Our first Trimester Screening Ultra Sound (February 11th)

We had our first trimester screening appointment on Wednesday February 11th and it was fantastic! This prenatal test (also called the NT or nuchal fold scan) assess our baby's risk of having Down syndrome (DS) and some other chromosomal abnormalities as well as major congenital heart problems. The NT test uses ultrasound to measure the clear (translucent) space in the tissue at the back of the baby's neck. Babies with abnormalities tend to accumulate more fluid at the back of their neck during the first trimester, causing this clear space to be larger than average. Along with this they take a blood test. Needless to say the ultra sound was AWESOME! It was probably 15 or 20 minutes long and the baby was moving and it was so fun! My mom, aunt and uncle came to see the ultrasound as well. The test results all came back perfect and we got some great shots of the baby!

Surprise! (February 7th)

My sister, Aunt & I planned a surprise birthday party for my mom and we hosted it at our house Saturday the 7th. It was a great time. My Aunt and Uncle, who live in Ohio/Florida, flew in for the occasion. The best part was how we surprised mom with them! We started the day with my sister, niece and I decorating and preparing food. We were planning on about 25 people and we made Chicken Romano and with the help of Cindy & Sandy (thanks ladies!) we had some pasta and salad as well. By the afternoon we had Jason helping as well as my brother-in-law (who I must say, did some impressive decorating!) I told mom that we were having dinner for her birthday at my house Saturday night and top come over around 5:30pm. Everyone else arrived at 5:00 pm and of course we surprised her when she walked through the door! She had a feeling something was up but was a good sport about it all! Well, my Aunt and Uncle did not land in Denver until later that night and got to my house around 7:30pm (i think!) At that point mom thought all of the surprises were over and in walked Aunt Jeanine & Uncle Dick - it was fantastic. The look on mom's face was priceless! Then cam time to open presents which was yet another surprise. My sister, Aunt, our friend Sandy and Jason & I all pitched in and bought my mom a ticket to Florida for Spring Break! So we will all be headed down to the Sunshine State March 24th and we will stay with my Aunt and Uncle. We had a great time the rest of the evening and my Aunt & Uncle stayed through Thursday which was awesome.

SURPRISE!

My Aunt & Uncle just walked through the door!

A long over due hug!

One of my favorite pics!

Me and three of the most amazing ladies I know!

We're going to Florida!

The Big Day (February 4th)

So today was the day that I told my bosses I was pregnant! I was SO nervous. Being that they just took me on to their payroll mid-November I had no idea what they would think. Plus we have this big Parade of Homes being planned that is scheduled to take place in September. And guess what my day started out with!?! A speeding ticket! Dang it! I haven't had a ticket in 5 years and on my way to work I got pulled over. I had to call work to tell them I would be late due to the cop that had interrupted my A.M. schedule. Oh well. Once all of our meetings were over I asked if Karl & David (bosses) had a minute and I told them..."I have some news. I'm pregnant". And they were so excited for me and thought it was great news. "Really?" I asked them and they looked at me like I was crazy! I created a maternity leave plan which I gave them a copy of - it included 13 weeks of leave and once I am back, working 1 day from home and they were supportive of it all! WOW! How lucky am I!?! So once that was over with I told my co-workers who were also super excited for Jason & I. What a great day that was!

Home from Vegas

We had a really good time in Vegas. The weather was nice, not hot like I wished, but at least it was warm. We ate dinner at the Ranch on Saturday night which I LOVE and I had a beautiful dinner of fillet and stuffed shrimp which I split with my Friend (Miranda) who ordered scallops but guess what?!? Right in the middle of dinner I started to feel Y.U.C.K.Y. So much so that I didn't even order dessert. Oh well - there is always next time! We watched the Super Bowl at a great bar in Cesar's (thanks to Larry & Miranda who got there at 12:00 and saved us all seats - thanks guys!) and we ended up the night watching the Belliago fountains and then treated to a great dinner at PF Chang's by our friends Bill & Cathy. All-in-all it was a fun trip and I was back to work Monday after our plane landed. I am trying hard to take as little time off a possible so I can put that toward my Maternity leave. I do have disability insurance, however, it does not kick in until I have been on "disability" for 2 weeks. Plus - I am going to try to take 13 weeks off after the baby is here...we'll see!

On the way...

Watching the Super Bowl

The fountains!

Catching Up

Holy cow...it has been so long since my last post. We have been so.damn.busy! I feel like the past three weeks of my life were a dream! I hate it when I feel like my life has passed me by. Between work, Friends, family & traveling it has been a whirlwind - but a great whirlwind! I want to go back and try to fill in all of the blanks as this blog has become so much more than just a peek into our lives - it has become my own personal journal. I love going back and reading my old entries - it is a great way to capture it all.