13 weeks: medium shrimp

1st obligatory "bump" pic! It's there somewhere. I feel it, but can't quite see it. 

Let's watch this baby grow! 

say cheese

{Week 6-8}

Here are the first 2 pics of our little bambino. The top pic was taken at 6 wks and the bottom at 8 wks. What a difference only 2 wks can make! In the top pic, the baby resembles a blob and is equivalent to the size of a lentil bean. In the bottom pic, it's more like a kidney bean-sized teddy bear. Currently, we're almost to the 14 week mark, and this little cutie is now about the size of a lemon! Hallelujah- we've graduated to fruit analogies! 

 

I really don't have much to report on the crazy pregnancy front, but here are the juicy details anyway{disclaimer: I am writing this part of the blog as a journal, to record those little things I won't remember later. My apologies if you are not into the details. I will try not to scare anyone off, but if this isn't your thing, skip it and wait for another post about Wrigley...however the next 6 months will prrrrrobably be consumed by baby stuff. Sorry baby haters.}:

{Cravings:} 

Not really at the moment. Although, at first I would ONLY eat raw fruits and veggies and salty things. Then, the only things that sounded good were rice, cheese pizza, or Velveeta mac n cheese. Who knows! 

{Morning Sickness:} 

At first--uh, yeah! I will spare you the details but I felt nauseous most days from morning to night from week 6-12 and considered it a blessing if I could actually "get sick, " because once I did that and took one for the team, I was good to go for the day. One morning I lost it {literally} at the smell of sausage pinwheels...and then ate 4 on the way to work. Weird. And gross. Sorry. Ever since the 12 week mark, the nausea has died down, and I only get sick about once a week. 

{Bump report:} 

This week, I've had my first person touch my stomach and 2 people tell me they can see my "little bump!" This is great news, because at about this time is when I want to look preggers, but really just feel like I look super bloated with a little food baby. Speaking of that, tonight on our walk I told Tate, "I think it's starting to pooch out!" He said, "wait, are you not pushing out your stomach?" "Nope, I know, I usually only look like this when I've had a satisfactory steak dinner from Cheeve's Bros!" On the same front, my pants are getting too tight and I've currently learned the hair tie has 2 purposes in life- ponytails and more importantly, holding your pants together when they don't want to button anymore! 

Oh, the joys!

{and I mean that seriously}  

vote!

Baby B, what will it be? 

Place your vote!! Guess what you think Baby Barrett is, boy or girl
over there >>> on the top Right>>>

We are pumped to find out gender on October 21st!  What's your guess?

baby makes 3

Well, I think it's time to awaken from the blogging hiatus because...

We're preggers, people!!!!! 

{usually, I'm not a multiple exclamation point kinda person, but this is absolutely necessary}

There's a lot, but something little in particular, to catch you up on! Let's go back to the to the day we found out this tiny bundle of joy was a-growin in my belly. I didn't know it, but I was only 4 weeks along at the time.

...July, 10th 2013...

Here is what I wrote in my "journal" that day {technically, I don't know if a journal can consist of only 2 entries, but whatever, it sounds impressive}: 

"Well, two things have changed our lives forever today. ONE- we are not getting a second golden retriever. And more importantly, TWO- we are pregnant! I want to say that we are exited beyond words, but I think it is still settling in before we allow ourselves to believe the wonderfully good news. While packing for our vacation to Mexico tomorrow with the Halls, Derians, and Andersons {you'll meet them and love them...and probably be a little embarrassed by some of them one day}, I decided to take a pregnancy test because I was just a little curious {no symptoms yet}. Immediately after taking the test, 2 little pink lines showed up. What? I was excited, but told myself not to get my hopes up and to check back in 3 minutes like the instructions said. Over the next 2 hourse, while packing and watching "The Life and Death of Anna Nicole Smith" {which I don't recommend}, I checked that little stick of joy over 20 times. Pack a swim suit, check. Throw a flip flop in the bag, check again. Every time I checked, it still had 2 lines saying, "PREGNANT!!!" and every time my heart skipped a beat with pure joy. I waited for your dad {that sounds new and a little strange to say, but I know it will become wonderfully familiar in no time} to get home from the lab/work to tell him. I wanted to see his excitement in person. That's one thing I hope you get from your dad- his enthusiasm, when he's pumped about something, he can't help but show it. Our conversation went like this:

D: Hey, have you thought any more about getting another puppy?

T: Yeah! Actually I think we should...

D: Well--I've been thinking about Wrigley's brother, and I don't think we should get him. 

T: {in a disappointed voice}Why not?

D: Because, if this test is right, it looks like she'll have a little human brother or sister in 9 months!

As you can guess, he was ecstatic! Being the realistic one, I told him not to get too worked up, because we weren't for sure. But the test and its 2 pink lines weren't changing their minds. After packing, I took a second test, and if the box would have come with 8, I probably would have taken all 8 of them. Guess what, the second one had 2 pink lines too! Tomorrow, we will be on our way to Mexico, with you as our little, best kept secret {for now}." 

heroine in silver nail polish

It was only four weeks ago we joined together to Stand Up To Cancer and support Tate in finishing his 3^rd Ironman. As you know, Tate raced in honor of his sweet grandma, Jackie Barrett. It is with a heavy heart we inform you Jackie went home to be with Jesus last night. She was surrounded by family and had been lifted up in prayer continually, by many of you. As Tate put it, “she was never in a bad mood,” even right up to the end. We consider it a blessing that she was ready to be with the Lord and made her desires known to her loved ones. Through her joys and struggles, she was a wonderful example of unwavering faith, hope in what is yet to come, and unconditional love to all that crossed her path.  1 Thessalonians tells us to “Rejoice always,” and she did just that. 

Unknown to all of us, but probably not to her, Ironman Texas was the last big endeavor for Jackie. A few months before the race, she pulled a few family members aside and told them regardless of her physical state, they would be going to Ironman with or without her. But despite lung surgery, brain surgery, and all that comes with it, Jackie mustered up the strength to go to physical therapy regularly, and on May 18^th she was at Ironman Texas to cheer on her grandson. We thought she might make it to the finish line; however, she was at the swim start, the bike/run transition, and the finisher’s shoot. It was a long 13 hour day in the Houston heat, but nothing was going to stop her from standing at the finish line, high-fiving her favorite Ironman.  And no one was going to stop Aunt Roxi from pushing Grandma’s wheelchair through the crowds, and probably over a few toes, to get to the “athlete only” area and steal a big , sweaty hug from Tate. Amidst the thousands of Ironman heroes there that day, Jackie had to overcome just as much, if not more, to be there. And she did it with a smile. She was loveable, selfless, and our own heroine in silver nail polish. 

Thank you for supporting Team Jackie Barrett, and in turn our family, in what was not only  Tate’s best race and a great cause, but also a lasting memory we will forever have as a family. We reach out to you once more to ask for your thoughts and prayers during this time. Although it is difficult, we have hope in the Lord that we will see her again. The best is yet to come for us! We hope to mirror as much grace and joy in a lifetime that this woman emitted daily.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18