The Only Girl

Olivia is the only girl. That's right, the only one. Out of all the people we know who are having babies in the near future, Olivia will be the only girl. Isn't that crazy?!

First, Courtney is due June 6th with Wyatt Christopher, then Lindsay is due June 17th with Hudson Spencer, next Remy is due July 1st with Tucker Bradley, next Abby is due August 1st with Rhett Mickey, then Jenni is due September 14th with Kade Andrew, then Becca is due September 28th with Casen Tyler, and finally Dani is due October 8th with Graham Brockman.

I'm so excited for all these friends, but a little sad that Olivia won't have a girlfriend to play with when we get together with any of these people.

She'll sure have her pick of cute little boyfriends, though! :)

What's in a name?

So... it was completely last-minute decision, but for Mother's Day,

Brian and I decided to announce Baby Girl's name!

Sometime around July 22nd, we will be so excited to meet...


Olivia Lynn Ballard


Isn't it perfect? And beautiful? And girlie? And old-fashioned? :)

We really thought we were going to keep it a secret until she was born. I was worried about people's reactions. I was excited about the idea of having a surprise at her birth. And let's not kid ourselves... I love the idea of knowing something that everyone else doesn't know! :)

Brian and I have thought for a while now that we knew what her name would be, but wanted to make sure that we didn't come across something that we liked more. But Olivia Lynn stayed at the top of our list... and the more we use it, the more we love it.

If we were having a boy, his name would be Owen, so an "O" name for a girl was my first choice. The list is pretty short, and I love the way Olivia sounds and how it looks when it's written! Using Lynn was pretty much a no-brainer. It is a family name on both sides. It looks really pretty when it's written too! :) Haha!

So, thanks to everyone, in advance, for being excited for us!

Our 3D/4D Ultrasound

So... we weren't originally planning on doing one of these type ultrasounds... Not that there's anything wrong with them. They basically just kinda creeped Brian and I out. The fact that technology has advanced in the last few decades to the point that you can literally see what your baby will look like is amazing and, frankly, scary at the same time. But.. due to a miscommunication between us and my doctor following our 20-week ultrasound, we didn't get a sonogram we thought we were going to have 4 weeks later. She told us at that point we wouldn't have another one (assuming that everything continues to progress smoothly) until 36 weeks. 36 weeks?! That's almost full term! That's too far away! Brian especially was disappointed... I think because he doesn't get to feel her or have to watch his body change because of her, like I do. Seeing her through a sonogram helps him connect even more. So, he sweetly asked for an sonogram for his birthday present, and it didn't take any convincing for me to agree to that plan!

So last Thursday, April 28th, we met at First Vu Imaging in Plano and got to see our Baby Girl again... and she was much more cooperative this time than she was at our 20-week sonogram. I stopped by Sonic on the way to the appointment and got a Cherry Limeade thinking that the sugary drink would make her more alert for the appointment and I think it worked! She loves Sonic drinks, just like her mama!

I have no idea how to read this sonogram..
but I'm happy to have one more confirmation that we are having a GIRL :)

Here she is!
All the shadows and blurry features are typical...
They are only able to focus on a small area at a time.

In this picture, she is holding the bottom of her foot up against her cheek.
She even tried to put it in her mouth while we were watching.

Over the course of the 15-minute appointment, we watched her yawn, open her eyes and blink several times, purse out her lips, stick out her tongue, and smile. It was incredible! I just kept saying "This is crazy..." and Brian was pretty much speechless. I don't know what I was expecting, but this was so much more! We text messaged pictures to our families and they were pretty impressed too... I think she looks like my sister's baby pictures, and she'll be pretty lucky if she turns out to be as cute as her Aunt Anna!

Baby Girl Ballard Update

Even right now, as I start to type this update, Baby Girl is movin' and groovin' in my belly... She must have liked those snickerdoodle cookies I ate earlier! It's still crazy to me sometimes, but I love it! So blessed to be part of this miracle happening inside me.

Recently Brian has been working down at the TI office in Richardson more often, and it's pretty close to my office. One day we decided to ride together, and on the way back home that evening, he suggested we stop and get ice cream... Hmm, let me think about it.. okay! I guess we're old enough now to ruin our dinner if we want to :) I loved the logo for this local ice cream shop, and just had to take a picture under it! Doesn't the phrase "Ice Cream Makes You Pretty" make you want to eat more ice cream? It was good ice cream, too. If you're in the Plano area, check out Henry's Homemade Ice Cream!


