Deena is the BEST!

For those of you that don't know, Curt and I shared a big farmhouse with some great friends, Ken and Deena, for about 3 years here before they PCS'd back to the states. Well, we were hoping to get together this summer and it's finally confirmed... I'm happy to say that Deena is coming to see me! She will be here while Curt is at SOS and the timing just couldn't be more perfect. It will be the greatest start to my summer and I just can't describe how excited I am to have her back in the UK for a visit!

All Things Girly

So, what have I been doing since I found out we are having a girl? This:



My poor husband...

22 weeks....and GROWING!

This morning marks the start of our 22nd week so Curt and I squeezed in a picture just as he was about to leave for work. I also have some really great pictures from our ultrasound on Tuesday and have a friend who is scanning them for me so I can get them up on the computer. Curt and I definitely need to get one of those! Anyway, here's the latest!

We're Having A Girl!!!

Yes, that's right! Baby Dougherty can now be referred to as a SHE!!!! Thankfully she uncrossed her little legs at the LAST MINUTE because she, of course, was being shy the entire time. So shy, that I had to get up and walk around the room a little bit in the hopes of getting her to change position. Thankfully, that little stroll (and a much needed trip to the ladies room to empty that very full bladder) gave her the courage she needed to let us in on the big secret.

We're just ecstatic!

Lost in the World of Baby Registry!

To all the Moms out there...HELP! It's official, in this department we are overwhelmed.

Curt and I took on the task today of starting up our Baby Registry online and all I can say is, we are L-O-S-T, LOST! Between car seats, strollers, bottles, and baby bathtubs...I think it's safe to say that we have absolutely no idea what we are doing. Hmmm, kinda scary if you think about it!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated with some tips, top items, and anything else that you think might help these new parents-to-be!

Some of you can expect frantic e-mails in addition to reading this post.

Much thanks in advance for all who can help!

A Boy, or a Girl? (According to Kindergarten...)

I was trying to come up with a good writing prompt for my students this morning and I decided that because Curt and I are going to find out if we are having a boy or girl next week, that I would take an informal survey from my students on what they predicted the outcome was going to be. Here are some of the great responses that I got:

"I think that Mrs. Dougherty is going to have a boy because her fingernails are NEVER polished."

"I think that Mrs. Dougherty is going to have a girl because she has fancy red shoes."

"I think Mrs. Dougherty is going to have a BOY and a GIRL because she is getting so big!"

Now, I normally send all their writing samples home but I was too selfish to let these go! I just love the honest opinions of my class-I'm really going to miss this job! (12.5 days of work left until Summer--not that I was counting or anything...)

"Mr. Dougherty, will you hold my hand?"

I know that for years to come I will be kicking myself for not getting pictures of this, but on Wednesday Curt left the Fighter Pilot world for one day to spend about 6 hours at the Zoo as a chaperone for two 5 year old boys. The only thing I could say to him as he walked into my room of 20 screaming and very excited boys and girls (all under the age of 6, of course) was, "Welcome To My World".

I had to just sit back and watch as he attempted to work with these two boys and do my best not to intervene, although at some times it was hard! By noon, he had dealt with a scraped knee, tears of fear, and a bleeding finger. He also heard a lot of, "I'm hungry!", "I'm too hot!", and "Can you carry this?". My only assistance came when we were walking and one boy went left and the other darted right and Curt gave me a look that said, "OMG! What do I do, Where do I go?!?".

Curt was a real trooper and I was quite impressed with his approach to dealing with the ups and downs of our day. I had to laugh when he opened his backpack and I saw that he had actually brought along a book and highlighter to try and get some studying done. Foolish boy...there's no "ME TIME" in Kindergarten! Remember, you need the eyes in the front as well as the back of your head in order to make it through the day.

Overall it was a great day! It was so fun having Curt come to work with me for the day, even though it was just a field trip. I think he now knows why I am in bed some nights around 7:30...at least I think he does based on the fact that he took a quick snooze on the bus on the way back to the school!

