Madelyn Michelle Joy

     We are having ourselves a beautiful little baby girl and I hope she looks just like me-except I hope she's sweeter than I was as a kid. haha. About two weeks ago we went to see Dr. Ray, and I saw the most beautiful little wiggling skeleton I believe has ever existed. The ultrasound technician sad Madi was moving all over the place, so it took a few minutes for her to determine the sex. And after a few minutes that seemed to stretch on for DAYS, she told us the most incredible news.

Prom dresses. Fairy costumes. Pink blankets. Dance recitals. Fingernail polish.

 Stuffed animals. Princes and barbies. Fits. Pretty long hair and first boyfriends and

 first breakups and first breakouts. Stockings and high heels and makeup. Wedding dresses

 and baby showers of her own one day.

     Its awesome. And nesting has absolutely begun!  I put up curtains and freaked out about bugs on the wndow sill, and cleaned the inside and outside of EVERYTHING in that room. I sit in there and dream and rearrange and organize and seperate and mother. I love it. We went down to Enterprise this past weekend and my sister gave me my neice's stuff she'd outgrown (and theres alot of stuff) and my momma gave me her favorite clothes of mine when I growing up, and some clothes even she wore as a baby. And so I am washing and seperating sizes and using altogether way too many disinfectant wipes. And yet I never tire.

     And guess what?? Yesterday I needed a nap real bad. So I absolutely had to take one since everyone keeps telling me I should enjoy my sleep while I can. And I do. But anyways I took a nap. And when T.J. came home and woke me up, I felt something. A BIGGGG something. A Kick. An absolute kick. And I knowwww its real because T.J. felt her with his own hands. Our baby Madelyn. My baby book says she's developing myelin this week, which is the covering on nerves like the plastic on wires. It insulates the nerves so electrical impulses can get from her cute baby brain to her cute baby muscles. So I am convinced that that is why I am completely capable of feeling this precious miracle at 18 weeks and 4 days. If anyone is counting. Honestly she hasn't stopped moving since then. I feel her right now! And its marvelous.

     I kept telling people yesterday and no one was giving me the response I was hoping for. Trying to contain myself, I would casually mention it, hoping for jumping up and down and loud yelling, maybe. I got none of that. Luckily I called my momma today and she finally met my excitement expectation. I'm talking this is HUGE for me! I feel like I'm on an even more real level of understanding this pregnancy. And yesterday was the first time T.J. really got to be a part of it like that- literally feeling our baby's life in his hands.