the wee one

merger

2007-11-12T14:15:00.000-05:00

Nothing new to see here.
For all updates go here.

growing up weeks 26, 27, & 28 (6 month edition)

2007-10-14T18:48:00.001-05:00

Dear Gideon,

Just under three weeks ago you turned six months old. I know, I know...what the hell am I doing writing this three weeks later? The truth is, I just haven't found the time. You are so incredibly important to me that I want to spend every free minute I can hanging out with you. That—and your unwillingness to take nice long naps—puts a damper on my letter writing time.

26 weeks

27 weeks

28 weeks (with guest appearance by Hip O.)

A major growth spurt—both mentally & physically—has occurred for you over the past several weeks. Around 23 weeks, I started making a list of things you had experienced. Here are a few of the things we've seen and done with you:

Blowing raspberries (zerberts) on my arm sitting in the yard.
Blowing raspberries at me with your little tongue sticking out.
Just sticking out your tongue in general.
Grunting and screaming like Godzilla.
Understanding cause & effect (9.2) by trying to turn rainforest "tv" on.
Sitting up unassisted like a big guy.
Giving kisses—big, open-mouthed, drool-filled, on my cheek
Laughing uncontrollably.
Crawling! (week of 9.20)
Saying "mama"
"waving" goodbye

This is by no means a complete list. In reality it all happened several weeks ago and I just never got back to adding to it. You've done so much more. It's like you woke up one morning and thought to yourself, "I am really digging this world I live in and I think I'd like to explore every inch of it. Right.Now. You crawl and sit like a champ. If you're on the floor and you see something you want—look out—in approximately 15 seconds you'll be across the room and honing in on your target.

One thing in particular that you are fascinated by is the toe kick that separates the kitchen and the dining room. Something about the gold phillips head screws inset into the thick natural woods captivates you. I could wash an entire sink full of dishes with you sprawled out on your belly several feet away inspecting that minute architectural detail like it was lost treasure.

How did they get that screw in there?

This past month has been a whirlwind for you. We do so much exploring that the ordinary is becoming fascinating again to me. When you get mesmerized by a sight or sound that I've been desensitized too I ponder how that must be for you. To experience something—like the sound of water swishing in a bottle—for what might be the first conscious time in your life. It's very cool.

Getting a book.

Reading with Mommy.

You are really smart and have a personality that is often lacking in the world. You are nothing if not the cutest, most charming and well-behaved baby I have ever met. That seems to be the consensus. The ladies at Weight Watchers adore you and tell me on a weekly basis how fabulous you are. It never gets old. You flirt with your eyes and that is going to cause me much unrest in the future. I hope I'll be able to teach you to wink someday. That will really knock 'em dead.

Every day gets better with you. That's saying a lot since there has never really been a bad day with you. You've been a dream since day one and I love you more and more as the weeks and months go by. You are my little monkey. My peanut. My sweet potato. My Baby Gideon and I'm so glad you are in my life.

Love,
Mommy

Apple picking at MacQueens Orchard.

growing up—25 weeks

2007-09-26T20:49:00.000-05:00

growing up—24 weeks (I spy a monkey)

2007-09-26T20:44:00.000-05:00

Who is that I see peaking over the arm rest?

Hey I know you!

Smile!

growing up—22 & 23 weeks (the 5 month edition)

2007-09-02T19:49:00.000-05:00

Dear Gideon,
Friday, August 24th, you turned 5 months old. It still amazes me that you have been in this world for 23 weeks already. I can't imagine a day without you.

22 weeks

It seems like each day you accomplish another milestone.

You've become so curious about EVERYTHING and it makes me want to explore the mundane and the everyday right along with you. Who knew that a brassy wrapper from a peanut bar could be so enchanting? Or that a bottle of water with a blue label could cause enough interest to make you yank yourself off my nipple for a better view?

A few weeks ago you discovered your feet and then you realized you could put them in your mouth. That is hilarious. You aren't crawling yet, but you want to so bad. Always rolling onto your stomach and then up onto your palms. You'll be moving in no time. I just know it. Sitting in an upright position is getting easier for you. It's only for a few seconds at a time unassisted, but even that impresses me. For those other times we've got your Bumbo chair. We dig it.

You've eaten lots of different veggies already and we've been successful with almost all of them. Green beans, squash, carrots, peas, and sweet potatoes. You seem to like them all, but I'm not so sure about the sweet potatoes. I thought your eyes seemed a little puffy in the days that you ate them. I could be just paranoid and I'll give them to you once more to be sure. You've also eaten pears and bananas. The pears are super yummy but I think the bananas sucked. Not at all like the pudding-esque vision I had in my mind.

I still keep logs of all of your feedings. However, I've come a long way from the obsessive nature I exhibited in the early days. Long gone are the days when I wrote down not only when you started feeding, but how many minutes you ate for on each side. I haven't logged a wet or dirty diaper in months. Now it's just the start time, an L or an R in a circle, and what solids you ate.

You continue to enjoy the company of your dog headed blanket, "Buddy". Buddy is a menace but a telltale sign that your sleepy. When you start to get tired you'll rub the blanket part around your face. Then you'll fight us to not go to sleep until you can no longer keep an eye open.

We signed you up for a 5 week long Kindermusik class back at the end of July. Last Saturday day was our last class and it has been a fun, albeit bizarre experience. We learned lots of songs and little dances and movements to stimulate your brain and encourage the growth of your gross motor skills. The songs are silly and completely infectious which sometimes tortures my very soul when I can't shake the "Here we go my little one, let's go riding, riding, riding..." I'll spare you the rest but will now be singing it in my head for the next half hour or so.

23 weeks

Your hair is gorgeous and it along with those blue eyes convince me that I should exploit you as a baby model. "Oh look at his red hair! Where did he get the red hair from?" Is the most often repeated phrase around strangers or anybody that hasn't seen you in awhile. I think the latter is such a dumb question and I often feel compelled to answer the query with, "The sperm donor." Where do they think it comes from? It's mostly from your Dad's side—just look at that beard—but duh, it comes from the super genetic makeup you get from the two of us. Look at those chunky thighs, you get those from me for sure.

You continue to be incredibly awesome and if I tried to name all the ways you amaze me every day this would go on forever. Thank you for being everything you are, every minute of the day. I love you.

Love,
Mommy

growing up—21 weeks

2007-08-22T06:50:00.000-05:00

The cuteness, it burns.

growing up—20 weeks (a photo montage)

2007-08-17T08:58:00.000-05:00

This is the process we go through every week to get your picture with the monkey. It starts out simple, plop you into the glider with the monkey by your side.

You know the camera is there.

You find it very funny.

So funny in fact that you flail yourself down onto the chair. We pick you back up.

And you show the monkey who the boss is.

"I'll teach you monkey!"

"Mmmm...you look tasty."

"Chomp!"

Fin.

growing up—19 weeks

2007-08-17T08:55:00.000-05:00

growing up—18 weeks

2007-08-02T09:01:00.000-05:00

I have so much to say about the fabulousness that is you. Not right now though. You're still sleeping from last night & I know any minute you'll be up to eat and play. I can't wait! More later on all your recent milestones.

growing up—17 weeks

2007-07-24T20:22:00.001-05:00

Happy 4 month birthday, Gideon!

growing up—16 weeks

2007-07-17T15:40:00.000-05:00

Too awesome for words. Man I love this kid.

growing up—14 & 15 weeks

2007-07-11T21:28:00.000-05:00

14 weeks.

