Announcement!!!

I know it's been a while since I wrote last, but I have had to keep myself away from the blog due to a secret I've been keeping - I was so afraid if I got on here I would somehow spill the beans!! Now the secret is out and it is time to make the official blog announcement - I'm going to be a MOMMY!!! Yes, Justin and I are going to be parents and we could not be more excited about it! We found out at the end of April but I have kept it a secret so that we could surprise our moms on Mother's Day. We got each of them a bib that says "I love my Grandma" and that was how we told them last Sunday! It was a really special day and I'm so happy that the news is finally out. That is one secret that is extremely hard to keep!!!

My mom cried her eyes out, which is the exact reaction I was expecting (we're an emotional family!). Because of a status I had put on my facebook page saying I couldn't wait to surprise my mom on Mother's Day, people started figuring it out - my cousin included. Well, secrets don't stay secrets in my family and by the time Mother's Day came around, all of my mom's sisters had already figured it out, which was really funny to see the reaction on my mom's face when she thought we told the entire family except for her!! My mom and her sisters are very close so it was fun to see them tease her about it! This will be my grandmother's 14th great-grandchild, which means that besides my younger brother, I am the last of the grandchildren to have a baby!! I guess it's about time, huh?!!

Due to this (planned) surprise, Justin and I have been on the house hunt. We have picked out a few that we really love and Justin has gone out to see the one at the top of our list. We still have a couple of things to sort out before we can really get into the pre-approval process, but I'll be so happy and relieved when this is all said and done.

I have been feeling okay, with the exception of last week and this week. I began feeling the "morning sickness" last week, however, I haven't actually been throwing up. I'm extremely nauseated in the mornings and I have had a really hard time eating anything. By the end of last week, I began feeling a sore throat which has turned into a bad cold/sinus problems. I'm very stopped up, can't stop coughing, my ears are stopped up - I'm just in bad shape right now. Luckily the doctor called back today with a list of over-the-counter meds that are safe for me to take. Hopefully this will pass in the next couple of days.

Our first doctor's appointment is Wednesday! I'm so anxious and ready to have the first ultrasound!! I feel like it will make this experience feel a little more real, since right now the only "proof" that I have of being pregnant is the yuckiness that I feel. I will be sure to keep the blog updated on our progress!!

I'm also excited that I will be able to attend my friend Nikki's wedding in June!! Considering I haven't seen her in about 10 years or so, I'm thrilled to be able to be a part of this special day with her!! It will be a super short trip for me, about 24 hours actually! I will fly up to St. Louis really early Saturday morning, go to the wedding and reception, then fly back really early Sunday morning. I have to make it as short/cheap a trip as possible given our current circumstances, but to me it is worth it just to see her again. It's bad that we have gone this long without seeing each other, but it was hard in college when we lost touch. Now that we are back in touch and communicate regularly, we cannot let this happen again!! She was able to see a specialist in Indiana recently, and he was able to go over some treatment options with her. This is the same doctor that treated Lance Armstrong when he had cancer!! So yeah, I would say she will be in very good hands with him! She does have to wait until she has her next surgery to change doctors for insurance reasons, and she was going to the doctor today to see how her scan looked. She will possibly have the next surgery before the wedding, which is June 20. I worry about her so much, as I can't even begin to imagine what she's going through. I'm just so happy to have her back in my life. Please keep her in your prayers.

Thanks for reading and I would love any advice from all of you mommies out there!! I'm really looking forward to the next 8 months of this pregnancy, and your prayers are always welcome!!