Baby Schoen has a name!

Most everyone knows (at least I think they do and please don't take offense if I haven't told you - baby brain is real!) that we are naming our little man Grayden, but calling him Grady. However, the issue of the middle name has been quite the debate in the Schoen household for the last couple of months. Do we pick a family name? Will we hurt someone's feelings? What sounds good with Schoen? So many questions. But, we finally made our decision. We are naming him Grayden Wesley Schoen, Wesley being after my dad. (We actually call my dad Sparky, but that just didn't have quite the ring I was looking for.)  When I married Dave, I didn't want to change my entire name. I had been Courtney Lennon Evans for 26 years and I love my middle name (also a family name.) So instead of doing the usual by dropping my middle name and becoming Courtney Evans Schoen, I chose Courtney Lennon Schoen. While my dad never said anything, I think this may have hurt his feelings. He had three girls and no one to pass his name down to. So, it just seemed most fitting to name Grady after my dad. In true Courtney fashion, I wanted to surprise my dad. We were in Raleigh this past weekend for my baby shower (yes, there will be a post all about the shower - pics and all - very shortly) so this was the perfect time to tell my dad. I ordered a chocolate chip cookie cake from Harris Teeter which read...



(If you have never had this cookie cake, please treat yourself and pick one up... they are so yummy!) Forgot to mention, Sparky will now be Pop Pops :) He was just so surprised and honored, I think I may have spotted a tear. So sweet.

And here are the Evans grandparents, Nona and Pop Pops...



 I now promise to update my blog once a week, so please come back and visit!

XOXO

Courtney





Moving right along

Well I've reached 24 weeks, and am feeling pretty damn good. A little nervous though, is this the calm before the storm? Maybe its the lack of wine (and yes, I miss my wine!), going to sleep at a decent hour on the weekends, or maybe I am just having an easy time. Whatever the reason, it has made this experience so much better. I will admit the first two months were a little rough. Although I never got sick, I definitely didn't feel good. But, I do have a few concerns... what the heck is going on with my feet? I looked down one day last week and literally teared up (and of course, Dave laughed and told me I was beautiful - liar!) Though its not cankles (which will be a BAD DAY if and when that happens), my feet are definitely swollen. Not every day though, that's the weirdest part. And no, I am not a salt-a-holic. In fact, I avoid salt most of the time. But I miss my feet. Not to brag, but I have (correction, had) cute, petite feet. Will they ever be normal again? I heard this weird myth that your feet grow when you're pregnant, but does this mean they stay bigger or do they go back to normal when you have the baby? I realize this is a ridiculous fear given what some woman go through,  but its a serious fear for me! (Well, that and pooping on myself during delivery, but Ill get into that issue later!) And, they are seriously hurting me. I swear when I put on shoes I feel like screaming sometimes.

Now for the belly...is this thing going to stop growing anytime soon? No really, is it? I have been obsessed with comparing myself with other preggers, which is probably not a good idea. I think being short is making me look bigger than most, like I have a watermelon for a belly, and its scary to think I have another 3 or so months left.

Stay tuned people, Ill keep posting progress pics!

XOXO,

Courtney