Fun in the Sun

Over the weekend, Tal and I traveled to Myrtle Beach, SC where we celebrated Tal's mom's birthday. We stayed in a lovely 4-bedroom oceanfront condo with Barbara and Benny.

On Saturday and Sunday mornings, I watched the sunrise while I walked from our hotel to a nearby pier.



For Barbara's birthday, we ate dinner at Hard Rock Cafe, followed by hot Krispy Kreme donuts for dessert. The picture below shows all of us having a FREE (and delicious) breakfast at Spring House Restaurant. Because of Benny's business connections, the manager treated us to complimentary breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday.



Tal and Benny were in sports heaven over the weekend! On Saturday morning, they went golfing with one of Tal's former coworkers. In the afternoon, Tal and Benny watched N.C. State (Tal's alma mater) defeat East Carolina (Benny's alma mater) in overtime. They also watched the American team win the Ryder Cup for the first time since 1999.

While Tal and Benny were in sports heaven, Barbara and I had the best time shopping for bargain baby clothes at the Carter's and Osh Kosh outlet stores. It was a new and fun experience for me! Barbara educated me on the differences between bodysuits, onesies, and layettes. :-)

All of Savannah's clothes are adorable, but a couple of my favorites say, "Mommy's Little Sweetie" and "I'll Always Be Daddy's Little Girl." I can't wait to see how cute Savannah looks in her new clothes in the coming months! :-)

Halfway There!

My Little Baby Bump at 20 Weeks

This week I'm halfway through my pregnancy. 20 weeks down...20 weeks to go until February 5. :-)

Now that I'm in my second trimester, I'm feeling really good most of the time. The queasiness is gone, and I have more energy now. Over the last couple weeks, I've had enough energy to walk around our neighborhood a couple times a week in addition to my weekly prenatal yoga class.

Yesterday Tal and I went to the OB for my 20-week check-up, and we received a good report. Both Savannah and I are doing well. My blood pressure, iron levels, and weight gain are normal. (I've gained 9 pounds so far.) Savannah's heartbeat was normal. She's grown up to my belly button, which is right on schedule for 20 weeks.

The doctor says that I should begin to feel Savannah moving inside me within the next few days. Some women tell me a baby's movement feels like butterflies fluttering or bugs crawling inside their belly. I'll let you know how Savannah feels inside me! :-)

The Name Game is Over

Savannah's middle name is....Elaine.

Savannah Elaine Anderson.

My mom and I have Elaine as our middle name, and so will Savannah. :-) A number of people have joked that Savannah should be named after me since our future son would be named after Tal. After narrowing down our list of middle names, Tal and I decided that we like Elaine the best.

Ask Tal to say Savannah Elaine Anderson. He says it real sweet and slow with his Southern accent. He makes me giggle every time he says Savannah's full name. :-)

It's Not a Secret Anymore!

That's right! Today Tal and went to the doctor, and my ultrasound revealed that we're having a girl!

Her name is Savannah Anderson. We chose Savannah because it's a pretty and fairly unique Southern name that's easy to spell and pronounce.

Savannah is developing right on schedule for 18 1/2 weeks. She weighs 9 ounces, and her heartbeat was normal at 137 beats per minute. During the ultrasound, Savannah was very active inside my belly. She even had the hiccups!

Today's visit was a follow-up to our appointment at Duke three weeks ago. We're pleased to report that Savannah's spine, face, and lips are all normal and show none of the symptoms of the fatal chromosome disorder. We're so thankful that Savannah is healthy and normal, and we don't have any reasons to be concerned about her growth.

Thanks for sharing in our happiness and for praying with us for Savannah's healthy development. We can't wait to meet her in early February!

Hello, Maternity Clothes

Plenty of people have told me that I don't look pregnant, but my tight pants tell a different story.

A few days ago, Tal caught me complaining about the discomfort of my clothes. I must have whined a few other times, too, because Tal basically told me it was time for me to shop for maternity clothes. I'd resisted long enough.

Yesterday Tal earned brownie points for shopping with me for two hours. As my wonderful husband, he held all of my clothes, listened to my clothes commentary from outside the dressing room, and carried my purchases out to the car.

I think shopping with me is an education for Tal. It's amazing how men and women think so differently sometimes. On more than one occasion, we rolled our eyes at each others' comments.
Listen to some of Tal's comments while shopping:

• "They don't have to look good. They just have to fit."

• "The brown pants and the black pants are the same style and the same size. The brown pants fit fine, but I bet you're still going to try on the black pants, aren't you?"

• "You're the only person I know who goes into the dressing room with 86 pairs of pants and only buys one thing."

Our shopping trip was a success, and I came home with three pairs of dress pants, two pairs of jeans, two T-shirts, yoga pants, and workout shorts. Hopefully, I'm all set for the next six months or so. :-)