Growing all around!

Hello all! So I thought this is how this blog thing would work . . . I'd get it started and then never update it!! I'm going to work on being more frequent, but really until the baby comes the rest of the world will only be able to handle so many belly pictures and Barley pictures!!! So at least once a month you can expect an update but I'll shoot for more if something exciting happens!

Here are the updates:
I have gained a grand total of 5 pounds during this pregancy so far, although I feel like I look much bigger than 5 pounds (a picture coming soon of the belly)!! And I'm hungry all the time now; I even get up in the middle of the night occassionally to eat! I'm down to like 4 pairs of normal pants that fit and am getting into belly bands and maternity clothes! It's crazy getting big when you've almost always been the same body size with very little fluctuation in the past. I don't mind though - it's all for a good, fun cause!

Last Tuesday we had our 15 week doctor visit and got to hear the baby's heartbeat. Quite a quick beater! Watching the doctor track the heartbeat was kind of like watching someone trying to catch their gold fish with a net in the fish tank - the doctor was swimming all over my stomach trying to keep the heartbeat audible. We have quite the little mover already! I attribute that to Joe!!

During this visit I also received a flu shot (not swine yet). I didn't know this was coming and wasn't thrilled because every time I've gotten one in the past I've gotten sick. And sure enough, within 4 hours I felt awful and lucky for me Wednesday night was Parent Open House night and I didn't get home until 10pm. By Thursday I had a 101 degree fever and was out of commission - no school for me Friday due to illness. In fact, no getting out of bed. It was terrible. I'm feeling much better after taking Friday and the whole weekend off; I'm down to just a terrible cough now. I haven't been this sick since 2006 - go figure it happens while I'm pregnant!

The month of November brings us the opportunity to see what the sex of the baby is if we would like. We haven't decided yet!! We're don't feel the unending desire to know, but we've heard great reasons to wait AND to find out. Plus, when you're on a budget like we are, many have told me it's nice to know what you're having so you spend accordingly in preparation. Just another decision to make, right?!

Barley is growing like a weed. He has definately hit and exceeded the 50 lbs. mark as a 6 month old puppy. He has almost lost all of his puppy teeth - we have just a few more. I can't wait for this process to be done because my goodness does his breath stink!!! And he's still chewing everything (meaning our arms)!!! He's such a good boy though. His list of tricks is up to: heel, sit, lay down, roll over, paw, high five, army crawl, stay, come, play dead, and get your leash. And great Barley news - the breed are not swimmers or retrievers by nature and we now have him doing both!!! Playing with him is so much more fun now - we throw the ball and he actually brings it back more than once!! For those of you that have met him, his hair is almost completely different than this summer. Instead of puppy fuzz he now has longer, thicker, curlier hair! Our big boy! He is still a darn lap dog though. I heard that doesn't ever go away, even when they're 120 lbs!!!

Pictures are coming soon (as in hopefully tomorrow night!!).

Love you all and stay healthy!!

Dre and Joe