Happy Thanksgiving!

We have so much to be thankful for this year, I don't know that I can list everything

*Baby Boy Kuhlman
*Our health and baby's health
*Each other, though I'm not sure Kevin feels that way when pregnancy hormones flare up!
*Our families who are there for us every day-whether in person or on the phone. We constantly rely on them for advice, inspiration, direction and always just to listen.
*Our friends are wonderful, and we are lucky to have so many people to enjoy being around. Hopefully, they'll keep us.
*Our home, our jobs, and our sanity - these are each quite necessary for the others to continue!
*Our Lord who watches over us and guides us.

I know there are so many other things, but these are on the top of my list today. Take a moment to be thankful for the things that bless your life.

Busy Bodies

We've all had quite a busy week . . . there are definitely THREE busy bodies living at our house. Kevin was busy with work and meetings, as usual. Our most active giving season is now (October is Breast Cancer Awareness month - holiday giving/year end donations), and I've been working late and hard myself. Baby Kuhlman is definitely trying to keep up with us! He is busy doing somersaults, kicks and punches all day and night. He likes to play after lunch and before and after dinner. I'm trying to give him a varied diet these days. According to the book, the amniotic fluid changes each day based on what I take in, and he is swallowing some of the fluid now for nutrition. So let's get him interested in pizza, salad, broccoli, chocolate chip cookies, sweet potatoes, fajitas and grilled chicken now - just to name a few of my favorites! The book also informs me that he's grown to about 1 pound! He was 12 ounces at our last appointment, so he's right on track to be 1 pound this week. Can you believe that? OK, so I've accounted for 1 pound of the 9 I've gained . . . hmmm. He should double in weight by Christmas, so I'll definitely have an excuse for my baby bump in the Christmas card picture! I've gotten a few requests to include a baby bump photo, so I'll work on that. Perhaps Kevin can assist me this weekend. Since he's continually impressed with how my belly changes every day, I know he'll be interested. Until next time . . .

It's A Boy!!!!

We are excited to announce that Baby Kuhlman is officially Baby Boy Kuhlman! We've been keeping the secret for a few days, and that is pretty difficult if you know either of us. So here's how it happened: Our appointment was scheduled for Wednesday, November 12 which happens to be our 3 year wedding anniversary. What better way to celebrate than a check-up and peek at our baby. The doctor assured us first that the baby is perfectly normal, healthy, and progressing right on schedule. No fluid around the brain, small developing lungs, 4 chambers in the heart, working bladder, two kidneys and a proportionate spine. What a relief! If they had stopped there, we would have been perfectly happy because we all the details we needed to be happy expectant parents. After much poking and prodding Baby Kuhlman finally cooperated and splayed out his legs to show us the goods: It's A Boy! Of course, we have the evidence to prove it. We were so excited that he's a he! We'll have lots of fun doing lots of little boy things-I'll just have to learn about them first. Kevin is sure he needs to work on his pitching arm already and convinces me that our retirement is covered, as Baby Boy Kuhlman will be a start pitcher in MLB one day. OK!

Now that we have this wonderful news, it's time to share it with our family and friends. As most of you know, I didn't get to do any clever or creative announcements when we found out about the baby so I've got to make up for it now. For the first reveal, I called the gift shop back in Newport and had a basket of boy stuff prepared for a 5:00 delivery. The 5:00 delivery time was very important, but I know the girls there (of course) so they assured me it would be perfect. I called my parents house right before 5:00 (just as I do every day after work) to chat. Dad answered and we began our usual discussions when the doorbell rang. As Mom was headed for the door, I conviced Dad to check it out too and even Allyson came running. I'm hearing all of this on the phone and it's going perfectly. They open the door and the basket full of blue tells them all they need to know. I'm so glad I could share the news that way, as it was almost as close as being there. For the second reveal, we invited Richard and Kathy to dinner to celebrate our anniversary at one of our favorite restaurants (Gordo's). We brought a basket of boy items for them that Kevin snuck under the table. (The manager almost gave us away, as Kevin had spoken to him earlier in the day!) Kevin told them we had a gift for them but they couldn't scream and no doubt they were confused about our secrecy. Out came the blue and only a few squeaks escaped! We entertained several of the other diners with our celebration. It was really fun to tell them. I bought a cake for my friends at work to make the announcement, and they were so excited. Lots of hugs! Lastly, our Mi Cocina group needed to be let in on the news. It was really hard to keep quiet for two whole days, but it was finally time to share. I made chocolate covered pretzels with blue sprinkles and added a balloon that read "It's A Boy" for our centerpiece. I managed to get to the table before the guests and each was surprised as they walked in for our weekly dinner. Everyone was so excited, and the guys have already mapped out the poor boy's entire sports future! Most of all we're excited about our healthy baby and happy to share the news with you all. I'll leave you with one more picture for now.

The Halfway Point

We officially hit 20 weeks on Friday! It seems like so much time has passed since this pregnancy began, but it also seems like the blink of an eye. I know there's so much to look forward to and so much to dread in the next 20 weeks, and we can't wait for each day. I don't know what other pregnancies are like, but I think we've been pretty lucky. We had a rough start but it turned into a miracle. If I hadn't needed an early sonogram at 6 wks, the doctors wouldn't have discovered I had stopped producing progesterone. Without the hormone, our growing baby wouldn't be. We are so thankful the Lord was watching over us and taking care of our family. Poor Dr. Milstein and my endless questions and phone calls . . . he'll never give out his cell again! The little movements the baby makes each day are welcomed by me and encouraged by Kevin. He can't feel anything yet, but it's not for lack of trying. He pokes my belly endlessly, and I'm ready for the baby to give him a real kick next time he gets near! The baby got to experience the Breast Cancer 3 Day this weekend, which is a 60 mile walk through Dallas in 3 days that raises several million dollars for Komen. Most of you know I walked all 60 miles in 2006, and this year Kevin and I volunteered to be on the Pit Stop Crew Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We served food to over 3,500 walkers each day and enjoyed their stories, slogans and triumphs. These women and men are so inspirational, and it really means a lot to us to support them. If you're ever in the market for a real challenge, call me for information regarding the Breast Cancer 3 Day. It will make a lasting impact. Here are some photos of the event. Enjoy!

Kevin setting up the food table. He also sampled all the snacks!

Me in the food tent - standing like a pregnant lady!!

Fruit Update

OK blog fans, it's time for another update on our growing little fruit . . . we've got a mango! I can definitely tell there's a lot of growing going on. My bump is growing each day, and there is more consistent movement from the baby. Kevin was shocked when I got back from Arkansas with a baby bump because there wasn't really one there when I left Dallas. In the past week or so it has really come alive much to our amazement. I can feel squirming and kicking more and more, often when I eat chocolate! (A perfect excuse to keep eating a brownie with ice cream each evening!) I'm so glad to get to know the baby more each day. He or she likes chocolate, enjoys daily jogs, and is a fan of sleeping in. Sounds just like Mom! We've almost reached the halfway point of 20 weeks. I can't believe we've come so far, and I can't believe we've got so far to go. Glad you're all along for the ride . . . stay tuned for more updates!

Halloween Fun

So we were going to be scarecrows, but it looks more like we were college kids at Sadie. Amazingly, the overalls still fit. Samantha and Eric looked great in their 60's attire! I can't believe we convinced Kevin! Luckily the costume was very comfortable. Hope you all had a great halloween.