The Butcher Block : The journey leading up to Molly

It was early in March of 2011 when we found out we were PREGNANT! Little did we know the journey that was in front of us and just how much our lives were going to change. I always wondered what that moment would feel like; the shock, the excitement, the nervousness! Our excitement outweighed everything at first. Once we made the first appointment to have our first ultrasound, the nervousness kicked in. I prayed that this was our time and that everything would be okay. That ultrasound was the moment we found out how precious life is and got to listen to the heartbeat of our little baby. At that time she was only a little speck on a screen, but she was our little speck! It was such an overwhelming feeling of pure JOY!

With each passing month, our excitement grew. I read books on what to expect. I thought of what the nursery would look like. What name we would choose for our baby. There were so many decisions to make!

By the time July came around, we were ready to find out the sex of our little bundle of joy. Would it be a boy? Or would it be a girl? We wanted to make it a fun event for all of our friends and family. We decided to throw a gender reveal party! We were so excited the week before the party. We were going to have the ultrasound tech write down boy or girl and seal it in an envelope, which we would take to a local baker (Edible Art). The idea was that Edible Art would make a cake that once was cut, would reveal the gender (based on the color of the cake)!! Well, the day of the ultrasound arrived and low and behold our little bundle did not cooperate! Of course, we had already mailed out invitations to all of our friends and family. Here we were, leaving the doctor's office with no piece of paper to turn in to the baker. We were a little upset at first, but then realized that my Aunt Debbie's daughter-in-law-ish, Katie, is an Ultrasound Tech in Elizabeth City. We called her and she offered to do an ultrasound to find out for us! She said that even if it took all day, she was going to find out what we were having. So, I traveled to Elizabeth City a day later and the baby cooperated! Katie called the bakery to tell them what color to make the inside of the cake (see photos below)!

The Invite!

Team Pink

Team Blue (aka the wrong team)

Excited Parents-to-Be

It's a Girl!!

There were tears and screams of excitement!!! It was so amazing to find out with all of our loved ones! It was about time we had a little girl in our family! Both of our families have grandsons / nephews! Just the thought of buying bows and pink things versus dinosaurs and blue things was new and exciting. I should point out that we would have been beyond excited and overjoyed if we were having a boy!

So, once we found out the gender, I spent weeks searching for the perfect bedding, furniture and decorations for the nursery. Finally, after searching the Earth (internet) up and down, we chose the pink and green (go figure) Penelope bedding from Pottery Barn Kids.

My sister, Robin and sister in law, Sarah, hosted a wonderful shower in Elizabeth City with family and friends. Also, my friends Sara, Lara Lee, and Nancy hosted a great shower in Raleigh for more family and friends. We received such wonderful gifts and blessings for our baby-to-be.