This has been a busy couple of weeks for you. Since my last post you've:

Rolled over onto your stomach (6.27.o7).
And then onto your back (7.6.07)
Discovered your tongue and now stick it out all the time.
Started mouthing everything that you get into your hands.
Figured out how to make some new noises—little squeaks & squeals.
Made friends with a little stuffed dog blanket thing—Buddy (Budward T. Nobody if you're being formal).
Celebrated your first Fourth of July (and thankfully slept through most of the fireworks that they shoot off in the park next door).
Got a new Bumbo chair and sit upright all by yourself in it.
Upped the drool ratio.
Discovered just how cool the mobile above your crib is and will flail your legs around and squeal with delight when it's actually spinning.
Started cereal (7.9.07). Rice cereal—that actually doesn't taste bad. Which both excites me and breaks my heart. Our baby is starting solids.

15 weeks.

growing up—13 weeks (the 3 month edition)

2007-06-26T09:25:00.000-05:00

Dear Gideon,

Sunday was your 3 month birthday. You chose to ring in the festivities with your first truly explosive diaper. We were at Grandma's, who had been away for a week and was so excited to see you. You were sitting on her lap and she heard you going. I went to pick you up, you grunted hard and there it was. Running all out the side of your diaper, onto Grandma's jeans and then onto the couch. To say it was gross is an understatement. We got everything cleaned up—including you—but Grandma's couch will never be the same.

You haven't rolled over yet but in the interim you've adopted a really neat little trick. For the past couple of nights we would put you in your crib for the evening. When we would come in to get you the next morning—yes you are still sleeping through most nights, thank you—you will be 180° from where you started. I wish I could see you in action, but have yet to catch the show.

Wait. Just like that things have changed. I wrote the above last night before I went to bed. The pictures were still on the camera so I didn't end up posting it last night. You woke up at 3:00 and when I went in to check on you I found you 90° from where you started and on your stomach. You rolled over! I put you back the way you belonged and gave you your binkie. Apparently you were hungry because within 10 minutes you were fussing again. This time Dad went in to get you and guess what? You were on your belly again! We didn't actually see you roll over, but you did it. This both thrills me and frightens me. We are excited that you've reached yet another milestone in your development but I'd rather you not roll over onto your stomach while we are all in bed. Do it during our waking hours but stay on your back during your night sleeping please. Unfortunately there is no way to convey this to you and your going to keep rolling around in your sleep—I guess practice makes perfect.

You're growing fast and have outgrown the 0-3 month size almost completely. There are still a few items that fit you at that size but I'm guessing they are bit on the big size. Kind of like how Chico's size 4 is really a size 12—but hey, it makes the ladies feel good, right? You have lots of cute clothes in the 3-6 months size and I love putting you into a funky little outfit each day. If I ever get some extra time I'm going to design you some sweet little graphics for some onesies. Hopefully you'll still be wearing them by then.

Every day your personality shines more and more. You are such a happy baby and love to flirt. You're getting more and more vocal and new sounds are squawking out of you all the time. You chat, you laugh, you make these cute little expressions with your beautiful blue eyes. Getting you to take a decent nap is one of the more difficult tasks. You will fight it until there is no fight left in you and then you'll only go down for about 30–45 minutes. You do that multiple times a day and I guess that's okay, I'd just like you to sleep a little longer at a time—like 2 hours. You'd probably enjoy it and then I could get something accomplished in one time span instead of over 3 sessions. Daddy has a different method of getting you to sleep but I find that rocking you and humming you a lullaby usually does the trick when you're in my arms. The lullaby I hum to you has words that I go over in my head while humming, but for some reason I prefer to just hum to you. Maybe it sounds better to me that way. I don't know.

Thank you so much for being everything you are. We are so lucky to be your parents and we wouldn't want you any other way. Don't grow up so fast, we want time to savor every moment with you.

Love,
Mommy

growing up—12 weeks (with video)

2007-06-17T14:57:00.000-05:00

Dear Gideon,

12 weeks old. Wow. I know I say that all the time, but it really is mind blowing how quickly the days go by. All the cliches are true: "They grow up so fast." "You never know this kind of love until you have a child of your own." Blah, blah, blah. I guess that's why they're cliches. Anyway, this has been a really incredible week for you. First, we see this face ALL.THE.TIME.

And it rocks.

Along with that you think we are the funniest people around. Especially Daddy this week. He has started playing this game with you where he'll say, "My nose itches (while rubbing his nose.)" Then he'll rub your nose and ask you, "Does your nose itch?" You think that is hysterical!

You've really taken to noticing the world around you. Your vision has expanded greatly and you can see so much more. One of your favorite things to look at are ceiling fans. You are so entertained by the blades going round and round and when the fan is off you'll look at is inquisitively wondering why it's not moving. You're tracking everything these days and when one of us leaves the room you'll follow us with your eyes until we are out of your line of sight. We go outside with you a lot now and you really seem to enjoy it. I think the fresh air and the breezes relax you because you inevitably end up napping when we are in the backyard. When we take walks with you in the stroller you've started to stay awake longer and take in the surroundings. I like that.

You now have almost complete control over your head. You've even started lifting it up off the surface you are on when you are laying on your back. I know that must be hard for you since your head is so big compared to the rest of your body. You're really good at sitting up now to and pretty soon you'll be doing it with no assistance. I feel like any day you'll be rolling over and oh man, will you ever be proud of yourself when that happens.

Nursing has been high on your priority this week and I sure that means you are once again going through a little growth spurt. I hope it's more of a developmental one than a physical one because you are already such a big guy.

The other thing you have graced us with on more than one occasion this week is sleeping through the night. Three times this week you have gone to bed by 10 o'clock and not gotten up until after 5 the next morning. That is awesome beyond words. Please keep it up. Even if you don't, you're down to getting up only once in the middle of the night and I can handle that and still function the next day. But...feel free to continue sleeping through the night if you want. I won't mind.

Love,
Momma

growing up—11 weeks (now with verticality & spit-up)

2007-06-10T21:27:00.000-05:00

Looking perfectly at the camera...and spitting up.

Huh?

Completely enamored with the blue elephant rattle.

Knows he should be looking at Dad, but can't take his eyes off the rattle.
With the neck roll it looks like his head is just popped on top like a doll.

Standing up with Mom. Monkey has the blue elephant.

one for grandpa p

2007-06-07T10:40:00.000-05:00

Camouflage.

Wait? Does it disturb anybody else that it's June and I have to put my kid in a long sleeve shirt due to the weather?

sucky parenting moment #26

2007-06-03T19:30:00.000-05:00

Three words. Two month shots.

Wednesday, Gideon had his two month checkup. He is progressing beautifully and once again the doctor commented on how great his skin looked. Um, we're bathing him? I don't know what kind of skeevy skinned babies are coming into that office, but apparently us washing him a few times a week with Johnson's Baby Wash is more than some are doing. After the basic checkup portion we moved on the part I had been dreading—the shots.

Not the shot, but the shots. As in plural. As in three separate shots in my poor baby's unknowing little thighs. It happened really fast and the nurse was great but Gideon cried so hard. The kind of cry where they don't even make any noise it's so bad. The kind of cry that when sound does come out it's like a bleat of a lamb and is accompanied by a bright red face. Then there were little drops of blood surfacing on his thighs. The nurse put on the band-aids and we were done. I picked him up and held him close to me to console him. That's when I started crying. It's heartwrenching to see your baby in pain.

