats per minute. We let Gator join us at the ultrasound and he was so excited. I think he was expecting to see a baby doll though. It's hard to explain to a 4-year-old but he's really grasping things very well and is so ready to hold his baby "sister."

Here's what's going on with development. It's all very exciting. :)

New this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from our baby's hands and feet, its eyelids practically cover his eyes, and breathing tubes extend from its throat to the branches of its developing lungs. In baby's brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. We may be daydreaming about our baby as one sex or the other, but the external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether we're having a boy or a girl. Either way, our baby — about the size of a kidney bean — is constantly moving and shifting, though I still can't feel it.

Here's the little bean's first photo shoot. Head's on top, and you can see an arm waving hello on the left and what appear to be little legs. Ain't it cute!!!

Beach Trip

We made a fast trip down to Port Aransas this weekend. It was fun despite the rainy weather. We went to the Texas State Aquarium to escape for a while. We saw sea turtles, dolphins, lots of beautiful fish, and Gator got to touch a stingray! Apparently, it felt slimy. The rain finally cleared enough to enjoy the beach for a few hours. We stayed in an RV park which was quite the experience. I think beach trips are meant to be a little luxurious even if it's just Port A. Next time I think we'll go with a condo or hotel. :) Nathan enjoyed learning how to boogie board. I think he's going to be our little natural athlete.



And then he helped us find our way home when we got turned around. ;) He's so bossy!

Archers Abound

Nathan has begun to follow in daddy's footsteps and has become quite the little archer. He is being taught by one of the best. Doug just placed at the Firefighter Olympics with a bronze medal. I'm very proud of both of my boys. Here's some pics of Gator at the archery range.

Nathan Turned 4!

I cannot believe how fast time has gone by! He had a great birthday party with a Batman theme. He walked around the entire day of his birthday declaring "I'm 4! Did you know I'm 4? Momma, you know what, I'm 4!" He was so excited. Thank you to everyone for making his big day so special and fun! Here's a few pics from his party. :)

We Have a Psychic in the House!

The other morning, Nathan came into our room to crawl into his cozy spot until the alarm went off and whispered in my ear, "Mommy, you have a baby in your tummy." Hmmmm. He knows we want a baby, but he was so sure of himself. I told him I didn't know if there was a baby in there, and his response was "Well, I know - there's a baby in your tummy." So I've spent the last week wondering if I have a psychic child or if he just wanted a baby sister so bad he thought he could will one into existence.

Turns out he may be a little psychic and a lot willful! We are expecting our second child and we could not be happier! It's still very early days and our due date is not until April 15, 2009 but we're all really bad at keeping a secret! Here is the evidence taken this morning! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers for a happy and healthy 9 months!