The cat is out of the bag!

We are pregnant! 

&

We couldn't be happier. 

What an amazing feeling knowing that your body is a temporary home for a growing little human being. I wanted to create this blog post so that our little girl can see just how much she is loved, from the moment she was conceived. 

Our wedding was June 29, 2013. & what a beautiful day, indeed! 

The months preceding our wedding, though, were filled with non-stop work days, stressful decisions, and overwhelming feelings of anxiousness.  Being that both of our families are very "traditional," Mike and I didn't live together before marriage.  This was a great reward for us once we did get married, but it was very difficult spending so much time apart during our courtship.  I know a lot of couple say this, but when we are together, it's pure happiness, laughter, and joy. And although we do have our disagreements, we can't STAND being mad at one another for more than 5 minutes.. thus resulting in a sappy, apologetic monologue so that we can go about being "us." 

Anyways, the point is, Mike and I wanted to be married so very badly. I am pretty sure that there were a few times my wedding planner really ticked me off, and I called Mike frantically crying requesting his presence at City Hall so we could just get married and go on with our lives. But I am so glad we did the whole "shabang" wedding. It is a memory we will never forget. 

Our honeymoon in Mexico was amazing & beautiful.  We were just in love. We didn't care who knew. 

Coming back to the States after 8 days at an all-you-can-eat, 5-star resort, I think we both felt a million pounds heavier.  I especially noticed I was SO bloated. I just assumed I was coming off all the salty deliciousness from Mexico. Little did I know that there was a little, sweet treasure forming inside of me, causing me to feel extra squishy.

We took a few days after the honeymoon to just relax at home, go to the movies, and enjoy some more time off before hitting reality.  At this point I had many other symptoms telling my body I was pregnant like huge, tender breasts (the husband didn't mind this one), an adversity to chicken and eggs (a usual go-to food staple item for me), and of course... no period.  The first thing that crossed my mind was "we are definitely not THAT fertile.. there is no way.. it takes months for people to get pregnant."  Of course knowing the possibility of being pregnant excited me, I just didn't think it could be so simple.

It was a Saturday afternoon and Mike just left to play basketball with his friends.  I figured this was a good time to sneak away to the grocery store and snag a pregnancy test. I remember walking down the aisles, and I couldn't find the pregnancy tests because I was so excited/nervous.  After taking in a few deep breaths, I managed to snag a pregnancy test... and some chocolate (mmmhmm).  When I got home, I immediately took the test. And I must say that seeing the positive sign was a beautiful relief. I started crying and thanking God for such a beautiful gift.  I knew Mike would be so happy and proud.

I went right to Etsy.com and started searching for custom engraved keychains that I could order to reveal the news to Mike. I ordered one that said "The Hammonds - Mike, Courtney, and Baby H." It was so cute and I just couldn't wait to give it to him. Then, one night as we were BBqing and listening to music outside, Mike started talking about our future children and how we looks forward to that day.  This of course made my face light up.. and grin so wide that let Mike know that he wouldn't have to wait much longer. He smiled back and said, "wait... are you pregnant now?"  The keychain still hadn't come in the mail, but I couldn't lie to him. With my eyes full of tears, I said "Yes!"

I remember being swooped up by my husband and we both started crying. That night was spent talking about baby names, betting on if it was a girl or a boy, and figuring out when to tell our family members.  I will never forget that day :)

I can't think of anything more romantic than creating a life with the person you dearly love.  Our sweet girl is due March, 2014.  I am 17 weeks today, and I can start to feel her move around inside me.  I love her so much.

#theHammonds

#andthentherewere3