The Best of Birthdays.

This birthday was definitely one for the books.....

For me personally, my birthday has usually been a fun day, but typically not too huge of an ordeal. Kyle typically takes me to eat somewhere nice, I buy a new shirt or birthday outfit, and that is the extent of it! This year however, Kyle & my sweet friends went above and beyond and made the day so special that at the end of it I could literally do nothing but just smile with gratitude! I did get my birthday outfit like usual and Kyle did take me out for a delicious dinner date, but when we got home I found that he along with a couple of my close friends out here had planned a big surprise birthday party for me complete with cake, balloons, and all of my dear friends to celebrate!

(A BIG thanks to my girlfriend Taylor for making sure to get pictures at the party!)

Before this, I had never had a surprise party and had not had a big, full-out birthday party with friends since my sweet 16, so to say that I was completely surprised would be a HUGE understatement! Everyone did such a good job keeping the secret and I had no idea what was coming!!  I am so glad that I do have such a thoughtful husband and friends that did think to put the party together, because I could seriously have not thought of a better way to end the day and welcome in 26 than with all of them! The party was nothing short of amazing fun and excitement, but if I am completely honest I'd have to say that my BEST birthday surprise/present of the year came in a little bit smaller of a package.....

(Ultrasound: baby girl's heart & heart beat)

That's right .... 20 Week Ultrasound! 

I'll have to admit, I was slightly anxious going into my 20 week ultrasound. I was SUPER excited to be able to see how our baby girl has been growing (at our last ultrasound she basically looked like a gummy bear with teeny-tiny arms) and couldn't think of a better way to spend the morning of my birthday, but I also knew that this could be where any major pregnancy/development complications would be discovered, and I so badly wanted to know that everything was A-OK. For anyone that has gone through this appointment before this may sound ridiculous, but I didn't realize just how into detail the ultrasound tech would go into every tiny part of our baby's anatomy. The pictures that you always see people bring home are usually the cute 3D ones of the baby cuddling, so I guess I thought there'd be a lot more of that instead of the tech getting super close up to all of the baby's organs and making sure that everything was as it should be. After going through the experience however, I was super grateful for how the appointment went, because the peace of mind that I was able to get in knowing that everything IS how it should be and that my baby is developing perfectly is seriously the best birthday present I could ever have asked for!

Ultimately if I had to choose a word to describe how my 26th year of life is starting out it would have to be GRATEFUL. I'm incredibly grateful for my sweet, amazing supportive husband that helps me with everything I need and that is seriously going to be the best father ever to our daughter. I'm so grateful for my dear friends out here and for how thoughtful and kind they are with everything that they do, and I'm SO grateful for this beautiful little girl growing inside of me and the opportunity that I have to be her mother! I have so much in life to appreciate right now, and can say with some confidence that my 26th year will definitely be one of the most memorable years of my life to date. :)

Bump Update: 20 Weeks (Halfway There!)

How far along? 20 weeks, 6 days. Maternity Clothes? Yes, they've basically become a necessity now. Every time I've tried wearing a non-maternity shirt I've got a bit of midriff showing at the bottom and it is SUPER awkward so I guess it's maternity from here on out! GAP is probably my favorite place to shop for maternity clothes because they're the only place I've found that fits my growing belly but isn't huge on the rest of my still fairly skinny frame! Sleep? Probably the best that I've had since getting pregnant. I'll still have crazy dreams from time to time and have to wake up to use the bathroom, but have been feeling WAY more rested than I have up to this point (yay for the 2nd trimester!) Food Cravings? I can't think of anything that I've specifically been craving lately, but I have been ridiculously hungry and feel like I am eating ALL THE TIME. I've gained about 10 pounds since becoming pregnant which freaked me out at first, but my doctor says that I'm right where I should be so I figure that I will continue to eat and grow and let myself and baby girl enjoy the food! Queasy's? The only thing that can still make me feel queasy is a really bad night's sleep followed by still having to get up and going with the day. Thankfully with how well my sleep has been though this hasn't been too much of a problem and fingers crossed that we are leaving that part of pregnancy behind! Funny/Weird Pregnancy Moment? I tried painting my toenails for the first time since I've really started to grow a belly, and the results were laughable. I can still see my toes fine, but I felt like I was doing gymnastics mixed with yoga to be able to reach them, and they turned out pretty messy and required a bit of cleanup. Looks like it's pedicures from here on out. ;D Best pregnancy moment so far? During my 20-week ultrasound appointment, I thought it was the neatest thing in the entire world to be able to see my baby on the television screen moving at the exact same time as I could feel her moving inside of me. It was such a surreal experience, and that along with the doctor telling me that everything checked out well and was as it should be combined to be an amazing and memorable experience!

Next bump update will probably be in about 4 weeks for those that enjoy reading them! Unless something exciting comes up I basically plan to do them monthly from now until end of June when our baby makes her big debut! :)
-Lots of Love! Kyle, Chelsea & Baby Girl Pett-