Busy busy!!

We have been BUSY!!
Since we got back from Kentucky, we went to Chelsey's Camo baby shower with our gamenight girls. Oh and I think you and Logan are going to have a lot of fun together!


Then we got to have 2 Baby Showers of our own!!
One was thrown for us by your Aunt Jenna (and Aunt Bliss and Aunt Brooke too). Here's a blurry picture of her arriving at the airport and when she saw how big you were getting.


The shower was so beautiful and there were TONS of goodies- both to eat and for you to use when you arrive. :) I got to see tons of family and friends and it's just amazing to see how many people are just as excited about your arrival as your daddy and I are!

I have some pictures from this baby shower, but they're with Brooke so I'll have to upload them later.



Then we had another shower thrown for us by Aunt Taz, Aunt Bianca, and Papa & EJ in Houston. It was so fun! We played lots of games and I got to see so many friends/family from Houston that I wish we could see more often. It was also a time when we really celebrated that you're even on your way. Lots of my Houston friends/family really know how hard we wished and prayed for you to join our family. We love them for always supporting us and they can't wait to meet you too!
Here's a few quick pics from that.





Now, we're starting to count down. Only 6 weeks left until your due date, so we will be staying at home, packing our hospital bag and getting ready!!

I can't wait to meet you, Ryleigh! <3

To Kentucky and Back

So first, look at how big you're getting!!!


Then we took a little trip- I guess it was technically your first time on an airplane- to Kentucky to see your cousins. Magan needed to work while Aunt Mary was out of town, so we went to help with baby Kyle. It was FUN! I mean, how could we not have fun? Just look at how cute this guy is!

While there, I realized how much more physically taxing it was than I anticipated. Putting a 1 year old in a crib while your belly is in the way is challenging! Right then I decided that you won't get a brother/sister until you're older than a year (exactly how old Kyle is). lol
Really though, we had a good time. We got some good snuggles from sweet Kyle.


We got to enjoy the snow:


And bundled up before we headed out in it:


It was an awesome trip!! I can't wait for you and Kyle to see each other this summer when we go to visit again. :)

What is in a name?

Names are hard to pick, but we finally decided on one and really hope it fits you perfectly. Ryleigh Ann McLarty We picked Ryleigh for a few reasons: First, your mommy's middle name is Leighann and second, it's a strong Irish name. We picked Ann because it's your Nana's and your Aunt Deidra's (who isn't here anymore) middle name. It has family significance, while still being beautiful. We think it will fit you perfectly. We can't wait to meet you, Ryleigh Ann! Since it's so close to Christmas, we figured we would announce this way:

And your Aunt Jenna gave us our first family ornament. We hadn't picked the name yet, so you're still labeled "bump" but I think that you're the most adorable bump I've ever seen. <3

Well it's time to feed us. I can tell you're hungry when you start rolling around. I can tell you liked the food I picked because after we eat, you give me a few nudges or kicks to say thanks. Already polite and not even born yet. :) We'll see if that continues after you arrive out here. Love you, Ryleigh Ann. <3

Thanksgiving and Finding out you're a girl!

Hi Sunshine, So before I get to the best part, I have to show you the pics of your first pumpkin. I painted one for our little family and specifically found the perfect one for you- our lil "punkin." We had them out for Thanksgiving and everyone loved them.

Then, a few days later, we went for our appointment and I was thrilled, no ECSTATIC, to find out you're a girl! Your daddy was SO surprised! We told family and friends first and then announced to the world how excited we are.

Since we found out, I promised to limit my shopping and I have proudly only purchased one item for you. I can't wait to see how adorable you are in this Pink Zebra tutu I found at the KHS craft show.

I'm sure I'll update soon since we're deciding on a name in the next week or so. I promise I'm doing everything I can not to mess this up. We want to make sure your name is strong, but still feminine. That it will go great with your middle and last name and not have anything "funny" about it that you could get made fun of. It's harder than it sounds and a lot of pressure. So don't hate us when you get older if you don't like your name. We tried our best! :) We love you, little sunshine. <3

Ok little one. This is probably completely uninteresting to you, but I promised myself to blog all about my pregnancy with you and while I'm a little later than I planned on starting, here goes.

