Como estas??

Hey everyone!

Well, another week is passing by. 11 and a half weeks until baby is due and less than 9 weeks until Matthew gets home!!! Finally getting a little exciting. Like I said, things are really picking up here. We are sending out the invites for the baby shower and they should be arriving next week! Yay!

Make sure everyone checks on here for baby shower information considering not everyone will be getting an invite due to that would be a LOT of invites! Instead, if you were at the baby shower that we had before then you might not get an invite as well as a lot of my college girls! I love you guys to death and I want you to participate in the baby shower, but most of you can check on here or on facebook and myspace to learn how to get onto it!! If anyone wants to make sure you get an invite please let me know!!

Well, here are the 28 week belly shots. Nothing to exciting, just getting huge! I have officially "popped" and now will continue to grow OUT! AH! Enjoy them as I am not sure how much longer I will boast with pictures of my belly.

Love,
Katie

WOW!

MAN! I didn't realize how long it had been since I updated the blog!! Sorry, guys! I guess I am slacking on that and really need to get on it! I would say time flies when you are having fun, but really for me it is just time flies when you are getting fat and happy! Haha.

So I suppose an update is in order....

I had my doctor's appointment last week. Things went WONDERFULLY. I am perfect and baby is perfect! We have gained 21 pounds and the baby is growing JUST right with constant movement which is what they look for! Her heartbeat was 152 which is right on target and is perfect for our little angel! I also took and recieved the results back for my glucose test and everything is perfect there so no gestational diabetes.....YAY! Another hurdle down! I am officially 28 weeks today which is 7 months so only 12 more weeks to go!! Can you guys believe that?! It seems like just yesterday was Christmas, but it is almost June! Goodness, I cannot say time has gone by quickly, but the pregnancy sure has!

As for Matthew....he is doing well, but.....he has moved farther forward in Afghanistan. Pretty much the worst news I can get, but what can I do, right? Yes, it is the military life.....but NO ONE is prepared to go through this alone. Thank you to everyone for your support, thoughts, and prayers. There is NO way I could get through this alone and our family and friends are just unbelievably kind and giving. Thank you!

Matthew sends his love to everyone.....he wishes he could call more, but its not always easy, I suppose especially now that he is at the forward base.

As for the baby shower invitations....! They will be going out this week and we are thinking June 16th will be when we officially have the site up and going. For all those that don't get the invitations simply because there are SO MANY of you loving people out there.....you will still be able to get on the baby shower site even without an invite. For those that don't know what we are doing.... Basically, my sister is throwing and ONLINE baby shower!! I do not live near or even close to any of our friends and family making it VERY difficult to have a set baby shower! Thus......Kristin is putting together a site where everyone will be able to play games such as guessing the babies weight, birth date and so on. Many games, pictures, forums, and chats will be available through that site! Also, for those wishing to....we will have links to Babies R Us and target where we are registered and any gracious gifts we receive will be sent to my sister's house here in Augusta as we will be taking them to NC in a few different trips! It all works out great! On another note, anyone that wishes to rub the belly and/or give a gift or card, a hug, thought, or prayer.....I will be attending Alison's wedding in June so I will see everyone there as well!! This is a great way for people literally all over the world to be a part of our shower....Matthew in Afghanistan, Anna in Argentina, Matthew's family and friends in California, the squadron guys in North Carolina, my family in Mississippi, Kentucky, and New Orleans, and all of my college friends throughout the US now! What a cool way to stay connected! We only will have a few invitations so PLEASE don't be offended if one doesnt make it your way.....WE STILL WANT YOU TO BE INVOLVED!!! I will post on here all information to be a part of the baby shower, so don't worry!!! If you are close enough to us to be checking this site, you will probably get an invite or read on here how to get on the site!!!

Anyway, here is a picture of me taken by Kristin today....this is my 7 month belly. We are in the third trimester now!! 2/3rds done! WOOHOO!!!

Love to all.

Hey guys and gals!!

Well, I am feeling pretty good this morning. I went on my usual 3 mile walk and it was just a beautiful day with tons of people out and about walking and doing yardwork and such. I love springtime! There is a good bit of smoke in the air still from the fires in south Augusta so I had pretty bad allergies to that on my walk, but I got over it. It was already over 80 degrees here when I went for my walk at 9:00 am. WOW, it's going to be a hot one!

After that I came home and showered and got all prettied up because EVERYONE feels better when they are clean and prettied up. Haha. I am all ready to go to my doctor's appointment at 12:45 for a regular prenatal appointment. YAY! Anyway, I will update everyone on how that goes. I am officially in my third trimester!!!! I am really not looking forward to stepping on the scale today at the appointment. AH!

Ok, well....off to the appointment and then maybe to my mom's to see her and try to help her pack up the house.

Love to all.

The most wonderful husband...

Due to a lack of pictures recently as well as posts....I decided it is getting down to the home stretch of Matthew getting home and I better let him know how I look! Haha!

