27 Weeks!

I cannot believe how fast time is going by. I am showing enough now that a few strangers have asked how far along I am. I haven't had a stranger rub my belly yet though (and hopefully I won't!). I have gained about 20 pounds but I still feel like it is all in my belly and boobs. I still feel great. I have a little heartburn, but nothing terrible. I sleep with a pillow between my knees to help my back that is sore sometimes. I do feel like my stomach muscles and pelvic floor muscles are stretching a lot. When I stand up at work to walk to the bathroom, my who-ha feels like it is gaping wide open! And my abs are really tight. I think I have braxton hicks contractions most days. The bottom half of my belly will get really tight and feels like a lot of pressure, but nothing painful. I haven't been really good about exercising, but I walk Alfie about a mile around Tolman Elementary every day and do a set of body weight squats most days. But I really cannot complain. I have had such an easy pregnancy so far and I am really enjoying the miracle part of it. The slight discomforts are definitely worth it. I love laying in bed in the morning and feeling Kate move. I love when Chase gets to feel her move. I love when I think about having her hear with us.

In the last few weeks, Chase and I took some formal maternity pictures with Lauren and I loooooove them. Here are my favorite ones. My mom got me the dress as a surprise, and the winter wonderland in the yard was perfect. We also got our big baby purchase last week; our stroller! I got the City Select and I am so excited to take walks with Kate in it! Most everything else we are getting borrowed, or really cheap. In about a month, we will have carpet in the house and we can put the nursery together!

Tonight is Chase and I are celebrating Valentine's Day early (we will be in St.George this weekend and the 14th is a Sunday). I am so excited. I love holidays that are about Chase and I. My favorite is our anniversary, followed by Valentines. We don't really do gifts and stuff. If we do, we just go shopping together and pick something we want or need. I just adore spending one on one time with him. In fact, I have been mourning the loss of our pre-kid marriage for a few months now. We just have a lot of fun and I want so badly to keep this going. I do think we are both prepared to make having a baby improve our marriage, rather than detract from it. I just find myself counting down the days until I get to meet my baby, see Chase meet his baby, and also see our relationship change for the better. I will always look back on our nearly five years of marriage before kids with such fondness. I have said this before, but I don't know if I know very many couples that are as happy as we are. In fact, I can't think of one. Of course, I hope everyone is as happy as we are, but it's hard to imagine. I am so glad that I get to have Chase as my children's father. He will be so amazing, I know it. There is definitely no one I love more, want to spend more time with, adore and need than Chase. He is perfect for me. And I am so glad he is my Valentine.