Is scared the right word?

This past Saturday some dear friends threw me a baby shower. I had a great time and really enjoyed seeing my friends and of course the gifts were awesome! I felt blessed to have so many people share in this special time.

Now, the thank you notes have been written and B and I went through all the goodies to organize C's room. To be perfectly honest, I'm a little worried. Not about the delivery, rather what comes next...caring for our little guy. I guess you could say that I'm an instructions and lists sort of girl, as long as I've got something to reference I feel I can do a "job" adequately. Well, I've read and am in the middle of reading books on babies but I still have feelings of apprehension. I've got more questions than I do answers and I'm not going to lie, I'm scared.

I've got all these great things, but with some of them, I have no idea when to introduce them to our baby or even how to use them. I don't know if sterilizing a bottle or pacifier means running them through the dish washer or if I need to boil them (and if so for how long?). Should I leave the bumpers on the crib or should I remove them? How do I know what toys to give him? And what about pumping, when do I start doing that? I'm an only child so I have never really spent much time with infants or babies and the time I have spent with the moms has been maybe a couple hours. I feel like I'm going into this HUGE job of being a mommy completely blind; like I should have been shadowing and "expert" before I get handed the little guy who's been living and growing inside me all these months and who will be completely dependent on me.

His nose and my cheeks...

On Tuesday, December 1st we went to See Me 3D and got to see our son! It was the most amazing experience. Once B, his parents and I were settled in the viewing room--a nicely decorated room with 2 easy chairs, a large flat screen TV and a comfy table for us preggos to lie on--the nurse began the ultrasound. We got to see our son's world for 45 minutes and were saying things like, "oh he's got your nose," or "he's got your cheeks". It was wonderful and emotional (in a good way). Enjoy.

Maternity Underwear...

I can now add THAT to the list of maternity togs I've acquired in the past few weeks and months. To be honest, I really didn't think I would need these and frankly didn't understand why maternity underwear was even invented. I mean, none of my "unmentionables" even go over my stomach, so what's the big deal? Well, along with an expanding tummy I've noticed that my hips have expanded as well (yippee). Unfortunately I never took after my mom in that region and consequently never had slim hips, so the fact that they're getting bigger is bittersweet. The pinching and the ugly red lines from too-tight-chonies prompted me to bite the bullet and began to peruse websites for undergarments for us preggos.

I was pretty amazed at the selection, I really thought that I would be limited to different versions of the ever so lovely, white granny-panties, but was pleasantly surprised. There was lace, seamless, patterned, even thongs in lots of different colors!! Now, I'm not going to go into what I bought, but I got over $100 worth--hey I've got a little over 3 months left of pregnancy and who knows what my body will look like after our little man is born. I've heard to expect to look like I'm six months along after giving birth, so I figured they'll definitely be put to good use. Here's to underwear that doesn't bunch and fits just right!

Pop! Goes the Belly...

Though you can't see it in the picture (it's my first maternity outfit), my belly has most definitely "popped". B just recently mentioned that I have a mini shelf and whenever we hug or kiss each other we start laughing because the belly has made itself known! It just amazes me how it grows on a weekly basis. I've felt some flutters (which I assume are the baby) but no definitive kicks, yet. I have an appointment and an ultrasound later in the month, where we find out the sex of the bebe, and will hopefully see how much our peanut has changed into an actual baby.

Photography Classes...

From July 1 to this past Wednesday (August 6) I have been taking a photography course at the Charleston Center for Photography. I’ve always been interested in photography and frankly kicked myself for never taking classes when I was in school. So when Brandon gave me a Cannon Rebel for my birthday in June, I decided it would be a good idea to learn how to really use it (plus with the baby on the way having a useful nice camera around would be beneficial). A friend of mine, Jen, had told me her hubby had signed her up for a photography class and mentioned it might be fun to take together. Soto make a long story short; I signed up.

What an incredible learning experience! I learned how to do different techniques, within the camera, that I had always thought were done on the computer. I learned how to lighten and darken a subject, how to take portraits, how to use my lens to create a clear “3D” picture or to create blur, and my

personal favorite-how to take night shots! If there is anyone out there who has a general interest in photography or just how to use one of those “nice cameras”; I highly recommend you take a beginner’s class…believe me, it’s worth it!

Here are some of my best and favorite pictures I’ve taken over the weeks. You can also view my galleries here (mine have Michelle T in the title).

Isn't prgnancy beautiful?

This is my first blog written via my cell phone, so bear with me if there are typos.

I am 11 weeks now, and I've gone from complete exhaution and nausea to gas an heartburn.  Wow, I feel beautiful!  This past weekend I had to appologize up front to my friends for the rumbling, which begins (one would think) in my toes and erupts out my mouth.  If I enrolled in a burping contest, I think I'd stand a good chance of winning!  Unfortunately, however, burping is not the only ''action'' that happens.  It's like the Sex in the City episode, where Carrie and Miranda are shopping (while Miranda is prego).  Miranda apparently lets out an SBD, to which she responds, ''I can turn off the sound but not the smell!''  Oh, isn't pregnancy beautiful?

Baby News

I know by now a few of you already know about our happy news, but I just wanted to confirm/fill everyone else in, that I am pregnant. We're expecting Baby T around the beginning of February! Right now, I am having some morning sickness, but thankfully only nausea, I'm starved all the time and I think I could take a nap almost every hour of the day! I had my first appointment yesterday and will have my first UltraSound in July. B and I are so excited and it took all we had to keep it to ourselves (family and some friends).