Once I got him settled down I put him in his carrier and he looked at me like, "What the hell woman?" I told him, "Hey, don't look at me like that, I had nothing to do with it." Which made him smile (and then made me smile). He fell asleep in the car and I thought to myself, "This isn't so bad. What a little champ."

I was wrong. He ended up being fussy all day. Only wanted to be held or eat the majority of the rest of the day. Sleeping was minimal. Around 10 o'clock we thought he was out for the evening and he started to cry that little lamb cry again. I picked him out of his crib and the back of his head resting on my arm felt like a little ball of fire. We checked his temperature and...100.6°. Holy Crap! What do I do? That's when I started crying again. My poor little baby. I stripped him down to his onesie and brought him into our bedroom with the ceiling fan. Josh got me a cool washcloth and I wiped him down with it. I laid down with him on my chest and Josh by my side. Within a half an hour his fever had broke and he was out like a light.

"Why aren't you holding me, woman? Put that camera away and pick me up!"

On Thursday the only evidence that remained were three bandaids—Snoopy, Scooby Doo, and Spongebob.

Stats:
Head: 39.75 cm (70%)
Height: 23" (55%)
Weight: 12# 1oz (65%)

growing up—10 weeks

2007-06-03T19:18:00.000-05:00

Gideon and Monkey go on a bender.

So sweet.

So done with the pictures.

shut-eye

2007-05-28T19:50:00.001-05:00

Friday he ate at 10:00 pm, went to sleep, and didn't get up again until 5:40 am. It was awesome.

growing up—9 weeks

2007-05-28T19:45:00.000-05:00

13 pounds. Need we say more?

growing up—8 weeks

2007-05-24T20:14:00.000-05:00

Dear Gideon,
Wow. Two months old already. Although it's hard to imagine life before you or without you, it seems hardly possible that you've been in our life for two whole months already.

I remember how tiny you were when we first brought you home. You seemed so small in the bassinet that we had for you. The bassinet that was used for both your Grandma and me—an heirloom that stayed right by our bedside during the night. You've outgrown that and now you sleep in your crib in your bedroom—which you've been sleeping in for weeks now. You're pretty funny when you sleep during the day. You try so hard to stay awake for fear that you'll miss something and when you finally give up the fight you are completely content. That is, if you are in our arms or on our chests. It seems like no matter how long you've been asleep, as soon as we lay you down in your crib you wake up—even if just for a moment. At night however you are sleeping much better and have even blessed us with nights where you only wake up around 2 a.m. and then not again until 5:30 or 6:00 in the morning. I thank you for that after many, many nights of getting up with you at midnight, then again at 2:00, 4:00, and 6:00. My favorite part of your sleeping habit has to be right after that 6ish feeding. When you are done and have been burped I'll lay down in bed with you on my chest and we'll sleep there together for the next couple of hours. I know that too soon you will be too big to do that anymore and I cherish each morning right now.

8 weeks

Bath time has become a highly anticipated event in our house. The first bath we gave you in your tub was accompanied by lots of fussing but that has gone by the wayside. Now you smile and are really tranquil when getting a bath. It's like you are king during bath time. We put your tub on the floor and one of us will wash you while the other showers you with warm water. It's a pleasurable time for all three of us. The hardest part of you to wash is your neck because you have all these little rolls to get to (just like Mom did). I've begun to affectionately call you "stinky neck" because of this. We also respect your modesty and put a washcloth over your boy bits. I say it for modesty, but really, it's so you don't pee on me during your bath.

You are amazing and every day you become even more so. Your personality has really emerged this past month and we couldn't be happier with you. "You're such a good boy." is an often heard phrase around our house. You rarely cry and are such a joy to be around. Your social smiles have come on full force and you give them out like they are candy. Full smiles, half smiles, tiny grins—they melt my heart. You are also cooing, gurgling, and chattering a lot these days. We have these little conversations with you and you seem truly happy to carry on with us.

Recently you've discovered your hand and your thumb. While you may not be successful with every attempt to get it to your mouth you know it's there and will not give up. I can see how it's getting easier for you with each passing day as you gain better control of your arms and legs. Another phrase you hear often is "You're so strong!" said with great enthusiasm. You've been lifting your head for weeks now but it's staying up without assistance for longer periods of time these days. You are also pushing off of any surface the soles of your feet come in contact with. When you are laying on our chests you will lift your head up and start pushing off with your feet until your whole body is bobbing up and down in a little frenzy.

finding his hand

Going back to work proved to be one of the harder things I had to do. That first day I cried more than once—when I dropped you off at Grandma's, on the phone with Daddy on my drive to work, and even a little when I first got to my job. It's gotten easier but as soon as I drop you off I can't wait until I can see you again. I know you're in good hands when I'm gone—Grandma loves to watch you (and Uncle Alex loves to play with you). Of course Daddy is phenomenal with you and loves you just as much as I do. I love you more than I could have ever imagined and each day that love grows a little bit more. You are the highlight of our lives and we can't imagine a single day without you in it.

looking at Mom & Dad

Happy 2 month birthday baby!

Love,
Mommy

growing up—7 weeks

2007-05-16T08:15:00.000-05:00

chunky monkey

2007-05-10T14:00:00.000-05:00

10 pounds 8 ounces?
Seriously?
Just 6 weeks ago you were 7.3.
Hell, just 2 weeks ago you were 9.8. At least we know you're getting enough to eat.

growing up—6 weeks

2007-05-07T17:45:00.000-05:00

growing up—5 weeks

2007-05-02T11:39:00.000-05:00

Check out the rolls of juicy baby goodness on his legs.

Despite the fact that my hair looks unbrushed and you can see my bra, don't we look happy?

growing up

2007-04-23T10:08:00.000-05:00

9 days

2 weeks

3 weeks

4 weeks

baby love

2007-04-12T18:46:00.000-05:00

Two of my favorite pictures taken this week.

birth story

2007-04-07T18:15:00.000-05:00

The Wait
Monday, March 19th made Friday the 23rd seem so incredibly far away. Monday was the day we scheduled our appointment to be induced on Friday at 8:30 am. That still left three days for me to go into labor on my own—but if I didn't the end was in sight. Tuesday...nothing. Wednesday...still waiting. Thursday we went to the hospital to have the cervical gel applied to encourage contractions and dilation that evening.

March 22, 2007—39 weeks and 6 days pregnant

That procedure took about two hours and when we were done, Josh and I went out for one last meal as just a couple—Applebee's for burgers. The contractions started a little that evening but they weren't anything to send us into a frenzy. Our bags were packed and we were so ready to get to Friday morning. To say I didn't get much sleep that night is an understatement. I was such a ball of emotions—excitement, nervousness, bewilderment—that I barely slept a wink. I got up at 6:30 Friday morning, showered, and had my toast and banana. I was ready to go. That's when the phone rang.

It was the hospital calling to tell me to not come in. There weren't any beds available and they were calling all of their scheduled inductions and telling then to hold off for a little while. They said they would call us back when we could come in and hopefully it wouldn't be that long. They were wrong. The minutes seemed to tick on and on and finally at 4:30 pm they called us back and said they were ready for us. Josh let out a little woo-hoo of joy and we grabbed our bags, about to embark on a journey that neither of us could have ever expected.

