Valentines Day!

Kevin and I decided to get away for our last "kid free" Valentines Day. We went to Grandview Lodge in Northern MN for the weekend. We had a great time and enjoyed being away together. Kevin surprised me with an appointment at the Spa and I had a massage, which was amazing! We spent time in the small town of Nisswa and went out to dinner at the Historic Shearwood Forest Restaurant. It was a great get-away and a wonderful Valentines Day!

Just for kicks...

I am beginning to feel all of the movement we saw during the ultrasound. We have a very busy baby boy! I have been feeling "flutters" for the past couple of weeks but on Thursday night I felt a real kick. I was laying in bed around 11:00pm and Kevin was on the computer in the next room. I was just starting to fall asleep when I felt a big thump! I called Kevin in and he felt two or three kicks as well. Every since Thursday I have felt lots of movement and kicks, especially at night. It is so amazing to feel the baby move around and I love that Kevin is able to feel him kick too. This journey keeps getting better and better!

It's a...BOY!!!!!

We had our 20 week ultrasound today and after 40 minutes of measurements and watching Baby Allen move around we learned that IT'S A BOY!!! We were very surprised and excited when we heard the news! We found out that the baby is healthy and growing strong. All of the measurements looked good including his heart, spine, kidneys and brain. He was VERY active during the ultrasound and at first it was hard for the tech to get a good view of his "parts". I thought for a moment that we weren't going to be able to find out but then the baby moved in a good viewing position and she announced that "It's a Boy"! It was hard to believe that the image we saw on the screen was actually him moving around inside of me. We saw him sucking his thumb and opening his mouth. He kept kicking his arms and legs! What an active little boy we have on our hands!!! Maybe he will get all of his energy out before birth :)

After the ultrasound we went to the flower shop and bought a blue flowering plant and an "It's a Boy" balloon for both of our parents. We went over to my parents first and told them and Charlie. They were thrilled! We even got our first blue outfit from Grammy and Gramps. Then we went over to Kevin's parents and they were very excited. They thought it was going to be a girl so it was quite a surprise for them! It was so fun to share the good news- a healthy baby boy!

After that Kevin and I went out for dinner with the Baby Name book and chatted a little about names and the future of Baby Allen- hockey, fishing, sports, the cabin so many great things to look forward to! Then we went to the mall to buy a few boy outfits. It is hard not to go crazy, everything just looks so cute.

It has been an amazing day. We feel so blessed that we are going to be having a healthy baby boy. We are so excited to meet him!!! July 2nd can't get here fast enough!!! Thanks for all of your thoughts and well wishes. We are so lucky to have such supportive family and friends.

The top picture is of the baby's face looking at the camera, the picture on the right is of the spine and the bottom picture is of the baby's profile. Like I said earlier, he was moving so much it was hard for the tech to get a good view!

Today at 3:00...

We have our 20 week ultrasound today at 3:00. I can't believe that we are going to find out if Baby Allen is a boy or a girl in less than an hour!!! We have wondered for 20 weeks what we are having and (hopefully) we will know today. Many people have warned me that sometimes it is hard to tell or that the baby does not cooperate to find out. If that is the case, we understand that it is meant for us to be surprised at delivery.

Everyone seems to have a different opinion about what we are having...All along I thought it was a girl. I have pictured having a girl, sometimes I accidentally refer to the baby as a she and I've had many girl dreams. However, lately I have been thinking it may be a boy. I looked at a Chinese birth calendar and that said it was a boy and my mom did the "pencil test" on me last night and the results showed that it was a boy. Most of my family thinks we are having a boy and Kevin's family is split. It is so fun to hear every one's opinion and reason for why they think pink or blue.

I do realize that the most important reason for today's ultrasound is to make sure the baby is healthy. The unknown is kind of scary, so I keep myself sane by focusing on the gender and not the possible health issues. In the end, it doesn't matter in the slightest if it is a boy or a girl as long as the baby is healthy and strong. That is the news I am most excited to hear today. I will keep you all updated and post the ultrasound pictures tonight!!! Check back later for more news!!!

Welcome Claire Ann Meyer!

Our good friends Brian and Meggie Meyer had a beautiful baby girl on Jan. 29th. Kevin and I went to the hospital to visit and meet sweet Claire. She is an adorable baby with lots of dark hair. It was so fun to meet her after 9 months of waiting! It made us very excited to meet Baby Allen. I know that they will be good buddies! Congrats Brian and Meggie!