So it has been awhile

It has been quite a while since my last posting. I have been so miserably sick; literally wanting to die because of the constant nausea and vomiting. I really thought it was going to last much longer, but I think that the worst of it has broken and I'm starting to getting excited about the pregnancy again. It seems that I waking up with some slight nausea, but nothing as bad as being sick ALLLLL day long. For about 2 weeks I don't think I moved from the couch or bed because of how horrible I have felt. I'm really looking forward to working out again. I believe it's been about 3 weeks since I've been able to do anything physical, just because the jarring of running or any activity perpetuates the sickness.

9 Weeks Pregnant

So this is Baby Woodlief as of now! He/She is getting so big!
Here is what's happening in week 9 which begins on Thursday :)

-Baby is beginning to move, but you won't be able to feel anything for some time.

-Baby is growing nipples and hair follicles

-His pancreas, gallbladder, bile ducts and anus are all in place, ready to poop and pee a dozen times a day when he's born.

-Your baby's head is half the size of his body and his little chin is tucked into his chest. His tiny tail is beginning to shrink away, giving Junior a more human and less amphibious look.

-Until now, all pre-babies look the same "down there." This week, however, your baby will begin to develop either male or female genitalia.

-At this stage, your developing fetus is 1-inch in length, about the size of a martini olive and weighs a mere 2 grams—a little less than a penny.

The start of a belly

Not the best picture, but I am at work so you'll have to cut me some slack!

It has begun

Well, unfortunately it has begun. The crud, the funk, the morning sickness! I'm not sure why they call it morning sickness when I am constantly sick all day. I have felt 100% amazing up to this point and it has hit me sudden and HARD! The thought of food makes me even more sick and just smelling it makes me queasy. I have tried eating crackers but that only makes me more sick. Some friends have suggested the B6 vitamin. Hoping to give it a try and see if that relieves the nausea. (Fingers Crossed)

So today is 6 weeks! Cannot believe that I have a baby growing inside me. The thought of even having a child is beyond surreal. I have really started praying for my baby, praying scripture over their life, and hoping that they will come to know Christ as their Savior. I usually end up crying thinking about what he/she will look like, if they will be musical like their father, or if they will have a heart for humanity to go into the world and make a difference. I think so. I truly do. There is nothing that excites me more than to be able to live a life that gives glory to Christ so that my child may know and believe in Christ. Those are the moments that I am looking forward to.

Developments with baby Woodlief this week are:
The nose, mouth, and ears are beginning to take shape. If you could see into your uterus, you'd find an oversize head and dark spots where your baby's eyes and nostrils are starting to form. His emerging ears are marked by small depressions on the sides of the head, and his arms and legs by protruding buds. His heart is beating about 100 to 160 times a minute — almost twice as fast as yours — and blood is beginning to course through his body.

His intestines are developing, and the bud of tissue that will give rise to his lungs has appeared. His pituitary gland is forming, as are the rest of his brain, muscles, and bones. Right now, your baby is a quarter of an inch long, about the size of a lentil bean.

Will post first belly picture later today!

Morning Sickness

Well today was the first time that I have experienced morning sickness. As I driving around town this morning shopping for Molly a new collar and leash, the sun was terribly blinding and somehow it ended up making me super nauseous. That continued on until I got to Jenn's. As I sat there, I kept getting sicker and sicker until finally everything came up. What a relief...I thought. But unfortunately, it continued on for another hour or so. I am really hoping that this is just going to be a one time deal, but I don't think I will get that lucky....

Yesterday Joshua and I went to our first doctors appointment. We had a blast eating at P.F.Changs and spending some time in our favorite city, Nashville! We sat in the doctor's office laughing and making funny jokes, as we watched people, and my heart grew even more fond of him being a dad. Glimpses of him holding our baby and making "her", "him" laugh is so overwhelming! The doctor said that I was measuring about a week ahead of schedule, so I'm actually about 6 weeks instead of the 5!

3 Weeks until we get to hear our baby's heart beat and see him/her! (April 26, 2010)

What a fresh and exciting season we are about to embark on!

Well it seems that you see that we are PREGNANT! HOLY COW! I cannot believe that we are going to be parents! This season of our lives is SO unexpected, but we are more than thrilled, excited, and all the above emotions that you think of! Ironically, I have been late in the past! In fact, in November of 2009 I was 12 days late and thought I might be pregnant, but after taking 3 tests realized that I was, in fact, not pregnant. Apparently, my body skipped ovulation which caused me to be so late. So, I thought that this must be another skipped ovulation or stressed induced. On Sunday during church I was holding Alex, a friend of ours 5 month old, and it was like a voice whispered in my ear to go take a test. After waiting anxiously for about 30 seconds there it was a + sign on the pregnancy test. (I'm pretty sure that my heart skipped a beat, and I immediately started crying) I ran to get a friend to make sure I was not imaging everything and sure enough I wasn't!


Then I needed my Jenn! I had someone pull her out of service and come get me! We looked like a bunch of giddy school girls talking about our first kiss all over again. Then I pulled Ryan aside and we hugged as he told me how freaking excited he was! We had to do something because at this point Josh had no idea. So, a friend of ours ran to the Dollar Store and got a toy for each sex, wrapped it up, and we pulled Josh in another room to share the news. So Josh sat there as Ryan, Jenn, and I celebrated the news....he on the other hand kept repeating, "This is joke right? You're screwing with me". After realizing that I was tearing up and it wasn't a joke we embraced in the longest hug EVER and celebrated!

So we have taken 3 test, all different kinds, just to ensure that we did not run into any false positives. My first appointment is next Monday with Doctor Davidson at Baptist. (He also delivered Marissa, Ryan and Jenn's middle child)

So today I am 5 weeks pregnant and could not be more happy! I'm feeling great, minus some serious fatigue at night and dizziness but other than that I can't complain!

Mary's 60th Birthday

Our Child :)

Life has been so beautiful lately. I know that it's such a bizarre word to declare for life, but its the only word that comes to mind when I think of life right now. Josh and I have been married for almost 3 weeks and I absolutely adore marriage. It has been a breath of fresh air for my life and has brought a vast amount of healing to my life. It was the official end to ties with either one of my parents and in some way allowed me to believe that I can be free of their bondage imposed on my life from a very young age. Every time I write my name or introduce myself as a Woodlief I get tears in my eyes because I'm finally a Woodlief now! The best thing about marriage is how my relationship with Christ has drastically changed.

On a different note, I would like everyone to meet Ericka Britney Sotelo Acosta. She is our adopted child! Josh and I decided that we wanted to sponsor a child and she is ours! We are so excited! We are really trying to start making a difference in our own lives and the way we live our lives, so we decided to make a childs life better. Andy our friend mentioned Compassion International and now we have a child! We get to send her to school, help her grow physically and spiritually, and overall pray for her. The great and amazing thing about sponsoring a child through Compassion is that we can go on a mission and visit Ericka whenever we want. Josh and I praying desperately about going to see her.

Thanks for reading! Hope everyone is well :)