The Beginning
We got to the hospital and were once again left to wait. This time in triage while they finished getting our room together. It was only a short wait and within the hour I was in labor and delivery sporting the ever so attractive blue hospital gown. The doctor came in shortly after and by 6 pm my water had been broken. That was such an odd sensation. I could hear her trying to break it with her little crochet-hook like tool and then all of a sudden—gush. It just came pouring out. For hours after each time I had a contraction I would gush again at the onset. It was like constantly peeing without any control. The nurse must have changed the "pink pads" at least ten times by the end of the night.

After the doctor had broken my water, the nurse inserted my IV (which really hurt) and started the fluids bag—one of six I would go through before it was all over—and the Pitocin. The Pitocin line started at a level one and every so often (about every 30 minutes or so) the nurse would come in and pop it up a notch or two. She told us that the highest they usually go is a level 20. By Saturday afternoon I was up to a level 26. The initial contractions started pretty quickly and were entirely manageable by my standards. No need for any sort of narcotics at this point.

My Mom came up for a couple of hours that evening, which gave Josh the opportunity to go down to the cafeteria and get some dinner as well as step outside and regroup for a minute or two. When I got to the hospital I was restricted to a clear liquids diet, so no real food for me. Around 10 pm on Friday my Mom left and said to call her as soon as something happened, even if it was in the middle of the night. She wouldn't get a call until the next morning—a call to say "No baby yet."

I was hoping to get a little sleep Friday night and although the contractions were still manageable, they hurt, so I decided to get a dose of Nubain to take the edge off. The Nubain had an interesting effect on me at first. It was a little like being drunk. It helped a little but I really only managed to get two or three minutes of sleep between each contraction. This would go on for hours.

Hours 14 through 20
The doctor came in at 8 o'clock Saturday morning to check my progress. I was now dilated to a 6 which was not a far as I'd hoped to be. The nurse offered me a popsicle and I was so excited to "eat" something—which if you think about it, was just frozen liquid. Through the night Josh had slept briefly and awkwardly in both the uncomfortable chair and on the floor of our room. We were exhausted but hopeful. I was still drug free with the exception of the Nubain—which decreases dramatically in effect with each subsequent dose. The contractions were getting stronger and stronger but I took it like a champ. I never screamed and only doubted my ability to get through it once around 2 o'clock that morning. The nurses had me lay on each side to encourage progression and those contractions were really painful. I also sat on the birthing ball for awhile and I really had to concentrate on my focal points and coping methods to get through those. My coping method would be counting down and back up from 20 or reciting the alphabet in my head—not something I had planned, but effective.

At some point during the morning the charge nurse came in and told me how great I was doing. She said she would have had no idea I was having such a strong contraction had she not seen it on the monitor since I was so quiet and focused. Apparently I was the topic of conversation among the nurses at lunch for the same reason. I'm not sure how most women react, but I didn't think screaming and carrying on was going to do me any good. Josh was amazingly helpful through the process and if he wasn't there to help me cope I may not have been so relaxed. My Mom came up again to hang out with us and give Josh a break for lunch. They both reassured me several times throughout the day that I was doing an awesome job. And I really felt like I was despite the incredible pain I was in every couple of minutes.

The Last Few Hours
Early that afternoon the doctor came in and checked me again. Still a six. No progression since 8 o'clock that morning. Crap. At two pm the nurse came in and recommended that I get an epidural. She said the epidural would help me to relax and de-stress a bit which may help me progress those last 4 cm. It was at that point I had a mild break down. An epidural was not what I wanted. I just wanted this baby to be born. I was exhausted and scared and couldn't stop crying about the decision I needed to make. Just thinking about it now brings me to tears. Josh, my Mom and I talked it over and I had the anesthesiologist come in and talk to me about it too. I decided it was in my and the baby's best interest at that point and although I was frightened of the whole procedure I opted for it. The anesthesiologist was great—she talked me through the whole process and told me several times how great I was doing. By 2:30 pm it was in and the pain was quickly subsiding. I could feel pressure for sure but not the excruciating pain that I had been feeling with each contraction. This would continue for the next three and a half hours.

At six o'clock all our expectations about this birth would change. I still hadn't progressed despite all the Pitiocin and the epidural. My water had now been broken for 24 hours and was approaching the point of being a risk factor for both the baby and myself. I had been at this for 24 hours and was so ready to have the baby that when the nurse came in to say that an emergency caesarean section was now necessary I was all for it. Let's get this show on the road.

In Labor & Delivery still, waiting to be taken to the OR.

Things moved pretty quickly that last hour. Josh put on his scrubs and I donned the lovely net hat. I drank some disgusting antacid concoction and had the fetal monitor and the internal monitor removed. My Mom called my Step-dad and Brother and went out to the triage area to wait. Several different people came in and out of the room that would be assisting with the surgery and at 7 pm I was being wheeled down to the OR. Josh had to wait outside the OR for several minutes while they got me up on the table and prepped. The whole scene was surreal and reminded me of that scene from Monty Python's "The Meaning of Life" where they wheel the lady into the OR and have to get out all the expensive machines that go "ping".

They logged me into the OR at 7:06 pm. A flurry of things were prepped and taken care of over the next several moments. A more powerful anesthesia was administered and at 7:26 pm the first cut was made. Another surreal experience. I was completely awake and although I couldn't see past the curtain that was just inches from my face, I was very aware of what was happening. It wasn't painful, but I could feel each snip and slice as they opened me up. At one point Joe, the nurse's midwive, said "Extreme pressure." and he wasn't kidding. I don't know what was happening at that point—they weren't pulling the baby out yet—but it was a crazy sensation. Josh told me later that Joe had turned sideways to brace himself and was sort of up on one foot with all his weight shifted to give him leverage. A few more moments and Joe would be saying to Josh, "Do you want to see your baby?" Josh looked over the curtain and Gideon was just halfway out of my body. They pulled him the rest of the way out and exclaimed, "He's definitely a boy."—we had been discussing the rate of error when we first got into the OR and had mentioned how we really hoped he was that boy we expected. He was wisked away for his initial tests and what not—scoring an impressive 8,9, and 9 on his APGARs. The doctor from the NICU came out and told me how beautiful he was and how great he was doing. Then they brought him out to me and put him just a few inches from my face so I could say hello and give him a kiss.

The doctors began to massage my uterus to help with the bleeding and what not. Let me tell you that was incredibly painful. It was as painful as some of the worst contractions I had just prior to the epidural. I got an uncontrollable case of the shakes, my bp skyrocketed—which apparently caused a bit of a stir among the doctors—and they sewed me up. When they were all done they wheeled me into OR recovery where I would spend at least the next hour—I think it was much longer. My Mom, Step-dad and Brother came in as soon as they could to see us all and then my Dad, Step-mom, and sister came up. They were all concerned about my well being and so excited about the arrival of Gideon that waiting was never an option for any of them. By 11 pm we were in our post-partum recovery room where I would finally get my first bite to eat of real food since 3 pm the previous day and where we would spend the next few days as a new family.

Mom & Baby in OR recovery.

At 7:33 pm on March 24th we had our baby. After 25 hours of labor—and just 7 minutes after the first incision—he was here. And he would change our lives in an instant.

anybody have the time?

2007-04-02T14:55:00.000-05:00

I'm still working on my birth story. There is so much to say and so little time to get it down in writing. My time on the computer these days is fleeting. The most writing I seem to do these days consists of feeding and diaper logs—fascinating stuff, let me tell you. I am happy to report I've lost 23 pounds since the baby has been born and only have 11 to go until I'm back at my pre-pregnancy weight.