Once Brian got back from his 3-week trip to Taiwan, I gave him about a week to re-adjust to life back in America... his body clock was off by 13 hours... but then it was Honey-Do List City! :) First on the list: Baby Furniture Shopping! At one point, we went to Pottery Barn Kids, and the picture below is proof that he was a good sport throughout the "torturous experience". (By the way that is a Petunia Pickle Bottom Boxy Backpack he's sporting... super cute, if I do say so... the boy and the bag.)


We also made our way to Lonestar Baby, which is where we found our furniture. I had been looking online for several weeks and had narrowed things down to two different brands/collections that I was interested in checking out. I wanted to be able to touch them and see them, though, and this place had them both in one store. We ended up ordering 4 pieces from the Ragazzi Classico Collection in Snowdrift.. just a fancy name for white :) We got the convertible crib, the 6-drawer dresser, the hutch, and the nightstand. Here are a few pictures from the website.



I've also been trying to decide on bedding for Baby Girl, and it's been an emotionally up-and-down process. I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to make the perfect decision, and really thought I was going to mess up. Last weekend I realized that I just needed to make a decision and get the process of decorating started. From the beginning, I thought I was going to use apple green and a few shades of pink... but then again everything else in my house is green! I started to talk myself into thinking outside the box a little bit... I also noticed that a lot of the fabrics I had been looking at seemed better for an older girl, not a baby. I ultimately decided to go for more sweet than cute :)

Originally I found the bedding I chose online at Sweet Peaches, but my mom found it semi-locally at a baby store in Rockwall called Wee Dreamscapes (very cute little store, by the way). On Wednesday, she and my Nana and I drove out to Rockwall to look at it in person. Turns out, they had it on display in their store so it was on clearance, and they offered me an extra 10% off if I would take all the pieces. I was tempted by the deal, but I wanted to see it on white furniture before I made my final decision. They had it displayed on a brown crib, like the picture below. The lady at the store obviously wanted to make the sale, so she completely undressed her white crib display and put the bedding I was looking at on it. As soon as I saw it all together I said, "I'll take it!" :)


We also found the perfect glider at Lonestar Baby the same day we ordered our furniture, but since I hadn't picked out the bedding yet, I wasn't sure what fabric to get put on it. Now that we have the bedding decided on, I need to go back and get the chair ordered. I love that it looks like a recliner, but it's still a glider. We'll be getting the ottoman too.. don't you worry!


I think that about does it for an update... We are going for an 3D/4D sonogram next Thursday, and then we have a regular dr's appointment the following Wednesday. Can't wait to see our Baby Girl again! Here's a picture from Week 27.

A lot to catch up on..

First of all...

IT'S A GIRL!

Wow! Can't believe it took me so long to post that! On March 1st, Brian and I went for our 2nd sonogram appointment. We were so excited to just see our baby again, but couldn't wait to find out pink or blue! The sonographer took lots of pictures and we also have it all recorded on a video tape. Now we just have to get it on a CD or DVD so we can actually watch it! :) She said that she's been doing sonograms for 16 years and she's never been wrong, so we're going to trust her and start getting ready for a baby girl. The rest of the doctor's appointment went well, too. Still having heartburn issues, but I'm managing it with Zantac and lots of cold water. Everything was measuring great and my weight gain was right on track. Here's a little comparison...

Week 10

Week 20

That night we had a party at our house to reveal to our family and friends what we had found out at our doctor's appointment. The week before I had arranged with a local bakery for us to be able to call after we found out the baby's gender and for them to get started on a cake for the party. The outside was to be all white, but the inside would be either pink or blue. We had pizza and salad planned for dinner, but I kept suggesting that we just have dessert first! We finally made it through dinner and took pictures of everyone dressed for Team Pink or Team Blue. It was pretty evenly divided, but Team Pink might have had an edge. Then it was time to cut the cake... The anticipation was mounting and everyone screamed as the piece of cake fell. That moment was so fun and we appreciate everyone being so excited for us! Bring on the ruffles and bows!














The very next weekend I had a conference in Houston for the Texas Speech-Language Hearing Association. I was gone from Wednesday night until Saturday night. The conference was fine, I was able to see several friends (including Courtney Broaddus, who was sweet enough to bring me maternity clothes to try), and I got my continuing education units taken care of for the entire year... but the most exciting part for me was getting to really feel Baby Girl kick! I had been feeling flutters and slight movements for about a week or two before that, but I was waiting for a legitimate kick or poke... and I got what I was waiting for! So awesome... and let's be honest, weird! But as weird as it is, I'm so thankful to have another regular reminder and confirmation that she is continuing to grow and develop inside me.

