Everyone, meet Allison

Yes, it is strange that this is the first post I've written on this subject. Most of you, my friends and family, know that I am pregnant. For those of you whom I haven't had the opportunity to tell yet, surprise! I am 19 weeks in - that's 5 months if you don't want to do the math - and yesterday David and I learned that we are having a girl. This came as a complete shock to both of us - we were approximately 98.2% sure it was a boy - sure enough, in fact, that we've been calling my belly Jack for the past few weeks. But we are in no way disappointed. We're very excited and happy, and actually seeing her and knowing that she's a her has made this whole experience more real. I'm pleased to share with all of you one of her first photos in human form.


We have decided to name her Allison Guy Griner. She's about 8 inches long now, and weighs just over half a pound. She has four chambers in her heart, a liver, two kidneys, and two hemispheres in her brain. This week, her brain's figuring out how to use her five senses, and she can apparently already hear my voice. We read somewhere that David should talk to my stomach so she can get used to his voice, too. So, of course, he speaks to her in his best Sean Connery voice. Boy, is she in for a surprise.

In case you're wondering, I'm feeling great. I was somehow very fortunate and did not have morning sickness. I'm past the stage where I'm tired all the time so I have lots of energy to do things like dig a 16-foot trench in the front yard. More on that later.

And I'm finally at a point where my belly's big enough where people can say with confidence, "Oh, you're pregnant!" rather than think quietly to themselves, "Is she pregnant, or is she just letting herself go a little?"