I hope to finish the story soon, some things are just a little bit more important.

introducing...

2007-03-27T19:23:00.000-05:00

Gideon Xavier
Born: 3.24.07
Time: 7:33 p.m.
Weight: 7 lbs 14 ozs
Length: 21 inches

Absolutely perfect.

whew

2007-03-25T08:57:00.000-05:00

Once we get some much needed rest and I get my birth story together I'll post much more. Here's a teaser until then:

25 hours of labor.

due date

2007-03-23T06:36:00.000-05:00

This is it. We were supposed to go to the hospital at 8:30 to be induced. But...the hospital just called and said there are no beds available so not to come in on time. She'll call us back—hopefully it won't be too long.

Updates soon.

11:00: Still nothing. I've been napping on the couch since I got very little sleep last night. If they don't call soon, I'm going to explode.

12:00: Just called the hospital. They were hoping to get me in by noon but have had people come in already in labor. She's guessing late this afternoon, early evening. Josh is not a happy camper.

2:50: Still waiting...

4:25: Finally. The hospital just called. We are on our way in. Yay!!!

today would be a great day to be born

2007-03-21T13:16:00.000-05:00

Dear Baby,
It's amazing how slow time can go by when you are anticipating something so exciting in your life. Something so huge that you can barely wrap your mind around the reality of it all.

That's how I feel right now waiting for your arrival. I thought for sure we would be at the hospital today. The contractions I had last night were so strong and so uncomfortable, I thought a trip to the hospital in the middle of the night was inevitable. I was wrong. I've been having some contractions today, but nothing like last night. Nothing that currently warrants getting out my little pad of paper and timing them to see if they are long enough and close enough to call your Dad home from work.

I've been sleeping in as much as possible the last two days—getting up at 10—since I know that will be over any time now. That, coupled with the fact that I've acquired this nasty cold and can't sleep much at night, makes for one tired Momma in the morning. I've officially stopped working and am now on maternity leave. It's only been two days and I'm already antsy. The down time is nice, but I can only do so many crossword puzzles and watch so much crappy television (especially since we only get 5 channels). Do you know how annoying the contestants on The Price is Right can be? Pretty annoying.

The house is clean, the hospital bag is packed, and there is nothing to do but wait for you.

Please come soon. I promise you'll love it out here. We will take such good care of you and love you to pieces. We have so much we want to do with you once you come into the world—now and for years to come. It's Spring—a time of new life and new growth—and we're waiting for you.

Love,
Momma

still waiting

2007-03-19T17:43:00.000-05:00

No baby yet.

39 weeks

2007-03-16T11:21:00.000-05:00

One week to go until my official due date. Let's just call it done and get this baby out. We are so ready to meet the Wee One we can hardly stand it. Calls are now coming in at a regular basis wondering if we've had the baby yet. Nope. Still Waiting. I've never been so disappointed to say "I'm fine" when asked how I'm feeling. I want to be in labor. I want to be at the hospital. I want it to happen this weekend.

Yesterday was a day full of contractions and hopefullness. They started at 8:00 yesterday morning and made their appearance every 30 minutes until around 5:00. At that point they subsided and only graced us with their presence once an hour or so until 8:00 pm. Then they picked up speed again and got us really excited by showing up every 15 minutes until around 10:30 last night. Then they stopped. Or, at least they weren't strong enough to wake me up through the night. I've had a few today, but nothing like they were yesterday.

The Wee One has been really active today and I hope he is migrating into a position ready for descent. He's been head down and presenting for a couple of weeks now, but as of Tuesday I was still just dilated to 1-1.5 cm with no real change from the week before. Keep sending us good vibes that the baby will grace us with his presence this weekend.

Taken this morning fresh out of the shower. Don't I look ready?

still pregnant

2007-03-12T18:56:00.000-05:00

11 days until my due date.
Still working everyday which is getting hard for me. Early mornings two days a week and long days into the late evening two days a week. I'm exhausted no matter what.
Having contractions about every hour since 3:00 today and from 3:00–10:00 yesterday. Nothing I can't handle, but I'd really like them to pick up the pace and transition into full blown labor.
We are both really excited but a little nervous. The unknown is creeping up quickly and although we are busting at the seams to meet our little guy we still have a hard road ahead to get through.
Josh thinks it will happen this week. I'm hoping he's right.
Back to the doctor's tomorrow for my 39 week checkup. I hope I've progressed since last week.

38+ weeks

2007-03-09T10:14:00.000-05:00

Just 13 days until my "official" due date. To say I'm ready NOW is a gross understatement. I've been ready since I hit full term at 37 weeks. My fundal height is now at 40.5 cm up from 38.5 cm last week. Um, yeah, so I've grown a bit in the last week. I'm dilated now to a good 1 – 1.5 centimeters, not inducable, but progressing.

Josh is on spring break next week and his season for work hasn't officially started up yet so having the baby this weekend would be ideal. Unlikely, but ideal. That way we would at least have that first week together without outside obligations. Work is getting more difficult for me as the days go on since I'm not really getting much sleep and being on my feet (or even sitting in one position) for long periods of time is difficult.

The doctor is only in Monday and Tuesday of next week so instead of my usually Friday appointment, I'll be back in on Tuesday. That's only 4 days from the appointment I just had today, but I hope it's enough to show some significant progression. I could have waited until next Friday and seen another doctor but I like my doctor and don't want somebody else checking my cervix at this point. Most of my modesty is out the window at this point, however, I am still hanging onto that thread of dignity and would just rather go in earlier in the week. Plus, my doctor is awesome. She's always smiling and is very sweet.

wow

2007-03-07T18:16:00.000-05:00

I can't even remember looking like I did at 16 weeks.
Click on the pic for a bigger & better version.

38 weeks

2007-03-07T17:41:00.000-05:00

Oh.My.God. I'm HUGE!

nursery—final phase

2007-03-04T22:00:00.000-05:00

The shower last week blessed up with copious amounts of items for completing the nursery. We got the bedding which was the focal point of the whole room as well as lots of little accessories to make the room feel finished. With me at full term and just 18 days to go until my estimated due date, I tell the Wee One every day that he can come any time. We are ready and waiting.

View looking into the nursery from the door.
The rest of the pictures move counter-clockwise around the room.

Changing table/dresser combo now equipped with changing pad, wall hangings above, diaper holder to the left and cute light switch plate to the right (with dimmer switch Josh installed).

Detail of light switch plate.

Bookshelf full of books, picture frame, monitor base & diaper pail.
See the cute little bunny ear hat on the monkey? My Grandma knitted that for us.

Lamp on the table by the glider.
I love how the female figure looks like Mother Nature watching over all the animals.

Right side of the room (from entrance) complete with window valance.

View from the closet.

Glider and ottoman from changing table view.

View from glider looking towards door.

View from glider looking to right of room.

Mobile above crib.

Bedding from above.

Clothes hamper for all the tiny dirty baby clothes.

shower me with your love

2007-02-27T23:45:00.000-05:00

Saturday was my official baby shower. My Mom threw it for me and it was absolutely fabulous. The tables looked beautiful and she created these really clever centerpieces for each one. She took these little buckets and filled each one with different baby supplies—bottles, diaper cream, socks, hats, burp cloths, etc. When the shower was over I got to take all the goodies home with me. Each place setting had a little bag with a package of hot chocolate (one of I think 6 different flavors) & a large biscotti. I had a similar favor—with mini biscottis—at my bridal shower four years ago and loved the idea of tying together the beginning of our life as a family of two with the beginning of our life as a family of three.