A week later, Brian left for Taiwan for a 3-week business trip. He left on March 13th and didn't get back until April 1st. It was such a long time! It was difficult at times, but we both made it through, and the time apart made us realize how much we love and appreciate each other. When he came back, I pretty much just stared at him all weekend :) He sent me this pretty flowers while he was gone with a card that said "Missing you from around the word."




I do have a fun story about the day he left though... He got up really early Sunday morning and drove himself to the airport. I slept in until about 10 or 11, then got up and started doing things around the house. About 1 o'clock I realized I was a little bit hungry, so I decided to drive up to Subway to get a sandwich. As I was ordering my sandwich, I realized I was getting a little hot and pulled my hair up into a ponytail. I only got hotter, though, and as I stood at the counter handing the lady my credit card, I realized what was happening and told the lady, "I think I'm about to pass out". She just stared at me. Thanks a lot. I started walking away from the counter to find a place to sit down. There happened to be a chair not far behind me, beside the drink machine, and I sat down just as I blacked out. I was only out for a few seconds or so, but as I came to there was a customer in line telling the employee to get me some orange juice. At this point, I was shaking uncontrollably and had broken out in a cold sweat. I did start to drink small sips of the orange juice she handed me and I found myself eating a sugar cookie, although I don't remember how I got that. One of the employees asked me if they needed to call someone for me, and at first all I could say was "My husband is on an airplane...". A few minutes later, I got my bearings enough to call my sister-in-law, Loree. I felt bad asking her to come get me because she would have to bring along her two kiddos, but she lives the closest to me and I knew she would understand my predicament. She took me home and I ate my sandwich and felt more and more like myself as the day went on. I even took Mia on a walk back to the Subway to get my car before it got dark. I learned my lesson, though, and have not gone so long without eating anything. Even if I'm not hungry, I eat something for breakfast and don't eat lunch later than noon. I haven't passed out again, or even felt faint, since then... just gotta keep my blood sugar up!

While my sister, Anna, was on Spring Break and Brian was in Taiwan, she came to stay with me a few nights.. partly to keep me company and partly to give her something to do while my parents were out of town, but mostly for some sweet sisterly time! She is growing up so fast and I love getting to hang out with her one-on-one. She's so funny and so excited about the baby. I can't wait for Baby Girl to get spoiled by her Aunt Anna! Even though I had to work during the days, we managed to fit in some shopping, some movies, a trip to the dog park, and a pedicure. Our friend, Hannah, came to the house to keep her company during part of the time I was at work, and I know Anna loved that too. Love you, Sis!

We haven't made much progress on the nursery, but we have cleaned it out... Now that we know it's a girl and Brian made it back from Taiwan, our to-do list is definitely going to become more of a priority. I am currently deciding on fabric for the bedding and narrowing down my choices for furniture. Once we get the fabric chosen, we can talk about paint colors and decor. I'm excited, but a little overwhelmed by all the choices we have to make. I keep reminding myself to take one thing at a time, and that the "stuff" is not the most important part. It'll all work out!

If you're still reading this, bless you! We've almost caught up to the present... Yesterday, we had our 5th OB appointment. It was just a regular check up, and everything was still progressing smoothly. I have officially gained 15 lbs overall, which is right within the normal range. Obviously, as a girl it's hard to watch the numbers go up on the scale, but I know it's for a good reason and want to do what I can to help our baby grow strong and healthy. I haven't had too many food cravings, but I still don't want to eat some of the foods that I ate while I was experiencing morning sickness. I am wearing all maternity clothes, and sleep is still okay. I do get up every night to go to the bathroom, but I fall back asleep quickly, so it's not too bad. Every time I start to complain about something pregnancy related, I try to remind myself that it'll all be worth it when we see Baby Girl's face! The picture below is a beautiful self-portrait from Week 25. Pardon the mess on the counter... I will try my best to get a good one in front of the fireplace this weekend! :)

