Nursery Project #1...check!

I spent part of the day working on my first project for the nursery. I am the first to admit that I am not in the least bit artsy, but I want the baby's room to have personal touches, so I figured I better suck it up. I started with something pretty simple, and in under two hours I made these wooden letters for the wall above her crib! I think they turned out pretty good, and were way less expensive than the ones I've seen to buy at places like Pottery Barn Kids. We'll probably start working on the nursery over Thanksgiving weekend. Nate will take all of the stuff out and pull up the carpet on the Wednesday that I'm still in school, and then on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we can take our time painting and putting up new baseboards and molding. Then the next weekend we will lay the hardwood floors. Whew, I'm tired just thinking about doing all that, but in the end I can't wait for it to be done!

Cleaning out my closet...

So, I just spend the last half hour cleaning out my drawers and closet of my "old clothes" to make room for my new, "bigger in the belly" clothes. As of this week, I haven't been able to fudge and wear my pre-preg pants and shirts anymore. I can still wear some of my bigger t-shirts, but regular pants are out of the question. Luckily, I got a shipment from Gap Maternity today and out of the 7 things I ordered, they all fit! I was so excited!

Okay, enough about that. School is exhausting lately. I think that I'd feel this way even if I wasn't pregnant, but being 18 weeks along just compounds things. Luckily, we don't have school on Friday because it's Nevada Day (it does sound made-up, but I just go with it), so Nate and I are going to take the day and drive up to Mt. Charleston. It's about an hour and a world away. We'll most likely take the dogs, go for a hike, and get some food at the lodge. It'll just be nice to get outta town for a while.

I have to say, Nate has been better than I ever could have hoped for lately. He is so patient and considerate, even when I'm being especially annoying. I can't wait to see him as a daddy, I know he'll be amazing.

Well, that's all for now. I hope everyone is well!

-B

It's a GIRL!!!

Well everyone, we went to the doctor on Wednesday for our monthly check-in, and while we were there the wonderful ultrasound tech asked us if we'd like to take a quick look and see if we determine the sex. We, of course, jumped out of our seats in excitement and ran back to the room. (We have a scheduled ultrasound on November 2, but that seems like forever away.)

Within five seconds of looking at the screen she says it's definitely a girl, well 98% anyway. We are both ecstatic to know that we have a healthy little girl on the way!

T.G.I.F.

Hi all,

It has been a looooong week, and can I please just tell you how glad I am that it's the weekend!! Nate and I have big plans to do nothing, which is exactly what I need. I have included the latest "belly picture" at 15 weeks. We go in for our monthly doctor's appointment next Tuesday, which by the way, is Sarah's due date! I am so excited to meet her little one.

Next week is parent/teacher conferences, which should be interesting to say the least. Don't get me wrong, most of my kids are great, but there are a few that drive me up a wall.

Okay, well, we're off to watch a couple TiVo'd episodes of The Office. Another exciting night in the House of Rulis!

xoxo,

Brittany (and Nate too)

Meet our baby

We were fortunate enough to spend an hour this morning watching our baby. It was being a brat in the beginning, not wanting to turn over, but eventually, she rolled on her back and gave us a wave. It was absolutely incredible to watch this little person suck it's thumb and stretch her back. The tech said that the baby looks perfect, which is a huge relief. I've been so excited for the ultrasound, that it didn't even occur to me that we were there to check for developmental defects. It's pretty scary to think of all the things that can go wrong. But by the grace of God, we have been blessed with what looks to be a perfectly created little one. The baby is fully developed (organs, body parts, etc.), and will just spend the next 5 1/2 months growing big and strong. We rented a doppler, which is really cool because we can listen to the heartbeat whenever we like. It amazes us everyday and the amazing miracle that is happening inside my tummy. Here's a picture we got today. I think she has Nate's nose. We'll keep you posted, and as always, your prayers and thoughts are appreciated.

Love, Brit & Nate

12 Week Mark

Hi everyone, so now that the news is officially out, I thought I would let you all know how the last 12 weeks have been going. Well, let's just say that I'm happy it's over! The morning sickness came and went, but the exhaustion was the worst! I haven't stayed up past 9:30 in two months. I can sleep for 9 hours, and then need a nap by noon! I've been taking progesterone suppliments every night since week 5 due to a hormone deficiency, but it's all under control and I get to stop taking them in another week and a half. We've had two ultrasounds and were able to see the flicker of a heartbeat at the last one. It was absolutely amazing. Nate and I are so excited for the next 6 months, and even more so to actually get to meet our little one. I hope that everyone is well and we'll be in touch!

p.s. Here's a picture of the belly at 12 weeks.

OH BABY!!!

As some of you may have surmised from the title of this post we are, in fact, going to be having a bouncing baby of our own. Brittany is currently in her 11th week which means, the baby is size of small plum, but infinitely better than any piece of fruit!!! For those of you trying to figure out when that means the baby will be due ... it is the End of March (approximately the 28th). We are a jumble of excited yet nervous and overjoyed. Brittany has her good days and her nauseous ones, but she is amazing. To add to the pregnancy she has also started her career as a third grade teacher. Where she finds the energy to deal with 35 eight-year-olds for an entire day is beyond me. I just hope that this law school thing will work out and support the both of us, cause she's going to deserve some serious time off. More updates to come soon.

- Nate