The tables.

One of the centerpieces.

The food was great. We had mini croissaints with either chicken salad or ham & swiss cheese, potato salad, green salad, fruit salad, potato chips, mini eclairs & cream puffs along with punch, coffee, and water. The cake was an adorably decorated marble sheet cake. Everyone seemed to enjoy all the food and although I haven't had a piece of the cake yet, I heard it was excellent.

The top of the cake.

While my guests enjoyed their cake, I opened the huge pile of gifts waiting for me. We got so many great things. The registry must be bare because we got almost everything we registered for. Every bit of the nursery themed items were purchased, our car seat, diaper bag, monitors, you name it. We also got lots of cute little outfits in all different sizes.

I love this bag.

Cute camo tennies.

Funky little outfit from a Chicago boutique.

Mom & me.

Josh's diaper/poker party was also a big success. We ended up with 16 packages of diapers—which more than covered the cost of food and beer for the party. His party started at noon and the last of the guests didn't leave until after nine that night.

Diapers, duh.

by the numbers

2007-02-21T23:00:00.000-05:00

36 weeks along
30 days until my due date
9 days until I'm full term
4 weeks or less until I go on leave
3 days until the baby shower
2 excited parents to be
1 baby we're ready to meet

35 weeks

2007-02-16T09:54:00.001-05:00

"You have a nice pelvis."

That's what the doctor told me today. She also showed me her unshaven legs. It was quite the appointment. I went in today expecting my usual to do—check my weight, BP, fundal height, baby's heartbeat, any questions?, no see you in two weeks. That's not what I got. Oh, she did all the usual. I'm up a pound since the last visit two weeks ago. Blood pressure was good. Measuring 36.5 cm. Baby's heartbeat in the 140's. Excellent.

Not so excellent? Today I got to do the Strep B culture as well. I didn't expect that until next appointment and Josh was with me. Lucky him. It actually wasn't bad and was much quicker than your normal pap test.

When that was done she checked my cervix. That's when she told me I have a nice pelvis. That's so funny to me. Good news is the baby is head down and my cervix is still closed but soft. I'm ripening! How exciting. That means the end is getting near.

Oh, and I've graduated to the every week appointments.

you can't come yet, I don't have my list done

2007-02-14T17:47:00.000-05:00

Things I still have to do before this baby comes:

Pre-register for the hospital

Fill out paper work

Copy insurance card

Send in

Pack for the hospital

Find bag

Print lists of things to pack and cross-reference because I'm anal

Make list of own
Buy disposable/travel items (toothpaste, toothbrush, etc) which will be thrown away at hospital per the advice of The Life and Times of a Labor Nurse

Pack something/everything/anything—just start already

Car Seat

Buy one (if we don't get one at the baby shower)

Install it

Have it checked by KISS (Kids in Safe Seats) at hospital

Baby Shower!!

It's on the 24th

I can't wait!

Then we can finally finish the nursery and assess what we still need to buy.

Write Birth Plan for hospital

"With this birth I'd like to try..." (per our childbirth class instructor)

Things to include: no episiotimy if possible, prefer Nubain over an epidural, want to try alternative birthing positions like squatting, want to be able to walk around labor & delivery room, etc...

Call the pediatrician we want for the Wee One

Check that he is accepting new patients

See what we have to do to secure him as ours

Don't Panic

38 days to go

2007-02-12T19:18:00.000-05:00

I think Josh's face says it all.

surprise!

2007-02-08T17:16:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had a final critique in a class to conduct and then two meetings with two different colleagues. The first meeting was set for about 11 a.m. and the second was set for 1 p.m. The second was set up initially to meet after my class would officially end (but being the final class I knew it wouldn't run that long). I had hoped that I could just bump the second meeting up to right after the first. Things didn't work out quite the way I had hoped.

My first meeting colleague (B.) popped up about 11:30 and he was with the colleague I was supposed to meet later (T.). I mentioned to T. that I'd like to meet sooner than later if possible because that would give me more time to go home and relax before I had to be back at 4:30 for office hours and my second class. T. wasn't having it—he told me he had other things he had to do and had to meet with someone at 12:00. He asked if we could meet at 12:30 instead. Okay, I thought, at least that's a half an hour earlier. I was tempted to see if we could just meet today instead, but he had set it up and is the department chair so I just decided to go with it.

B. and I sat down for our meeting and talked for almost an hour—awesome, it's 12:30 already, T. should be around any minute. Another colleague of mine (J.) showed up and started telling us this really animated story of how she almost got snowed at her cabin out east over the weekend. Finally at 12:45, T. showed up ready for our meeting, but with a catch. Instead of meeting in my office or in his he wanted to meet in the diner (our faculty/staff break area). He said he was hungry and hadn't had any lunch yet. So I packed up my stuff and the two of us headed over to the diner along with J. and B.

I got to the diner door—with J. in the lead—and she stepped back and told me to go ahead. My initial thought was, "Why don't you get the door? I've got all this crap in my hand." But, I stepped up and punched in the code. When I got the door open it was totally dark and I flipped on the light switch. That's when I heard it.

"SURPRISE!!!" was being yelled out in my general direction. There sat a huge chunk of people that I work with there to celebrate with me at a surprise baby shower. There was cake and snacks and a whole bunch of presents for the Wee One. It was incredible and I was absolutely speechless—not an easy thing to do.

I felt so incredibly loved by all my colleagues at that moment. J. had planned it all and it had apparently been in the works for a couple of weeks. I had no idea. Books, a baby tub, baskets filled with goodies, little toys, clothes, and lots of gift cards—great things to make the Wee One's journey into this world that much easier. It was great fun and there were lots of pictures taken. Here's a few from the festivities.

33 weeks

2007-02-04T19:33:00.000-05:00

Feeling absolutely huge.

Lots 'o baby in there & not much room left.

They say that you're supposed to average the parent's weights to get an idea of how much your baby will weigh. Josh weighed in at a whopping 8 lbs. 10 oz. Thankfully, I only weighed 5 lbs. 6 oz. when I was born. That gives us an average of just under 7 lbs. I'll take it.

moving right along

2007-02-02T18:35:00.000-05:00

Things seem to be moving along smoothly and at a relatively steady space. Went to the doctor's today and it was the same old song and dance. Weight is good. Blood pressure is fine. Baby's heartbeat is in the 140's. I'm measuring at 34 cm and I'm 33 weeks and a few days. According to the doctor, "Perfect.". The only odd thing the doctor asked me today is what I had for lunch. Burger, fries, and really sweet lemonade. She laughed and said, "Ahh, it was the lemonade." My sugar levels were up +2 in my urine sample for the first time ever. So, everything is good—back in two weeks.

We are getting more prepared for baby's arrival too. We finished up the last of our childbirth classes and the nursery is looking more and more like a baby's room. We still don't have any bedding or lots of the essentials, but the shower is just 3 weeks away and we're hoping for lots of goodies from all our family and friends. We were surprised by the UPS man last week with a huge package on our front porch. Josh was home when it was dropped off with just a ring of the doorbell as an indicator. It was the stroller from our registry sent to us by my Aunt and Uncle in California. Yay! Josh put the box in the nursery and wanted me to find it on my own but was too excited and told me just moments after I got home from work that day. It is so awesome.

Lots of storage areas and really roomy looking.

