Monday, July 28, 2008

Pregnancy...a LOVE/HATE relationship...

26 weeks down, 14 (maybe 12 or 13) to go...can I survive? I guess I have made it this far so there is no turning back now ...but this sure has been a lot tougher than my first pregnancy. I hope this is not an indication of baby Julia's personality!! So, just for fun..here are my top ten complaints and praises about this roller coaster ride I am on...

Top Ten COMPLAINTS about my pregnancy:
1. Can't sleep on my stomach
2. The waddle
3. Can't eat three normal meals anymore...more like snacks and bite-size portions
4. the GROWING vericose vein on my left leg...definitely deserves its own post!
5. no bikini this summer
6. no beer this summer
7. too much laying down...I am not a good "rester"
8. prenatal horse pills
9. 14 weeks of nausea.. thank goodness that has passed
10. bouts of sleeplessness...thank goodness for Tylenol PM!

Top Ten PRAISES about my pregnancy:
1. a healthy baby
2. a baby girl to round out our family
3. the opportunity to SLOW DOWN and relax...I am not a good "relaxer"
4. still able to exercise
5. feeling Julia's kicking and moving around...reminds me just how much of a miracle my baby is
6. the glow..face, hair, nails!
7. watching Griffin embrace the idea of being a big brother
8. nursery preparations!
9. Target and Old Navy carrying maternity clothing.. not an option last time!
10. guiltless eating of chocolate and junk food!!!!

With all being said and done, I am truly grateful and thankful to God for blessing me with this life inside of me.. I hope that I can continue to be the mother I want to be and that Griffin has allowed me to be. I know that Julia will add a spark and some spice to our family....and it will be wonderful!

What's in a name?

Well...after several months of brainstorming, we finally have a name for this baby girl...drumroll please.....

Julia Rose Koellner

Julia is a family name (one of my Dad's aunts)
Rose is Griffin's choice ...not particularly my top favorite but he thought it would be a good idea to name her after me because he is named after Kenny (both have the middle name Ryan). That makes sense to me. He also thinks that because he looks like Kenny that Julia should look like me.. only time will tell!

Such a big decision to give her a name... I am glad we can mark that off the list and get monogramming!!!!