I will close with some valuable lessons that Curt learned from our trip to the Zoo:
1. Band-Aids make you feel better, even when there isn't a drop of blood in sight.
2. Attempting to eat candy in front of a 5 year old without offering to share is never a good idea, never.
3. No matter how many energy drinks you consume, you will still be tired at the end of the day.
4. Don't even TRY to eat your own lunch until you have opened all of the drinks, peeled the oranges, and taken the crust off the sandwiches.
5. Finally, never point out the toy in the souviner shop that makes a monkey sound over and over again. NEVER!

The Best Mother's Day Gift...ever.

Great news! At just shy of 20 weeks, I have felt our baby move for the first time. So weird...so awesome...so perfect. It all happened so quickly but the instant I felt it, I knew. The funny thing is that people kept asking, "Did you feel the baby move yet?", and my only response could ever be, "I don't know...I don't think so...maybe?". Of course as soon as I said that everyone who has had children said, "No, then you didn't feel it yet." If I heard one more person describe it as a "flutter", I was going to scream!!! What's a flutter and what does that even mean????

Well, now I know.

I won't describe it, but I now know. So, so, so great. The first move was late Sunday night (Mother's Day!) and although Curt desperately wanted to feel something too, it's just not quite there yet. He REALLY tried and I had to kindly ask him to stop when he kept pressing his whole hand down on my stomach and pleading with me to stop and lie as still as possible. When I did, I felt it again and he felt nothing. Thankfully, we both know those big movements are just around the corner!!!

FYI: I will stop referring to the baby as "it" as soon as we find out if "it's" a boy or girl. :)

"OMG?!? Are You Pregnant??!!??" and other news...

Well, based on the amount of times that was asked to me this past week I think it's safe to say that "I'm showing"! I would like to think that most people don't ask you if you're pregnant unless they're PRETTY sure the answer is going to be yes. I have to say that I am really excited to have a growing tummy and it was something I was really looking forward to for the past few weeks. Of course I know something is in there but just the sight of it growing is so exciting! Curt is also just loving the fact that there is something to finally see. He loves to come home from work and lie down with his head next to my belly to just be "near" the baby. It's very cool...
We have both been SO busy these past few weeks but we did manage to get another baby bump picture to post. As you can see my shirts are becoming a bit of a tight fit but thankfully, they still cover what needs to be covered. Also, in a little over 2 weeks Curt and I will be going in for the BIG ultrasound!!! Yes, the boy or girl question will be answered!!! Lots of people have been asking both Curt and I what we are hoping for and of course we give them the generic, standard, and VERY TRUE answer, "Either one would be great and we just pray they are healthy". The truth is, both Curt and I think that in a perfect world we would eventually have both a boy and girl so it really doesn't matter what order they come in. I think it is safe to say that I would be the expert in the girl department and Curt would be the go-to-guy for the boys. I'm girly...he's sporty...we knew that!


In other life news, looks like Curt will be headed to Alabama in a few weeks to get that fun-filled SOS out of the way! I am not sure where my summer plans will take me but I have a couple opportunities I might take advantage of. I could possibly go back to my parents house in late June and squeeze in a visit before my third trimester starts, or I could take a hop down to Alabama and spend some time with Curt. It's a toughie! Curt could possibly be away most of the Summer so more time with him would be great...but my family would love to see me pregnant and possibly throw a Shower in there, so what's a girl to do!?!?! Something to think about (quickly) I guess...

Finally, one of the great bonuses (and much deserved) perks of being a teacher is we have the wonderful summer OFF! I officially have 22.5 days of work left and I although I just love my job, I am ready for the break! It will be nice not to wake up at 5am and just sleep in for as long as I wish. I am looking forward to those lazy days, catching up with friends, and most of all preparing for baby. I really think this summer is going to just fly by! As most of you know, this weather we have been having has been quite unseasonable. Although I so love a warm Summer day, it's tough to truly appreciate when you don't have a screen in your window or air conditioning to turn on. Curt is about to get really crafty and try and build some screens for our windows so that I don't have to sit through a long and hot British summer. I'll be sure to take some pictures of that project. :)

Until next time...