Check out how much the monkey likes it.

The closet is starting to fill up, as is the dresser. It wasn't that long ago when we just had two onesies hanging in the closet. I've washed and put away all the clothes, blankets, bibs, washcloths, and anything else that would come in contact with the baby's skin. I went out and bought 20 baby hangers and if I plan to hang up anymore clothes we get I'll need to go buy more.
I'll be posting more belly pictures soon and when I do we'll talk all about the lack of room in the womb for this little baby. Until then, we're just taking it day-by-day.

less than eight weeks to go

2007-01-25T21:01:00.000-05:00

With one excited daddy-to-be.

the hospital tour

2007-01-23T12:58:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, Josh and I went to the hospital for our tour of the maternity ward. There were lots of other couples there for the same reason and they ended up splitting us into two groups to accommodate all of us. Our tour guide ended up being the woman who teaches our childbirth classes so it was great to have a familiar face to listen to and ask questions.

We headed up to the maternity ward on the third floor and our first stop was the "Skylight" area where those who aren't part of your support team in labor await the arrival of the little one. It was a nice, brightly lit area full of cushy looking seats, lots of windows, nearby restrooms, and vending machines. I'm sure my Mom will be comfy there when I get to the pushing stage of labor and kick her out of the birthing room.

The next stop was the labor and delivery area. Just as we approached I had an overwhelming feeling of "Crap. This is really real isn't it?" Josh laughed, because, um...isn't having a baby growing inside of you real enough? But this was a different kind of real—an I'm almost at the point of having to get this baby out of me real. Yikes! The room was fantastic. Very private and HUGE! Hardwood floors, 2 rockers and a recliner, private bathroom with a stand in shower equipped with a stool and a shower wand, dresser, armoire, CD player, temperature controls, a warming area for right after the baby is born, lots of equipment hidden away behind french doors, and of course the labor bed. We have access to a birthing ball and a squatting bar for the bed (both of which we intend on trying). The lighting is nice and subdued—with lots of bright recessed lamps in the ceiling for when we are in full swing of things and plenty of area to move around the room.

Then we went to the recovery area. Small, but private and enough. There's a bed, a TV, a couple of chairs, dresser, and private bathroom with a shower. What more do you really need? We were told that if there are lots of women in recovery at the same time, we may start out in a double room but will be moved asap to a private room. Good. I don't want to share a room with anyone else.

Nearby was the nurses station and right next to it was an area they call the "Nourishment Center". Basically it's a little kitchenette equipped with a juice machine, coffee pot, microwave, and fridge. It's for the patients to keep a sandwich or two in, get ice chips, juice, coffee, etc., and heat up any food we may have brought from home or gotten from the cafeteria.

All-in-all the hospital made a great impression on me, and although a bit frightening, I feel that much more prepared for the big day.

nursery—phase three

2007-01-22T16:43:00.000-05:00

1 box.

Lots of pieces.

3 hours of assembly.

One fabulous changing table/dresser.

31 weeks

2007-01-18T19:32:00.000-05:00

Today was a great doctor's appointment. All my worries and concerns were lifted by the time I left the office.

I got the results back from the three hour glucola test and I passed with flying colors—like way below the line. One of the caps was 180 and I scored a 150. All of them were like that. Awesome. I also found out just how close I was to passing the one hour test. Apparently I was right on the line. If you were 130 or over it was considered a failed test. I was 130 on the dot. So I just failed. No worries though because as boring and uncomfortable as it was, I passed that second one and don't have to worry about gestational diabetes anymore.

I'm also right on track with regards to measurements. Last appointment I was measuring 2 weeks ahead. This time my measurement was 30.5 cm and I'm 30.6 weeks along. Perfect. I've gained 5 pounds since the last appointment (a hair over a pound a week) and I'm right on track with that too. Good blood pressure as usual and the Wee One's heartbeat was strong and loud.

I had several questions for the doctor and she answered them all with what I was hoping to hear. Well, all except one. I asked if I would get another ultrasound and she said probably not. Damn. I guess that's the price you pay for having a healthy pregnancy. I know there are only nine weeks to go but I wanted to see our little one once more in utero—and see that penis one more time for reassurance. It's been 13 weeks since our last ultrasound and if you recall, it wasn't the greatest experience for me.

I've now graduated to appointments every two weeks. Three of those and then I'm every week until he arrives. Here's to the next nine weeks!

30 weeks

2007-01-12T21:12:00.000-05:00

Three-quarters of the way done. Well into the third trimester. Seventy days to go. Less than 10 weeks left. While I freak out about how close we are...here's some pictures.

That is one round belly I'm sporting these days.

The baby. He cometh soon.

Already so in love and we haven't even met.

29 weeks

2007-01-04T18:33:00.000-05:00

Many years ago—before Josh and I got married—I went to a bridal show luncheon and got a little clock as a door prize. Not just any old clock, but a clock that also counted down to your special day. It had little printed interchangeable facades that showed what the special occasion was that you were counting down to—wedding, anniversary, birthday, and so on. Some of the facades are now long gone, but we've kept the clock. Well over four months ago Josh pulled the clock out and set the countdown to March 23, 2007. When he did there was something like 200+ days to go. We didn't have the "baby due date" facade anymore so Josh handcrafted this great little cover for it and it's been sitting on the mantle of our entertainment center since then.

As of today there are only 77 days to go!

And of course, a token shot of my ever-expanding baby belly.

nursery—phase two

2007-01-01T14:28:00.000-05:00

The walls and trim have been painted, the plethora of old paint on the hardwood floors (which we discovered when we pulled up the carpet after we moved in) has been meticulously scraped and scrubbed away, and we assembled all the furniture we have except for the baby papasan. Although we are far from finished—especially since we have no bedding, dresser/changing table, or accesories yet—the room is starting to finally look like a nursery. Frankly, we love it. Josh and I can't help but walk into the room when we pass by the door and stare longingly at an area that will soon be filled with baby love.

The ultra-comfortable glider and ottoman that my Grandma got us for Chirstmas. I predict many a late night feeding happening here as well as lots of bedtime stories.

The tiny bookshelf Josh and I bought that will soon be filled with books and toys.

A Lane chest that was given to me years ago. This will probably end up in the basement and this spot will be replaced with a changing table/dresser combo.

Until then, it's working out great as a storage area for all the goodies we've been given so far.

A shot of the room entrance from the point of view of the glider. So far we've moved around the room in a clockwise manner—just to give you some perspective.

I really wish that the crib matched the rest of the furniture, but it was given to us and is a really nice piece. It also saves us lots of money since we won't have to buy one now. I think I'll get over it. That blanket doesn't belong there (I just forgot to move it when I took the picture) and we bought a crib mattress today. I shot these pictures yesterday so you don't get to see it in the crib. It's just a mattress though so you aren't missing anything.

As usual, click on the pics for a bigger/better viewing experience.

nursery—phase one

2006-12-28T15:43:00.000-05:00

Last night Josh painted the walls in the nursery. We just painted them a year ago when we moved in, but we decided we wanted the nursery to be something besides white. We chose an Olympic paint color called "Niagra Falls". The trim around the room still needs to be painted (which will be white to match the closet door) and then we can start assembling furniture. As always, click on the pic for a bigger view and a better idea of the color.

christmas in the womb?

2006-12-27T09:56:00.000-05:00

Not even born yet and already celebrating the holidays with us.

My Mom made him up a stocking.

