Our little monkey....

Yesterday I had an ultrasound at my 22 week doctor's appointment. Baby Josie's heart looks good and strong. The doctors seemed very happy with all her valves and veins, she received an A+! She is such an overachiever already!

Josie is currently (not)tipping the scales at a whooping 1 pound, exactly. She is measuring a day or two ahead of where she needs to be (again, what an overachiever). And the best news of all.....Her head is NOT the size of a cantaloupe, as I had expected. Apparently....she has a normal sized head (as of now) and all of her measurements were right where they need to be. I fear, knowing her Daddy and myself, Josie may have a giant globe like head that I am expected to push out of my body. Her Daddy and I both seem to be large in the head department, so trust me...it's a valid fear. But...so far so good!

I have attached two ultrasound photos of Miss Josie! Sorry they are somewhat poor quality. I took a photo (with my phone) of the ultrasound pics, so it's a photo of a photo. Yeah...I am that hi-tech.

The first picture is just Josie's sweet profile (and normal sized head). The second is my favorite. Those are her little feet up by her head! Right now she is folded like a little taco, with her feet positioned up by her head (such an overachieving future gymnast)!





It's amazing how much we love this little monkey already!

The Little Couple = Huge Impact

I watch too much TV. That would be apparent if you lived with me for one evening. Since you don't live with me, this may become apparent to you after reading this post.

That being said....

I freaking love this show!!!



Actually, to be honest, I love this lady...



(OMG I hate how tiny these pictures are, even when you click on them, but I am too lazy to search for more....sorry)

Nothing against the show (because I love it) or Bill (the sweet hubby), but Jen is a freaking ROCKSTAR! This lady appears to have more drive and determination than most people I know, put together. We all face obstacles in our lives. It's inevitable to meet resistance in one endeavor or more along the way. I imagine, being a little person, Jen has met more resistance than most. I guess the thing I admire most about her is that she does not appear to have ever let her obstacles slow her down. She seems to be an amazing doctor with exactly the right amount of compassion and care. She never complains (at least not on the show) or makes excuses....I know so many people who could learn a lesson or two from her.

I guess I feel like I have a little connection to Jen (in my own weird way). She, too, has had to undergo fertility drugs, shots, and the dreaded (for me) egg retrieval. As I watched last nights episode of Jen's most recent egg retrieval, I could not help but go back to my own experiences. I practically held my breath waiting to learn if any of her eggs were retrieved, then fertilized. I remember, so vividly (mostly because it was just recently) the days of multiple ultrasounds. The days of "are there enough eggs in my ovaries", "are there too many eggs in my ovaries" and of course, the retrieval. Which was painful, both emotionally and physically. I recall waiting to learn how many eggs were retrieved and waiting so nervously to hear if any had fertilized.

Last night's episode was a reminder at what a miracle modern medicine can be. It was also a reminder that there is no guarantee with IVF. You can take all the medicine they advise, endure all the shots, and pay all the money...but in the end you get no guarantee. All you are left with is the faith and hope that things work out the way you wish. Thankfully, Jen and Bill were able to retrieve two more eggs (to add to the one they got from a previous retrieval) and make another embryo (to add to the first one). They now have two embryos! A potential start to their potentially wonderful family!

Just in the past few days I have started to feel Josie's kicks and movements. She is finally strong enough that I know, with out a doubt, that those feelings are indeed kicks and not muscle spasms (or gas...kidding). These kicks are a daily reminder of our personal miracle. Just as I thought, the journey we took to get to Josie has become a distant memory. We celebrate daily the little life within me, but don't reflect on how we got here as often as we probably should. I hope in the near future Jen and Bill are celebrating their growing baby too. I pray, they too, will look back at their journey as a distant memory of where they started....and although they will use a surrogate carrier, I hope the kicks and movements and growing belly will soon be a part of their daily celebrations! Wishing all the luck to this sweet couple.

And if you haven't ever watched this show, take 30 minutes and watch an episode! I guarantee within that half hour you are impressed by the positive attitude and determination of this couple. If you are not....you might be a Communist (which of course you are unlikely to 'fess up to....so whatever...I mean, you're a communist, so why would I even care what you think?).

Mean Bird

Last night Dixie was being harassed by a bird in our backyard. It was hilarious! Naturally Dixie tried to run inside when the bird went after her. I wanted to put the dogs outside as much as possible last night to see if it would happen again, but Brandon wouldn't let me.

It was very similar to this video (although this is not my dog) and same kind of bird....



This morning as I was getting ready for work I noticed the bird flew up onto our deck. Seconds later Noah came charging onto the deck and ran right to where the bird had been perched. I can only assume he had a little run in with the bird this morning too! Totally made my morning! Is that bad of me?

I may never understand.....

I rarely find myself speechless. Whether it be serious or smart aleck (sp?), I almost always have something to say.

This woman.....



....and the outcome of her recent trial have left me speechless. Most people are well aware of who Casey Anthony is and what she was being tried for. Most of us have our own opinions on what may or may not have happened, and most of us decided long before her trial even began if she was guilty or not guilty.

I continue to try to believe that if a jury of her peers (people just like you and I) could not find enough proof or evidence to conclude that she was guilty of the murder of her sweet child, maybe (just maybe) she in fact is not the responsible party. Although not having enough evidence to convict and actually being guilty of that crime can many times be two VERY separate things.

