Hale Raisers

    I'm so glad to not keep secrets anymore :) You may already know that Ryan and I are expecting a baby!! We told our parents when we went home for Christmas break about a week ago. They picked us up at the airport and brought Annie which made our plan work even better. A few weeks ago I ordered a dog shirt that says "I'm going to be a big sister" (after Annie miraculously recovered). As we pulled in to their neighborhood we slipped the shirt on Annie on the back seat. She was really tired and that made her very cooperative. She normally does not like to wear clothes and looks panicked and frozen. Anyways, Ryan carried her in and put her down for them to see her shirt. It took a minute for them to catch on, but my mom screamed and said "Are you pregnant?!" Then she cried and we all hugged. I gave them a quick summary of my pregnancy then we all went to bed because it was 2 am. Our flight was delayed... oh, and my luggage didn't make it until the next night. 

I'll answer all of your burning questions:

   * Yes, this was planned :) 

   * The baby is due on June 28th (Ryan's birthday). I'm 14 weeks. 

   * We are finding out the sex at my next appointment on January 27th, and for what it's worth, I   think it's a girl.

   * I feel good. I had nausea for the first 7-8 weeks and strong aversions to a lot of smells, but that has passed. I feel like I get tired easily and can't stay up very late. 

   * I've had a few strange cravings. They are strange to me because they are things I haven't had in years: lemonade, Sprite (I had one on Thanksgiving), and KFC chicken strips (I did not get     them, especially after seeing a segment on "The Today's Show" about employees bathing   in the kitchen sinks. True story.) Specific food cravings are nothing new for me, though. 

   * We talk about names, but have not decided on anything yet. 

   We had a great visit with our families and friends in Nashville. Ten days went by way too fast! My mom bought me some maternity clothes and I borrowed a few things from my sister-in-law. I'm compiling advice and lists of helpful baby products, so throw in your 2 cents. We had a quiet New Year's Eve at home. We made some of our favorite snack foods and began getting caught up on season 4 of "LOST." The new season starts in a few weeks and we want to be ready. On NY Day we were invited to have dinner with one of Ryan's coworkers and his family. They made a great meal and I ate pork tenderloin! I was very proud of myself because I am probably afraid of it on some level. It was by far the most tender and juicy pork I've tried. I'm not ready to go back to work on Monday, but I am encouraged that the school year is half way over. I'm planning to finish the school year as long as I'm doing well and my doctor says it's ok. 

   Enjoy the pictures. Ryan thought we needed one of him at 14 weeks as well ;)