Awaiting Baby Porterfield... Part 1

Admittedly, this particular post is LONG overdue.  It's been months since we began sharing the news in person & via phone, facebook, skype & messenger pigeon with our friends & family across that country that has had us over the moon since April:

WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!!  (Yes- we found out what we're having.  It's a BOY!!  And no- we aren't sharing his name until he's born!!)

It would suffice to say that our glasses these days are overflowing.  We feel so blessed to be welcoming this sweet baby into our family at the end of the year (or maybe the beginning of next year- time will tell!).  I knew from the early days of our relationship, that I would one day have a family with Doug. The qualities I saw (and still see!) in him are qualities I knew would make him an incredible husband & father. Over the four years we've been together, I've come to admire so much the person that he is, and the person that he has helped me to become. The thought of having this little being to love- who's part him & part me, is a thought that brings me SUCH joy & excitement. Sure, mixed in with this joy & excitement are feelings of uncertainty & fear, but I know that by taking each day one at a time, the journey of parenthood will be the best one we'll ever take together.  I know it sounds SO CLICHE, but I've honestly come to love him ever more since finding out we were going to become parents.  He has shown me such compassion, patience, support & selflessness, for which I am more grateful than I can put into words.  There is no one else I'd rather experience this incredible blessing with than Doug, which of course is just one of the reasons I married him. :)  All of this to say, I am overwhelmed with gratitude & excitement these days.  

I find that I'm like a sponge in my pregnant-woman state.  I'm fortunate to have a plethora of amazing women (including my mom, aunts & girlfriends) in my life who are already moms themselves, and I can't help but pepper them with questions on every topic under the sun.  Six & a half months into my pregnancy, I've reached one definite conclusion:  Pregnancy, childbirth & parenting are not black & white experiences.  (Read: It's different for everyone, and different approaches work for different people).  Going back to those feelings of gratitude, I am thankful to be surrounded by so many amazing moms to learn from & be inspired by.  Ultimately, I know we'll trust our instincts & figure out what works best for us with this little one, but it's still nice to have so many trusted resources on speed dial!  

I never really planned to blog regularly about this pregnancy- no weekly belly photos (though we are taking them monthly), updates on how much weight I've gained (I'm not even keeping track of this- if there's a problem, my doctor will let me know), what I'm craving (really, nothing), what parenting books I'm reading (I've discovered I'm not "into" parenting books- but I'm LOVING "Bringing up Bebe"), etc.  That said, I'll likely post at least another entry or two on some of the high points & milestones of anticipating Baby P--- our recent "babymoon" to San Diego, before/after shots of the nursery, baby showers, etc.

I've selected some photos to tell the story of the past 6 1/2 months... which let's be honest, is probably better than anything I could write...      

One night, a few weeks after we found out we were pregnant, I noticed Doug had disappeared from the living room & was being quiet (which always makes me curious as to what he could possibly be doing.)  I found him in our room-- doing a bit of reading from our "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book.  :)  We drove to Target the night we found out we were pregnant & bought this book!

Snail mail love will forever be one of my favorite things.  After sharing the news of Baby P, we started receiving the SWEETEST, most thoughtful cards in the mail from friends & family near & far.  Each & everyone was a day maker.    

Cards weren't the only things showing up at our house- just like the good old days of college, a few care packages made their way to our house, too.  Seriously, nothing makes a first trimester mom-to-be more grateful than random acts of kindness like this.  My sister Jen surprised me one day with a lovely package from the Republic of Tea in hopes of assisting in my battle against nausea.  We also received a lovely care package from a fellow mom to be on my side of the family, as well as the grandma-to-be's.  The thoughtfulness of other people never ceases to amaze me.  

 One of my friends recently emailed me this picture, which I thought was absolutely PRICELESS.  I've spent more of my pregnancy than I ever imagined possible in this very position, so I appreciate the photo whole heartily.  This brings me to one of the most profound lessons I've learned thus far, one you won't find in any pregnancy book:

Never underestimate the luxury of a thick, fluffy bath mat.  When you're spending a fair amount of time kneeling in front of the toilet, having something soft & well cushioned under you is a little piece of heaven.

We "broke the news" to Doug's parents & my parents by giving them little gifts.  We made these personalized cards on Treat (my latest obsession for greeting cards), and gave it to them with a framed picture from our ultrasound.  To say we have 2 sets of extremely excited grandparents would be a vast understatement.

Inside of the card- with a picture from our celebratory engagement dinner.

The big news on the inside of the card.

And of course... a few "baby" shots:

14 weeks.

16 weeks.

18 weeks.

22 weeks.

24 weeks.

I LOVE this picture taken by Tom Koch at David & Meggie's Rehearsal Dinner on August 3- where we announced we were having a little BOY!  (About 21 weeks pregnant).  There was a whole lot of anticipation surrounding this announcement, and the bride & groom insisted we take the floor before dinner to let everyone know about the newest member of our family!  

More pictures to come in future posts as this little one continues to grow strong & healthy!  Thank you to all our friends & family for your prayers & for sharing in our excitement as we await Baby P... we are so grateful for all of you.