Many of you have seen me lately and many are going to see me in the near future. Matthew's family saw me while I was out in California and Katie Gunter saw me on the way out and on the way home! Now....my WHOLE family has the privilage of seeing me as I get even bigger! EGH! Sorry, guys! I am going to spend a night in Atlanta with my mom this Monday so she gets to see me and then....I will see the whole family at Alison's wedding on June 23rd (also my mom's birthday!).

The way I look at it is that I don't have TOO much time to start trimming up and making myself pleasant to look at for Matthew. 2 Months isn't too long to work on it so that makes the time seem even shorter.

Matthew had a great time today as he was able to see Toby Keith in concert out there in Afghanistan! I love it when they have morale things out there for the guys. As for Matthew, he is such a wonderful husband as I recieved flowers today when I came home. Such BEAUTIFUL flowers with a note that touched my heart, as always! Please enjoy those pictures as they are not even capable of capturing how beautiful the flowers really are.

Matthew, it seems as though many days are left, but every moment is a step closer to being together. I cannot wait for you to hug me and hold me and until I can look into those handsome eyes. I love you so much, prince.

Belly photos are updated as well......these represent week 26 as I start week 27 on Monday.

Love to all.....all my heart to Matthew.

Finally, an update!!!

Hello!!!

Well, here we are again after a week of me not updating my exciting life. And I can honestly say this week has been just that....exciting!! I am still in California, but am leaving tomorrow morning to head back to Atlanta where I will spend the night and head back to Augusta. I cannot wait to get back due to all of the fun things coming up soon including birthing classes, a breastfeeding class, an infant CPR class, my doctor's appointments, and of course, the 3D/4D ultrasound around 30 weeks!!

What a great time I have had here in California. The weather was beautiful, but pretty chilly so I only got about 1 good day of laying out time. Other than that, I rested up and really enjoyed having some company around! Even MORE exciting I was able to go see Aunt Annie who lives only about 20 minutes from Matthew's parent's place where I am staying! Aunt Annie and I talked and talked for about 6 hours or so last week when I visited her and Uncle Ajit for dinner! I am noticably larger than the last time she saw me at Christmas during our visit and I believe she may be the ONLY one getting to see me in person actually growing larger! Most people saw me before and will see me after we have Layla! Although markedly larger, I am still the same old me!!!!

MOTHER'S DAY! What a GREAT year this Mother's Day was!! I mean I knew it would be wonderful because I am getting to enjoy my daughter already in the womb, but Matthew's parents bought me a facial and haircut to enjoy that day as well! As you could see in the picture, the woman took forEVER to straighten my hair with lots of chemicals and it was a REALLY neat change for a day or so! The humidity is so low here that it actually stayed relatively straight for a couple of days!!! THEN....as I returned home.....I was surprised by a whole clan of people awaiting my arrival for a surprise BABY SHOWER!!! WOW, I cannot tell you HOW surprised I was and it was pretty much the neatest thing to see so many people that cared and took part to make it such a special day for me!! How special, a baby shower on Mother's Day!!! The company and food was great and the weather made outdoor seating SUCH a pleasure for us all to chat and play many games that Matthew's mom put together! And in case anyone is wondering...I am currently 11 toilet paper squares big around my belly! Haha...not QUITE the 18 squares that Aunt Annie and Carol Nolte measured out, God bless them!! After the biggest array of presents I have EVER recieved, I feel like the most blessed woman in the world! So many outfits for our little angel that she will be well clothed for at LEAST the first 6 months!! I was also fortunate to accumulate some of the "essentials" for baby including pacifiers, bibs, booties, and bathtime washes! To Matthew's parents, thank you SO much for making this Mother's Day SO very special.....I have not felt THIS surprised and happy and excited since Matthew left! Now, I feel like I have so much to look forward to before Matthew gets home.

Pray for us that these next few months continue to fly by and that little Layla remains healthy and content to stay in my tummy until the full 40 week mark. Most mothers are DYING to get the little one out by 36 weeks and I am BEGGING that she stays in until 41!!! Hopefully within that time frame Matthew will have made it back to me safely!

Here is a rundown of what the next few months entail so everyone can stay updated:
May 21 - Next Doctor's appointment
May 24 - Infant CPR class
June 4-July 2 - Every Monday night a 2 hour birthing class (If anyone wants to go with me, I could sure use a partner!!!)
June 21 - Breastfeeding class
June 23 - Alison's wedding
July 1 - OUR 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!!
July 3-July 5 - Move into the apartment in Fayetteville
July 6-July 8 - Katie comes up to help me finish the details on the apartment
July 25- I offically move back to Fayetteville and register at Womack Army Medical Center for the labor and delivery unit!
3/4 - MATTHEW HOME!!! (we hope)

If you have anything you want to add to my schedule, these are the only dates that are currently reserved for things!!! HOWEVER.....PLEASE STAY UPDATED because soon we will be sending out invitations for the online baby shower that Kristin Davis, my sister, is holding for us!!! This will be sent out to all friends and family so you can participate in a few fun games , pictures, chats, and if you wish to purchase a gift (you don't have to), we will send our registries out then as well!!! If you are dying to know, we are registered at Babies R Us and Target!! All gifts will be sent to Kristin's house as I will be making a few trips and perhaps stealing Brian for a weekend to move all the stuff to Fayetteville in July!

