30 Days and Counting

Okay, if any of you out there still read this blog, despite my inability to update it, I would like you to help us out. We have a pool going to see who can most accurately predict the birth date and size of our baby. Go to the following website, http://www.expectnet.com/games/FurstBourneButler, and enter your prediction! (Thanks Jen for showing us this website when you had your baby.) More recent ultrasounds and shower pictures to be posted soon.

"Furst Bourne" Butler

I think all of you who read this blog are already aware of our great news, but we are expecting. Our first born is due on July 24, 2009. I figured it was about time we started posting pregnancy updates here on our blog.

Here Joey and I are on the day our little one was conceived. As you can see these aren't X-rated photos. We did have a little help from modern medicine. The doctors helped my body to produce an egg and then they gave Joey's swimmers a little head start. Joey didn't have much to do that day, except provide a sample, but he tried hard to pretend he was a part of everything going on.

This was our first ultrasound taken to confirm our pregnancy. I was about 6 1/2 weeks along at this time. We saw the heart beating and were able to hear the heartbeat too. Nothing could have been better! The doctor told us the heart we were watching and listening to had only started beating sometime within the last 24-48 hours. So amazing!!!

This ultrasound was taken on Christmas Eve, when I was almost 10 weeks along. We considered them to be one of our best Christmas presents. Unfortunately, the reason we needed to have the ultrasound was a little frightening. I was having some spotting. It turns out the spotting was something completely normal, but being 1st time parents-to-be, we completely panicked. The baby seemed as excited to see us as we were to see it. Its newly formed arm wouldn't stop waving to us. Then, it stuck both of its feet right in the way of the ultrasound and we had the chance to count all ten little toes. You can count them yourself in the ultrasound below. It is my favorite ultrasound so far.
Overall, I would have to say I've had a great pregancy so far. (Knock on wood.) Our fertility treatments worked the first go round. I skipped the morning sickness or anytime of sickness stuff. Other than the spotting and some nasty headaches, there haven't been any problems. We keep praying that it will stay that way.

Joey is going to be a great daddy. He gets giddy everytime he thinks about us having a baby. He has been great to get me whatever I am craving, from Arby's to Thin Mint icecream to gummy candy. At his work, our baby has been dubbed "the shop baby." Everyone feels like they are the auntie or uncle of the baby. Joe's friends, all of whom are single or at least not married yet, all want to have a shower for the baby. It's a good thing one of their girlfriends took over the planning for the shower. We may have ended up playing "Rock Band" or some other video game as the shower games. Just kidding, they are all nice guys and it is really cute to see everyone around us so excited for us.

Well, I will do my best to keep you all updated on the condition of mommy and baby (and daddy). Below is our most recent ultrasound of the baby. It was taken at about 12 weeks.