TheLionRampant.net

We had our ultrasound and it appears that Baby Hales is a he! We are thrilled. Of course we’d have been thrilled with a girl, too. Our little son is doing well and growing well, too. He’s just under 1 pound (which seems a bit big to me) and is measuring 1 week ahead of my latest due date.

It was amazing to see his little four-chambered heart beating, his spinal column and rib cage, his little bones growing and especially to see movement! We saw his little fingers moving (like he was waving) and even his mouth open and little tongue sticking out! We sat there pretty much amazed the whole ultrasound.

Now we have to settle on a boy name. Our friends, Ken and Gillian, are pregnant with a little girl due in May and Ken told his in-utero daughter that her boyfriend will be coming just a few months after her. The fun begins! (Bryce, coincidently, said that when they are 12, for maximum embarrassment, we should tell them — publically of course — that they’re actually betrothed! Can you imagine?)

So, I’m hopelessly behind on all my grading — due to extreme exhaustion during the first trimester — so I’ll just let that keep piling up while I type. I’m starting the second trimester of my pregnancy and am starting to feel much better. I have more energy (although I still also have a pile of dishes to do!). I’m less nauseous. I can sometimes even stay up past 9:30. I can stay at work for a full day now, too.

We had an ultrasound a few weeks’ ago and all looks good: 2 arms, 2 legs, etc. I have an appointment in a week but it should be boring as we won’t get another look at our in-utero child until the beginning of April, at which point we should be able to tell if baby is a he or a she. A friend at church thinks it’s a boy and he’s been right on the last 5 pregnancies he’s guessed on, so we’ll see!

My clothes now pretty much do not fit. When I lost some weight a year or so ago, I gave away all my size 6’s, which I could really use now, as my size 4’s were snug even before baby. So instead of buying a wardrobe of clothes a few sizes up, I decided I’d jump into maternity clothes — well at least the trousers. Before we went away last weekend, my mom came and took me (and Bryce) to lunch and then we went shopping; I think she was more excited about it than I was. I got this really cute maternity swimsuit (we do live in southern CA): , some stretchy khaki trousers, some denim capris, and a few fun shirts that don’t look like maternity shirts! I now am pretty comfy and even have a few things which will expand with me during pregnancy. I am looking forward to actually looking pregnant and not that I’ve simply gained about 7 pounds!

…at least right now.

So I’ll just come out and say it: The residents at thelionrampant.net are expecting a new addition — not another dog — but a baby! Yep, we’re gonna have a Little Hales, coming to meet the internet world, Lord willing, towards the end of August!

The idea of cramming 2 big people, a dog and a baby in a small, one-bedroom downtown flat seems a bit daunting at present but we are confident that God will provide. Nothing like having a very concrete object lesson that shows you you’re not in control.