And the winner is...

Girl!

Yes we are having a girl, well, as far was we know we are.

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 21 weeks exactly

Size of Baby: 10 1/2 inches, 12 oz.

Total Weight Gain: 15 lbs. I'm a little embarrassed about this, but then people keep telling me I'm not even showing, so I must be really good at hiding it all!

Maternity Clothes: A couple of things, but I'm in the in between stage where my normal clothes are getting pretty uncomfortable, but the maternity clothes are still too big.

Gender: GIRL

Food Cravings: I guess I'm just weird because I'm really not craving anything, except for chocolate maybe, but that's pretty normal for me!

What I miss: coffee! especially now that school has started. Coffee has been a part of my morning routine since I was a freshman in high school! But it's okay, it's a small sacrifice.

Sleep: lots of sleep is good. I still don't get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I'm not sure this is a good thing, but no bladder infections so far.

Symptoms: I'm pretty tired still, mostly with school starting. My back and hips ache sometimes, I think the shifting and separating has begun. Random hiccups, lots of them, is this normal?? It's kind of embarrassing at times.

Best Moment of the Week: Of course finding out what we're having. Seeing the heart in the ultra-sound. It's pretty amazing when you think that is probably the only good look at our babies heart anyone will ever have, unless she'll ever have to have an EKG or something. And John finally got to feel her kicking around! She's been a real mover and a shaker the past few days

What I'm Looking Forward to: right now I'm just trying to live in the moment, knowing that life is going to continue to change in the next few months and beyond!

Her little profile

And my not so little profile (I know this isn't a very good picture but John wasn't home to take it, so it was the best I could do)!

18 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 18 weeks and 5 days

Size of Baby: 5 1/2 in. crown to rump, about 7 oz.

Total Weight Gain: 10 lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Some, I've worn a couple shirts but am still fitting into my pants, as long as I unbutton the top button.

Gender: Unknown, but we find out on Aug. 27th

Food Cravings: No real cravings at this time!

What I miss: being able to move as quickly as I used to, it's kind of hard to bend over and get up now

Sleep: Still sleeping good, but I no longer can sleep on my stomach or back, I'm glad it seemed to be an easy transition since I'm very much a stomach sleeper

Symptoms: Not eating as much as I was, but I'm still pretty tired and my back and hips are starting to ache!

Best Moment of the Week: Finally feeling this little bugger inside me! Can't wait till John will be able to feel him/her too!

What I'm Looking Forward to: Finding out the sex

And here is the first picture!

When tragedy strikes

As many of you have heard, our squadron lost a C-17 this past week and all four crew members that were on board. This past week has been the longest and hardest emotional roller coaster I have been on and John for that matter. First there are the feelings of gratefulness when you come to the realization that it wasn't your husband that was on that plane, and then there is the overwhelming loss you feel when you realize it's your friend's husband who was. And as the calls come in asking, "Is everything alright?" your so thankful to say, "John's okay, he's flying tomorrow," yet you know that someone else does not get to say that, and you realize how easily that someone else could have been you. Through all this, I have learned that the Air Force truly does take care of it's people. And it's not the Air Force as an institution, but the people of the Air Force who take care of it's people.

As we move on from this tragic event, feeling a little more fragile and a little less invincible, we remember that our hope is not in the pilots, who like us are only human; our hope is not in the plane, which up until last Wednesday has never crashed; but our hope is in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Please keep the families of Capt. Jeffery Hill, Maj. Aaron Malone, Maj. Mike Freyholtz, and Sen. Master Sgt. Tom Cicardo in your prayers. All were husbands, all were fathers, and all served this country with strength and dignity. We are all proud of the legacy they leave behind.