Any questions, please feel free to call as I am learning more and more people are reading this blog to stay updated!!! We are SO thankful for our wonderful friends and family and all the gifts and prayers you have given and said for us!!!!

Much love to you all,
Katie and Matthew

Hey everyone!

Ok, so....

Not too much going on here right now. I am just preparing for my trip to California which takes off on Tuesday, May 8th. Looking forward to see all you Californians! I am getting really excited and nervous to fly for some reason. Never been scared to fly, in fact, always enjoyed it, but last time when we were on our flight home the turbulance scared me to death and thank goodness Matthew was there. This time, I have to brave it, but I am sure it will be fine. Although, I am much bigger now! hah!

Fortunately, I got Matthew's truck back from the repair shop from the accident and it looks like brand new! Only over $5200 in damage that had to be replaced! I sure did a number on it, sorry, baby!!! It is nice to have our truck back and I hope I am not scared to drive it!

Anyway, I spent today getting things organized for the trip. I am very forgetful these days and I am trying not to forget anything and to just be prepared for my Cali vacation!! The puppies are acting up because it has been a rainy day and they havent had much outside time. Roxy is trying to be particularly sweet, but I come to find out she is getting into mischief again outside.....she's the digger.

Ok well.....I am off. Peace ouuuuuuut!

Ever see a pregnant woman pant??

So....the story goes as such...

Today in Augusta, GA record high temperatures have been made with the heat blazing over 91 degrees! Me, being the smart pregnant woman that I am kept the doggies inside in the cool air for the majority of the day. However, my intellect failed me when I decided upon the brilliant idea of trying to get a little sun.....AT TWO IN THE AFTERNOON! Wow.....brilliance was radiating quite literally. After spending only about 7 minutes outside and with the dogs begging to go inside, I suckered through the pain and stayed out. Not for long, mind you, because it isn't good for the baby. But honestly, I HATE being a ghost and that is exactly what I am right now! So....moral of the story, as I was laying there basking, more like deep FRYING in the heat, I came to the realization that I was breathing a lot harder than I probably should have been...in fact, I was indeed panting. At this startling discovery, I quickly tip toed inside with the ever-so-greatful doggies on my heels. Needless to say, I may have gotten about 5 minutes of sun time with about 50 years of grief for being so indulgent in the sunshine.

On a brighter note....pun intended....I DID get my 3 mile walk in early this morning before the cool, night breeze had vanished replaced by the thick musk of summer heat that Georgia is so lovingly known for. After quite the deliberation, I decided that perhaps staying inside this summer is the best idea, but you can bet we are looking into a pool membership this weekend!

Since I was overly exposed in my swim suit considering I just cannot sucker into buying a new maternity one....I decided to REALLY scare you all and post pictures of my pregnant body in the suit as well as go ahead and deal with the 24 week photos. Alas, here they are....enjoy and PLEASE don't magnify them, it will cause serious injury to the viewer!

Love, the panting pregnant woman

Alright!!!!! hehehe.

Ok, so I am feeling the heat for not posting more. I apologize to those that actually check this! Some days it is more difficult than others to really find something exciting to say, but even so....here's what is going on in my life!!!

So basically.....not a whole lot is going on in my life. haha. Not right now, at least! I am waiting for May to really get underway as this is the month that most things really start happening and hopefully start to pass the time quickly! This month is full of excitment from going to California to see the family to starting some of the prenatal classes that are recommended! I am totally excited simply because the more little things like that which are planned in advance, the more little goals I can achieve to get to the big one of Matthew coming home!!

Unfortunately, the one thing I don't like anymore is getting in front of the camera, but since Matthew likes it, you ALLLLL have to suffer!! I am definitely bigger now and having Braxton Hicks contractions more often. This baby has also gained significant weight and muscle because her little kicks are more like a boxing match with Tyson! And I think she wins! Actually, it never really hurts, but sometimes I swear she is doing the cha cha or the can can with how she is rolling around and moving. It must be pretty exciting in there since she never really seems bored!

It has gotten unbelievably hot here already! Summer is going to be INSANE! I try to stay inside until dusk for my walk, but I think that is going to have to move to a morning routine as evenings remain very hot as well now! I think Layla likes the walks as she does a little dance when I get home and do my stretching. As for everything else....life is good as can be. I am hungry all the time and cannot sleep through the nights....all to be expected though! I bought some new maternity clothes so hopefully I will be feeling pretty soon!!

Everyone please stay in touch and let me know what is going on!

Love,

Katie