Special Guest Post - by Daddy

Ta-da! Esch will be giving the appointment update this week! I am happy to report that I gained 4 lbs in the past 4 weeks which is exactly on target (yay!) and the Dr. said everything is perfect so far. And now, without further ado - The Daddy-to-be's point of view.

What is the size of a pea and can put down 163 beats a minute? Our baby’s heart! Today was awesome, we got to hear noises coming from our baby for the first time. And of course, I cried, I get that from my mom and expect that whatever the child is (boy/girl, not sure why I felt the need to specify here) he/she will have the same leaky faucets for eyes. Erin has done a great job and looks beautiful, the doctor was very impressed. She is starting to get a little tum, which is very cute. And the doctor showed us right where the baby is sitting…lower right if you were wondering. Oh, and there was only one heartbeat…baby McCombie doesn’t have a sister or brother hiding behind a fallopian tube or anything.

AND we found out that in 3 weeks Erin goes back in for an ultrasound that will be the one which tells us whether that little thing is a boy or a girl. I’ve noticed the boy/girl race is neck and neck on the blog, hurry and get your votes in because time is running out. Erin seems to think it will be a boy, while I suspect a girl. So long as the baby is healthy, I don’t think either of us care. In fact, when I saw the second ultrasound (the alien one) I was just happy to see that the baby no longer looked like a mouse eating cheese (the first ultrasound). 15 weeks! That means we only have 25 more weeks to go, and lots to do. We’ve been looking at nursery stuff but have decided to wait until we know for sure what we are having (again, boy/girl). It has been a lot of fun going to Babies R Us, especially once I realized that eventually this will lead to going back to Toys R Us.

We’re excited to come home this weekend and see everyone. It’s Aunt Erika’s graduation and Uncle Andrew is getting ready to start his first job in sunny Minneapolis. Unfortunately, Uncle David will still be in Africa so we won’t get to see him on this trip. Lots of good news and exciting times in the Grim and McCombie households. I hope you are all well and that you had a nice holiday weekend. Keep reading the posts.

Ps- if you haven’t noticed, the baby is due just before the last PSU game of the regular season. I’m only guessing here, but I think it will probably be a Penn State fan and give the team the push needed to get a big bowl win.

A great week!

15 weeks today!

Memorial Day weekend was great - both Esch & I had off on Monday, so we made the most of the 3 day weekend. Did our duty as Americans and contributed to the economy by SHOPPING - a new pool for Georgia, a few house items, went to the pool, had a bbq at our friends' house, went to a movie, took a few walks. Nice and relaxing.

The best part is that this is now not just a shorter-than-usual week because of the holiday, but we are already going home to PA again this weekend, so we have Friday AND this coming Monday off, too!

AND to top it all off, we have our monthly appointment today - so excited. I really count down to these. I'll post an update tonight afterwards... hope everyone has a great week!

14 Weeks, "Baby!"

I'm not really sure that a lemon makes sense as the next fruit comparison (isn't a peach bigger than a lemon?!), but that's what the website tells me. 14 weeks... officially in the beginning of my 4th month of pregnancy.

One week until our next appointment! Dr. Cutler told us that at this appointment we would be able to hear the baby's heartbeat; we can't wait! I never thought that going to a doctor's appointment would become my favorite thing to do! :) I actually smile every day when I pass the hospital (her office is also located there) on my way to work. Exciting things will be happening there from now until November!

We've seen the baby twice now, and I expect that hearing that little heartbeat will be just as amazing. Apparently 1st-time Moms can feel the baby moving between 16-22 weeks. I am dying for this to happen... tick tock!

I hope everyone has a nice Memorial Day weekend. I can't believe the past few weeks have flown by so fast; next weekend we fly back to PA already for Erika's high school graduation. Can't wait to see everyone!

Hello, 2nd Trimester!

Since pregnancy is 40 weeks long, I consider being 13 weeks and 3 days to be 1/3 of the way there!

Could not be happier (unless I was just making it to the 3rd trimester, I guess)!

Mother's Day Surprise - and 13 weeks!

