It's a girl!

Layla Joyce

Due: August 20, 2007

Check out our blog: www.afmattandkatie.blogspot.com

About us:

My husband is in the Air Force and is deployed until around July. Fortunately, he will be home for our daughter's birth....our first child! I am a stay at home wife that loves working out (usually, not so much during pregnancy) and being with my husband. He is my best friend and hero! We have two 1 year old dogs named Roxy and Hurley and we play constantly!

Layla is moving all the time and strong as a newborn already! I worry about many things and would love a few women for support! Feel free to message or email me if you choose!

April 14, 2007

My first update on our little girl! I am 22 weeks pregnant tomorrow and am really enjoying the whole pregnancy process. Layla, as we will call her, is moving constantly and growing stronger by the day. Last week was really rough and I was missing my husband tremendously. He has been gone since January 27th, 2007 and will not return until late July just before the baby is born. I pray that I carry to term so he may enjoy at least the last stages in pregnancy. Right now it is really hitting him how much he is missing when he cannot feel the baby move or go to the doctor's appointments with me. He is currently in Afghanistan and is very brave for what his job is. We are stationed in NC at Pope AFB next to Fort Bragg, but while he is away I am staying with my sister that is a physician in Augusta, GA. I am blessed to have her in this situation because anything that doesn't "feel right" she is able to help me. As for now, I am trying to get more excercise in my daily routine. I stopped body building when I found out I was pregnant just to make sure everything went smoothly and I put on enough body fat to support the baby. As comfortable as the baby may be with that body fat now, I am NOT and am having some personal issues trying to not worry about my weight so much! Please feel free to message, pregnant women need all the support we can get and I could use some friends while my husband is gone!

22 weeks pregnant....

Belly at 22 weeks....no stretch marks there yet at least.

Ok, last one, from the front and lookin HUGE!

April 21, 2007

I feel absolutely HUGE today....tired of just getting bigger and feeling full and tired and out of breath! Phew! Even just SAYING that makes me worn out. I hate not having the energy to workout. Anyone else like that? I used to LOVE to work out and was so self motivated, now I cannot be walking around working out much for long because my tummy tightens up, my back starts to hurt, and my heart goes like 100 miles an hour. I am not sure what is going on here! Don't get me wrong, I love that I am pregnant, but sometimes I wish the side effects weren't so SEVERE! Ah!!

On a side note: please pray for my husband. Things have been getting bad where he is overseas and he has, of course, been pushed back on his return date. It is really draiing him emotionally because we thought he would be back early July...to no avail. We are both bummed and really only have God and each other to lean on during this. Thanks for all of your prayers and support, God works things out in mysterious ways.

In the second one she is giving the peace sign on her forhead. What a doll!!!

23 week from the front!

23 weeks....battle of the buldge! 4/27/07

May 19, 2007

End of 26 weeks.....

Ok, so here is my growing belly and body! EGH! Matthew is still away, but doing really well in Afghanistan. I am feeling really great, but apparently everyone seems to be going into labor early so I am very scared about going into early labor and Matthew missing it!! I have my next appointment on Monday, YAY! I have gained a TON of weight, perhaps about 30 lbs already.....about. Hah. I have been walking 3 miles every day trying to stay in shape, but our little Layla is getting really heavy so I may have to slow it down a notch soon. My 3D ultrasound is next month as well as birthing and breastfeeding classes. Next week I will take an infant CPR class. My uterus has made its way all the way to the top of my belly now and it seems that I am only going to be able to grow OUT from here. AH!!! Totally scared about that because I feel stretched out already! Anyway, nothing too exciting going on here. Trying to keep cool and as slim as possible. God bless!!

Start of 28 weeks. Got a belly now! Scary, I knew it was inevitable!

28 weeks real belly shot Basketball inside.

May 31st, 2007

It's funny. early in the pregnancy I could not WAIT to start showing and now I pray it slows down! AH! Well, updates.....I got my glucose test back and I am free and clear from that so woohoo! I am going to get a 3D u/s next week probably so I will post them when I get them. I have to say third trimester has hit full force! I am STARVING and EXHAUSTED all the time! Just started this week and will probably last until delivery! My boobs havent really grown too much more....I am only a small B cup from starting as a small A so they will probably grow a bit more. I want to breastfeed so I want to be sure I have ample breast supply. The greatest part of a bigger belly is how it makes everything else seem smaller. haha. Leave a note!

HEY LADIES!!! I am SO excited about this update!!
Well, as you can see......we had our 3D ultrasound today!! And let me tell you.....it was absolutely AMAZING!! Our little baby girl is just PERFECT in every little way, as the technician said it. SO perfect, in fact, that she wants us to come back for free in a couple of weeks so one of her trainees can practice on me and I can get more shots! Layla is SUPER active and already has the FUNNIEST facial expressions. She can do everything from raise her eyebrows to giving en Elvis lip crooked to one side! Not to mention she already has a FULL head of hair! The lady was stunned and said she doesnt see babies with THAT much hair even right before birth! I mean literally it was waving in the fluid! HOW CUTE! She has these full lips that are already being used in pouty faces and big old smiles! Her button nose actually resembles my sisters more than mine or Matthews! The technician was stunned at how much she looks like me and says even when I was there for 19 weeks she thought she looked like me and now with a little chunk in her cheeks, she apparently looks JUST like me! Poor girl! But, she definitely has Matthew's ears, already very pronounced! What a beautiful, darling little girl! We made an absolute confirmation too that we are having a girl. She was playing with her little toes and loves having her hands up at her face and playing with the umbilical cord! Our little Tarzan and Jane she surely is! Her arms are already well filled out and legs are looooooong! The lady said she doesnt expect her to be any less than 21 inches at least at birth, she will be a very long baby! Not to mention a smart one because if you can see in some of the photos, she can completely open her eyes now. She spent much of the time looking around and up and down and over.....just checking everything out! She is perfectly positioned with her head way down in my pelvis and facing forward just like she is supposed to be and will apparently stay that way from here on out!!! Only 10 more weeks to go everyone!! Isn't that CRAZY! I just can't wait to hold her in my arms and see all these features and all this personality in person!!

My Birth Guess:
August 11th, 2007
8lbs. 7oz.
21 in. long