18 Weeks and Counting!

I've been meaning to post for some time now, but sometimes I feel like I have so much to share, I don't even know where to start! So today I thought I'd write a quick post to let you know what's been going on these last few weeks.

1. I'm 18 weeks along now! Baby is the size of a bell pepper- pretty big, right? These last couple weeks have been really wonderful. I've started to feel like my old self again. My energy is back and I'm not as achey or tired as I have been before. I'm still starving though, pretty much all the time, and I've definitely started to gain some weight the past couple weeks. 

Belly pics of 4 months! (16 weeks)

2. My cravings are getting stronger. I mostly crave a few specific things- Thai food, Chinese food (mostly Pei Wei), PIZZA, and cheeseburgers. Give me cheeseburgers all day long. When I crave a cheeseburger though, not just any will do. I always want a specific burger- either In & Out, 5 guys, or sometimes a Habit burger. It's silly, but this girl (and apparently this baby) really loves her burgers!

Micah and I at the airport!

3. I had a birthday this week. I turned 28 on Monday, and it was definitely a mixed emotions sort of day. Ray and I had plans to spend the weekend before my bday up north in Flagstaff, which is a sweet little mountain college town. I just love the idea of being snowed in in the mountains, I think it is just so romantic. But then Friday morning I found out that my sweet brother Micah was coming to visit as a surprise! We picked him up from the airport Friday afternoon and it was just such a happy day. Micah is just a year younger than me, and he has always had my heart, so it was the sweetest gift having him for the weekend. I wish he could come and live with us here- it was just so nice having him around and I miss him so much. So when he left Monday morning, I was pretty sad and homesick. I had a great birthday, but it was tinged with a little sadness. Days when my family leaves after a visit are always a little bit rough.

A few pics of Ray playing volleyball over the weekend.

4. Baby has started moving! Or at least I've started to feel him. I've been feeling his little movements for a couple weeks, but I wasn't really sure until this week that what I was feeling was actually baby. But the last few days his little kicks have become so much stronger! I love feeling him move- it's like I'm finally getting to know him and his personality, at least a little bit. Ray and I love to imagine him jumping and twirling and flexing his little muscles in there. I can tell he's a happy little thing and he seems to have plenty of energy.

5. Tomorrow, we have a sonogram! We are so excited, we've been waiting for this for weeks! We can't wait to see our little baby, his little nose and fingers and his sweet little bum- I don't know how I'm gonna sleep tonight! If he cooperates, we'll also get to find out if he's a girl or a boy. It's gonna be so nice to know! Then we'll be able to start really picturing our life with our sweet little one, and I can start thinking of the nursery! SO MANY EXCITING THINGS.

6. Rachel and I are planning a little gender-reveal party for tomorrow evening. We've been working on a little craft to help us tell our friends what kind of baby we're having. I'll post again really soon to show you pics and let you know how it turned out!

7. Just a little gush about my sweet husband- One day I'll do a whole post devoted just to him, but for now, I just want you all to know that Ray is the sweetest husband. I love him more every day, and I'm so so grateful for him. I pray every day that my sisters and single friends find men who love them as well as Ray loves me. I'm so very blessed!