20 WEEKS!

20 weeks, 1 day

I am officially halfway there! I can't believe how fast the first half of my pregnancy went. It feels like just yesterday I was announcing my pregnancy. Now I am well into my second trimester, know the gender and am SO excited for November.

We had our 20 week ultrasound today. Gwen is growing like a weed! She is healthy and happy! She was moving around and making kissy faces at us. I just wish I could feel her moving!!!! I have an anterior placenta which means the placenta is growing on top of the baby between my belly and her. It basically acts like a pillow so until she gets a little bigger, I won't be feeling her much. Every now and then I think I feel something but I am not sure what I am waiting for! Regardless, seeing her move and hearing her heartbeat gave me the reassurance I was looking for.

FAVORITE THINGS

17 weeks, 1 day

I was grabbing some lunch yesterday at the Kroger across from my work and as I pulled into the Expectant Mother's parking spot I couldn't help but smile. I love this little "perk". Up-close parking that feels like it's reserved just for me (oh, and the million other pregnant women). That made me start thinking about all of my other favorite things about being pregnant. My top ten list so far is as follows:

10. Up-Close Parking

9. Having an excuse to slack a bit on the housework

8. Afternoon naps that never felt better!

7. Using my craftiness to decorate the nursery!

6. Being able to call a room in my house "the nursery"

5. Anticipating the feeling of my baby moving

4. Knowing that wherever I go, I've got a little someone in/with me along for the ride

3. Enjoying the quiet moments with my husband before our lives are changed forever

2. Feeling like I am in the process of my life's greatest accomplishment

1. Watching my teary-eyed husband lean over to softly kiss my belly in the ultrasound room as we found out we were having a girl

BABY E?

16 weeks, 1 day

So I know a few of my friends and relatives were wondering why we were calling our unborn child "Baby E". Since becoming pregnant, we have gone back and forth on baby names. What a tough decision to come up with a name that 1.) You both can agree on and 2.) A name your child won't hate for the rest of their lives. We decided if it were to be a boy we would name him Ethan and if it were to be a girl we would name her Emma. Hence the reference of "Baby E".

With that being said, those decisions were made BEFORE I started researching name popularity. I had no clue that both Emma and Ethan are two of the most popular baby names of the last decade. In fact, in 2009, Emma ranked #1 for girls and Ethan ranked #2 for boys. I have since read that Emma has fallen in popularity to the #2 ranking, and I believe Ethan has dropped to #3 or #4. We racked our brains for different names, because even though we LOVE those names, I remember what it was like to be 1 out of 10 Jennifer's in each of my classes. We decided if it were a boy Ethan would just have to do - as it is at least falling in popularity. Emma, on the other hand, is just still far too popular and that leads us to our new chosen name for a girl: Gwen.

With all that in mind - we had a pleasant surprise today by learning at my 16 week ultrasound that we are having.........A GIRL! We are so lucky to have found out without having to wait until our 20th week scan! So Good-bye "Baby E", Hello "Gwen River Gordon". Mommy and Daddy love you, sweet baby girl!