family photo.

Family photo! We took several photos with the camera on a timer on the tripod, but we surprisingly liked this one the best. Most natural. Unfortunately it cut off Nate's head but Miles and Otis were not super cooperative with the whole "family photo" idea and did not last long. Plus Nate had pulled an all-nighter the night before to do homework and had literally not slept in 48 hours. So this is what we get. :)

Let's review: Me (Alyssa), Nate['s beard], Miles (black cat), Otis, and Baby Jones!
Baby Jones is coming April 2014!

We are very excited. I'm 17 weeks tomorrow, and until this point I've been extremely sick with morning (read: all-day) sickness. It seems to have subsided this week and based on my doctor's visit yesterday, I've gained 5 pounds! Still just 2 pounds over pre-pregnancy weight, but I'm sure now that the nausea and puking is going away, gaining will be easier.

My shirt, by the way, is homemade. Inspired by Pinterest.  Similar shirts are selling on Etsy for $15–$30, but I stopped by Michael's on Monday. T-shirts were on sale for $3 each, and with the fabric paint and paintbrush, I created my own shirt for less than $10.

Here's the little bean's first ultrasound, around 8 weeks. I guess the head is toward the left and in the top center is a little arm bud sticking up. Baby's grown a lot since then—from the size of a raspberry at about 0.04 ounces and just over a half-inch to a whopping onion at 5 inches and nearly 6 ounces. I'm getting a legit baby bump. Haven't bought any maternity clothes yet, but I'm keeping my jeans comfortable by looping a rubberband around the button.

Now that our happy news is public knowledge, I'll try to update regularly. We're scheduled for an anatomy scan on Nov. 26 (Week 20, banana sized) and will find out if Baby Jones is a boy or girl. Any guesses?