To today we're 16 weeks, 2 days along. You're about the size of a turnip and I'm feeling awesome. I guess awesome is more of a comparison to how I WAS feeling during weeks 6-14.
Those VERY first few weeks, I was just a little tired and it helped that I was busy with my Pink Zebra Reunion in Florida and doing other stuff. But starting around week 6 I started getting nauseated and extremely tired. I mean the kind of tired where if you sit down, you're asleep. I couldn't explain it, I was more tired than I've ever been in my life and I was napping every couple of hours. It's crazy how hard my body was working on the inside making you while I was actually doing nothing here on the outside. :)
And you definitely made eating a challenge. Seemed like you were never in the mood to eat anything until dinner. When I would try and eat during the day, you refused and "sent it back to the chef" so to speak. Good news is, you helped me loose almost 9lbs in my first trimester so I have a little more room when it comes to gaining weight! Dinner was your most favorite meal and it didn't matter what it was. Although, veggies were a must (besides carrots) and for the first time in quite a few years, I wanted red meat more than chicken, so I am assuming that was you. :)

My most favorite part about my first trimester? Getting to see you every week. I was still under the watchful eye of my fertility doctor, Dr. Pinto and his awesome nurse Chelsey, so I got to go in every week for a sonogram from week 4 till 11. It was amazing.
Each week I'd count down to the days until my appointment. I'd get to see your little heart beating and how much you'd grown since the week before. Towards the end, we could see your little fingers and toes. Once we even thought we saw you sucking your thumb!
Almost every week, you were VERY active. We couldn't figure out if you just liked what I was eating or if you didn't like the sonogram machine messing with you. Either way, I loved seeing your arms and legs move around as if you were dancing. :)

At week 11, we switched back to our OB, Dr. Kindrick. We got to see you on a sonogram at her office and then have some tests run and we liked all the results: baby is healthy! :) Since things were going so well, they told me they don't have to see me every week and that I would only get 1 other sonogram around week 20 as long as everything continued to go well. Of course I was happy that things were going wonderfully, but I definitely miss getting to see you every week. About a week after this appointment, we got to tell the world about you. We announced on Facebook and posted this picture of our little family:

There were lots of people excited and that can't wait to meet you. It made us so happy to see how much love and support people were giving us. Literally made your momma cry at some of the things people were saying. I have no doubt that you will be so loved not just by your family, but by so many wonderful people who care about all of us. <3

A about a month or so later, we visited Dr. Kindrick again just to hear the heartbeat and to ask any questions and then scheduled our next appointment: the one I'm MOST excited about (besides the one where I'll actually get to meet you). The next appointment is when we get to see you again, but most importantly, we get to find out if you're a girl or a boy. :)

Needless to say, we don't care as long as you're healthy, but your dad and I have had a fun time joking with each other. Occasionally I'll be sitting on the couch with Malibu and say, "All THREE of the girls on this couch are super comfy!" and your daddy will respond with, "Hmmm, seems as if you've got an infiltrator on your couch! Only 2 girls and a boy over there."

Most of your "aunts" think you're a girl: Jenna, Bliss, Brooke, Becca, Erin. Even Aunt Chelsey and Uncle Keith thing you're a girl. In fact, when we first told Sage that I was going to have a baby, she picked out the name "Clandy" and most of your aunts have been calling you that since. Don't worry, I promise I won't let that nickname stick. If it's anyone with the last name McLarty, they're convinced you're a boy. I think they are just going with the odds. In the past, odds are: if you're a McLarty, you're a boy. But I guess we'll just have to see. November 28th appointment can't come soon enough. :)

So that brings us up to about now. In about a week and a half, I start taking pictures with a photographer to make a video about us growing together. One day, I hope you'll look at this blog and those pictures and cherish them. :)

I will post again soon, hopefully to say that I could feel you. You have no idea how anxious I am for that!