I have to think the jurors are sick over letting this clearly psychopathic woman walk free. I have to think this is NOT the choice they wanted. But...if you can't prove something, you can't convict, right? And now, even if all the evidence in the world pops up, we could never try this lunatic for the murder of her daughter again (although I am sure they could come up with some new creative charge). If she is not guilty, I just can't figure out what the hell she was doing for those 31 days before she reported Caylee missing.

In the end, my heart goes out to the family and loved ones who lost a perfect, healthy, bright, and beautiful little girl. My heart goes out to the jurors, who had to set free a woman they most likely felt was guilty. I can only imagine how difficult and haunting that must have been. And my heart goes out the the Anthony family....whose name has been dragged through more mud during this trial. Casey Anthony may be free (as of next week), but she, like the rest of us, will one day have to meet her maker. One day she will have to answer for the actions she has taken and I have to assume, if she is guilty, that judgement won't be so light.

I hope Caylee Anthony can rest in peace.

Pregnancy Survey

I don't usually do these little surveys because I think they are kind of goofy. BUT, I figured doing one (as a quick updater) wouldn't hurt me!

Week 19- June 24th - July 1st
Due Date: November 16, 2011

How Big is Baby: As of 6/16, baby Bice was 8 ounces, so I would guess she is probably pushing 10 ounces by now, if not more. What a heifer!

Symptoms: I have been really lucky so far. The only major symptoms I have are indigestion and lack of sleep. I have recently started to get little back aches, but nothing to write home about! :)

Cravings: Everything. I want to eat everything, especially Mexican food and sub sandwiches.

Sleep: Sucks. It has sucked since I was only 8 weeks or so along. But, I am a bad sleeper when I am not pregnant, so no major change. Part of the problem is having to get up and use the bathroom twice or three times a night.

I Can't Live Without: Snacks, Tums, and an extra pillow in my bed.

I Miss: Wine (how sad is that), running consistently without having to pee....that's about it.

I am Looking Forward to: Seeing Josie for the first time.

Milestones: On Friday we will hit 20 weeks, half way through the pregnancy! YAY! Also...finding out Baby Bice was a girl.

Awkward Moments: Filling up the washing machine with water, detergent, and clothes then forgetting to close the lid so it would start. Doing everything needed to the dryer, then forgetting to press start. Sneezing (if you have to ask, you may not want to know why)

Exercise: I was doing really good with running and that would honestly be my preferred method of exercise, but now I can't go more than 1/4 of a mile without having to pee. It doesn't matter if I peed 20 times before going to run. The baby must just be positioned right on top of my bladder. SOOO...Currently, I am walking. It doesn't cause the intense pressure or need to pee.

Diet: Hahahaaaahhhaaahahaha. No, really...hahahahaha!

Movement: Nothing serious yet. I think I have started to feel her move, but who knows...it may just be gas! I get random sensations that feel like muscles spasms going across my belly.

Gender: GIRL!

Labor Signs: It’s far too soon for this!

Reaching the halfway point.....

My friend JoElla keeps hounding me to put up more posts and stop being lazy. So, basically, this post is just to get her off my back a bit! Just kidding Jo!

First and foremost....Our big news!!



We are expecting a little girl in November! We plan to name her Josie Noelle, although we both agree this could change a hundred times between now and November! We are so excited and can't wait to meet Josie.

Brandon and I are counting our blessings daily. We realize this little girl will be a miracle for us. After spending so much time researching and prepping for our IVF treatments, retrieval, and transfer; it almost seems unreal that we actually got pregnant on our first try. We recognize this is a fairly rare occurrence, and are constantly grateful.

I have to go back to the doctor in early July to have another ultrasound. I am so excited because JoElla (the blog Nazi) will be in town and get to go with me! Jo has been in Mexico throughout our pregnancy and has not gotten to see how large I am getting or experience my advanced appetite or my new and improved mood swings. She may not be as excited as I am!!!

On Friday I will officially be 20 weeks along. It is hard to believe this pregnancy is almost half over. I have a feeling I will blink and before I know it Brandon and I will be shuffling off to the hospital to meet Josie!

Randon photos....

I don't have too much to say at the moment, so I thought I would show some pictures I have taken recently.

I work in an interesting community in Knoxville. We are a mixed residential/commercial neighborhood. I would venture to say this community is borderline ghetto....although there are days I forget how ghetto it is. Then...there are mornings like this one. This is what I saw first thing this morning.



I am not particularly fond of these neighbors. I don't think they take good care of their dogs and when their dogs had puppies, I called Animal Control on them because the pups kept getting loose and running in the road. This wouldn't necessarily bother me, except we have constant tracker trailer traffic on our road and it would be nearly impossible for any driver to spot a dog. Also...the pups were covered in fleas and looking sickly. I could go on and on, but I will stop there. I will say this, though, I would have paid good money to witness these neighbors climb this ladder (which was seriously high) and cut these limbs. I am SURE it was quite a show.

The following picture was taken in the bathroom at work. I have worked in this building for nearly 4 years. Today was the first time in 4 years I noticed the PHONE JACK in the bathroom. Why? Possible conference call, of course. I don't know why I find this so weird....but I do.



Brandon and I have really enjoyed the local Farmer's Market each week! Here are a couple of photos I took two weeks ago.









This Thursday morning Brandon and I will get to find out if we are having a boy or a girl! We are so excited we can barely wait. Brandon admitted last weekend that he is ready to buy some gender specific clothes for Baby Bice!

The dogs are excited to find out too......



Of course...they make this face every time I get the camera out (not really)! I love their sweet smiley faces!