Baby McC is now a PEACH! If a fruit can be cute, I think that this one is.

On Friday, I will be 13 weeks and 3 days, which is officially 1/3 of the 40 weeks of pregnancy... so I'll finally be in the 2nd trimester. Phew!

In more exciting news, this past weekend was one of the best of our lives - we got to tell our families that they will be grandparents, aunts, uncles, and great-grandparents!

We made photo books for our Moms, which at first appeared to be Mother's Day gifts... pictures of their kids growing up, little notes from us. The last few pages, however, held the surprise... photos of Esch holding a onesie, my new "profile" shot, and the ultrasound. They were officially wished, "Happy Mother's Day, GRANDMA! See you in November."

The reactions were wonderful:

I can't get over those faces!

David called Dad right during the big "reveal." It was pretty funny.

We got to tell each family at their own home, and then on Sunday, the McCombies came to the Grim's for Mother's Day Brunch.

Thank you, everyone, for sharing this with us. We love you!

Best milestone yet - 12 weeks!

Yay! I am so excited, for several reasons. Today I am officially 3 months pregnant... and finally the weekend we've been counting down to since we found out is almost here!

We leave on Thursday for Pennsylvania, when we will get to tell our families the good news!

I am feeling great - energy is starting to come back a little, and I haven't felt nauseous in a few weeks. I still don't want to touch certain foods - especially chicken - but hope that that passes soon.

I think I am really starting to show, luckily we get to "come out" soon so I hope that no one else will look at me and guess!

T-minus 48 hours until we tell the McCombies... and 72 hours until the Grims!

Baby's Second Photo Shoot

What a difference 4 weeks made! Both Esch & I were almost startled when we saw Baby McC appear on the screen this Wednesday, dancing all over the place! We saw 5 fingers, little hands, even where Baby's eyes and mouth are. It was pretty incredible... both visits, I've left thinking that that was the most amazing experience of my life. First seeing the heartbeat, and this week seeing that Baby is MOVING and wiggling!

The heart rate was 160 beats per minute again, and Dr. Cutler (who we love so far) said that everything is "perfect." (!)

It is still hard for me to believe that there is really a baby in there! I am starting to show a little bit (one person at work guessed - yikes), but I'm not sure when it will really, really sink in. Part of it, I think, is that it's still a "secret." Once we're able to share the news with our families, I think it will all become more real. Right now it just seems too good to be true!

One week from today...

Today we are 11 weeks and 3 days pregnant, and I have never been so excited in my life!

Not only did we have a great OB appointment this week, we're now only a week away from FINALLY announcing the news! (The ultrasound above was our first, at 7 weeks and 1 day. We got to see our Baby for the first time, and even the little heartbeat, at 160 beats per minute! We were just amazed.) It was one of the better April Fools' Day experiences of my life!

We are going home to Pennsylvania next Thursday, May 7th. We've been waiting and waiting to tell our families, because we wanted so badly to be able to do it in person. We fly into Pittsburgh so will be seeing Esch's family first. We already know how we are going to surprise them. It has a Mother's Day theme to it, so it should be a pretty memorable one for both Barb & Carol! :) I am so excited to see Barb, Jeff, and Erika's reactions.

Friday morning we will drive to State College. Things worked out really well; we have a wedding that weekend, plus it's Mother's Day - thus the idea to wait until this trip to announce!

I am absolutely dying to tell my family, too. It has been one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, not telling them right away. It will be a huge relief to be able to talk to them about it! Can't believe that my Mom & Dad will be grandparents, Andrew & David will be uncles, and that Nain & Taid, Gran, and Dad's Dad will be GREAT-grandparents!

Really can't contain myself. I have to keep telling myself, "You've made it this far, don't blow it now!" Every time we talk to our families it is torture! It's hard to act normal when Mom or Dad asks me, "What's new?" or when the McCombies tell Esch that they'd like to come to Austin for Thanksgiving... we would love that, too, but don't buy your tickets until you hear what's going to happen about 10 days BEFORE Thanksgiving! :)