Week 19 Update

Weeks 17, 18, and 19 have been fairly uneventful. Lots of working, resting, eating, and growing. I have had a new pregnancy symptom creep up on me, though.... Heartburn. Yuck! I really sympathize with any of you who have acid reflux or indigestion symptoms on a regular basis. I first started noticing it around the beginning of week 17 just at night when I was laying down to go to sleep. It gradually got more and more noticeable as the nights went on, until I wasn't able to ignore it anymore, and had to prop myself up to sleep. Then, after a few nights of minimal discomfort, I started feeling the heartburn symptoms earlier and earlier in the evenings, then in the afternoon. For the last few days, I've been dealing with this from about lunchtime on. I have bought some Tums and take a few of those occasionally throughout the day and drink lots of ice water, which makes me feel a little better. I'm still hoping not to have to take any sort of medicine regularly during my pregnancy, but if it continues to get worse, I may have to start taking some Zantac... which my doctor assured me is perfectly safe. Boo! My in-laws suggested drinking a little bit of milk at night to coat my esophagus. Any other natural suggestions from experienced heartburn sufferers?

We had our 3rd OB appt between week 17 and 18 (Feb. 16). Initially, Brian wasn't going to be able to go because he had a meeting scheduled, but it was moved and he decided to tag along again. I think he feels a little self-conscious going with me to the appointments, but he likes to hear the heartbeat and be assured everything is progressing smoothly, just like I do. This time, we even saw another guy there with his wife! You're not the only one, babe :) The appointment went well. The doctor said everything looked and sounded normal, and my weight is up 5 lbs overall.

We're scheduled for our 2nd sonogram appointment on Tuesday, and I could not be more excited to see Baby B again, make sure everything is still progressing smoothly, and find out PINK or BLUE! Can't believe we're already to the mid-point in the pregnancy. We're announcing the results to our family and close friends that night at a Gender Reveal Party, and then we'll share with everyone else on Wednesday! We'll be sure to take lots of pictures and post some soon after!

Here's a picture from week 19... I took this one myself in the mirror, but I'll try to remember to have Brian take a real one tonight.

Week 16 Update

Weeks 15 and 16 have been good... pretty laid-back, especially considering the ice/snow days. My work follows the Richardson ISD weather cancellations, so we were off Tuesday through Friday last week and we're also off today... there's a chance we might still be home tomorrow too, if it doesn't get above freezing. Brian also stayed home with me, since he's between his job rotations right now and he can do a lot of things from home on his computer. The unexpected days at home have given us a lot of time together and we've tried to use some of it productively. When Brian wasn't on his bike trainer or running hill repeats in the snow (check out his blog: http://watchbritri.blogspot.com/) and I wasn't watching TV or sleeping, we did a good amount of filing, laundry, cleaning, and organizing around the house.

For example... we are turning the guestroom closest to our bedroom in to the nursery. In the past, that room has been a catch-all room, Mia's room, the treadmill room, the Christmas gift/wrapping room, and a few other things. As is the case with so many projects, in order to do one thing, another thing has to be done first. In order to move all of my Christmas decorations out of the closet, we needed to floor the other half of the attic for storage. My handyman-in-training did that last weekend before all the crazy weather started, so we were able to move a lot of things out the nursery closet. Here are a few pictures of the room in the process of being cleaned out...




Pregnancy-wise... I can definitely tell a change in my body. Even my scrubs are getting a little uncomfortable. I need to find another option or I'm going to be grumpy at work a lot. It's kind of weird because my belly is growing, but my weight is staying the same. I have my 3rd OB appointment next week, so we'll see if I gain a few extra pounds before then. The appointment is just for a heartbeat check. We don't have another sonogram appointment scheduled until 2 weeks later. I'm so ready to find out if Baby B is a boy or girl... a lot more anxious than I thought I would be. I feel like once I know if it's a boy or a girl, I won't be in such a hurry to move through this pregnancy. I think it's weird because I'm not typically a negative or worrisome person... but I am a realistic person. I was so nervous early on about something going wrong with the pregnancy that I didn't allow myself to become attached emotionally. I think that knowing if the baby's gender will help me to connect more than I have already. Also, I think I might have been feeling a little bit of movement while I was laying in bed the past few nights, but I'm not totally sure. I'll keep ya posted :) Oh, right now Baby B is about about 5" long and weighs about 5 oz.

One more thing... My friend, Remy (check out her blog: http://thewebbssite.blogspot.com/), and I are trying to be healthy preggos, so we've started going back to the gym 2 days a week to do some cardio and lift weights. It's making me feel better already and the chats are pretty therapeutic too!

I think that's all for now..
Goodnight!