It was full of all sorts of goodies like:

a stuffed monkey & a little soft monkey rattle

onesies

and a bib and these adorable little booties.

So tiny!

My Grandma gave the baby a present (with a tag that said, "To: Baby [our last name] From: Great Grandma").

It's a little layette set with adorable puppy dog detailing.

The hat has little ears and so do the feet of the jumper.

Detailing on the jacket.

The baby even got a gift from two of our closest friends.

This little construction worker jumpsuit (I love the alternating pattern).

And this awesome Bob Marley onesie.

Thanks everyone—the Wee One is starting to accumulate quite a collection of clothes.

27 weeks

2006-12-24T15:10:00.000-05:00

Went Friday for the glucose test. It really wasn't bad at all. The first thing they did was a finger prick to get a bit of blood for the pre-monitor. Then the technician handed me a 10 ounce cold bottle of orange liquid and said, "You need to drink this all within 5 minutes." No problem. It just tasted like Orange Sunkist that had an extra dose of sugar added to it. As soon as I was done, they noted the time and had me sit in the waiting room for an hour. Josh was with me and we ran into our nephew's aunt (on his mother's side and no relation to us) who was there for the same testing. We all chatted and looked at the reading material available so the hour went by relatively quickly. Then the technician called me back and took two vials of blood from my arm. That was it. I imagine I'll get results sometime towards the end of the week.

Childbirth classes start this week. I'm actually really looking forward to these and hoping they help clear up some questions and concerns I have about pain control through labor. I'm still feeling good physically although sleeping is getting tougher and my back is starting to hurt a bit at night. The baby kicks all the time now and we get tons of pleasure out of just staring at my stomach watching it move. We went to the annual family Christmas party at Josh's uncle's last night and got lots of "Congratulations" from all the family we only see once or twice a year. Of course they were all surprised since I'm 7 months along and most of them didn't know. That's where the picture below is from. The last Christmas of the two of us as just a couple. Unbelievable that we have less than 13 weeks to go!

ladies room

2006-12-21T11:01:00.000-05:00

Tuesday while waiting in line to use the restroom I had my very first "When are you expecting?" from a stranger. For a split second I thought of saying, "What do you mean? I'm not pregnant.", but she was sweet little old lady and of course, I love being pregnant. So I told her and she smiled and chatted with me for a minute. She was ahead of me in line and when a stall became available she kindly offered it to me first. I declined—I could wait—but she made my day.

26+ weeks

2006-12-17T20:29:00.000-05:00

Went to the doctor's on Friday. I have one more appointment next month and then I "graduate" to appointments every two weeks. That's means we are getting really close to the due date. Everything continues to be moving along in a seemingly normal manner. The babies heart rate measured in the 150s and my fundal height was 29.5 cm. the doctor said that I'm measuring a few weeks ahead but my growth for this period was consistent with what it should be (about a centimeter per week). I'm not sure was the measuring ahead means—I'm hoping a baby a little earlier rather than a really big baby.

Josh was able to go to the appointment with me, so he got to hear the heartbeat and meet the doctor. That made me happy, as it's been 14 weeks since he last heard the heartbeat and I wanted him to meet the doctor before I went into labor. I also got my paperwork to go get my glucose test done. Just have to set aside an hour or so one morning to go and do it. I'm not supposed to eat anything, but the nurse said I could have something small as long as it didn't have any sugar in it—and I tell the technician I haven't eaten (so sneaky).

Here's a lovely picture—and a rare glimpse of our kitchen—Josh took of me this evening while messing around with the camera. Looks like a whole lotta baby hanging out in that belly. Click on the pick for a much bigger and closer view of that goofy look on my face.

Poetry Speaks to Children

2006-12-12T17:34:00.000-05:00

I was recently contacted by Sourcebooks, Inc. and asked to review a copy of The New York Times bestselling book, Poetry Speaks to Children. It's a beautiful hard cover book that contains 95 poems from various poets and is accompanied by a supplemental CD of 34 of the poets reading 50 different poems from the book.

One of the things that really struck me about the book was the eclectic nature of the contents. It really is a book for all ages. It includes silly short poems like, Mrs. Mitchell's Underwear by Dennis Lee next to deep and morally valuable poems like, Okay, Brown Girl, Okay by James Berry (which is one of the selections on the CD). Just skim through the table of contents and you'll see entries from some of the classic poets and story tellers such as Robert Frost, Edgar Allan Poe, and Lewis Carroll as well as contemporary poets you may be reading for the first time.

Each poem is juxtaposed on the page with a gorgeous illustration by one of three women artists. All the illustrations appear to be done in a traditional medium such as watercolor, pen and ink, or pencil and adds not only to the richness of the subject matter of each poem, but to the overall aesthetics of the book as you turn each page.

The CD is a unique entity in itself. It was really interesting to listen to the poets reading their own poetry. To hear the intonations and pauses they would make and how that contrasted with the way I read the poem offered a whole new life to the work. You could listen to the CD on it's own or while you were looking through the book—as each track on the CD is listed on the page it accompanies in the book. Not only could it function as an audio book of sorts, but it could also function as a way to help your child learn to read (hearing the texts and seeing the words on the written page).

The book has an age group of 4 and over on the back cover, however, I think you could start much younger than that with many of the entries. As a matter of fact, we've already begun reading it out loud to our child who is only 26 weeks in utero! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to enrich their children's lives as well as their own. Beautiful, heartfelt, and ageless.

For more information, check out these links:
Poetry Speaks to Children at Amazon.com
Poetry Speaks to Children at Sourcebooks.com

25 weeks

2006-12-09T13:37:00.000-05:00

Dear Baby,
Less than 15 weeks to go before I hit that 40 week mark. I can't believe that in just four days we will only have double digits left until your due date. I still feel so unprepared for your arrival, yet we can't wait to meet you.

Your Dad has been busy scraping the paint off of the hardwood floors in your room (that was so kindly left by previous owners) but we haven't moved all of his equipment down to the basement yet—which to me is when it will really start to feel like we are making some headway. Tim and Laurie gave us a beautiful crib that is still in pieces down in the basement (and needs a mattress so you aren't sleeping on the wooden bottom. Gam bought us a glider and rocking ottoman set for Christmas this year that has nice creamy colored cushions which will go great with your bedding. We are planning on painting your room too—probably a sage green or blue color. Once that is done and the closet is cleared out, we can start filling up your room with the furniture and goodies.

I'm getting bigger and bigger everyday, but you must be too because your new favorite thing is to kick and squirm all over the place. You're strong enough that it's really obvious when you're moving around inside of me. We've started reading books to you and it will be interesting to see whether or not you have any recollection of that once we start reading them to you when you're in our arms.

Slowly, but surely we are acquiring things that will help to make your transition into the outside world a safe and comforting one. The barrage of goodies won't come until your shower—which will probably be in February. That will be so much fun. Hopefully we will get a lot of those necessities for you then and I won't have so much anxiety about not being ready for you.

In just over two weeks your Dad and I start our "Birth, Babies, and Beyond" classes. They are for two hours on Tuesday nights and run for six consecutive weeks. I'm not sure what all will be included, but again, I'm sure they will help ease our anxieties. On Friday I have another appointment with the doctor. I'm really looking forward to this one because your Dad will finally be able to come along and meet the doctor as well as hear your heartbeat again. He hasn't heard it since you were just 12 weeks old and it's one of my favorite parts of each appointment. I'm sure he's excited for that too.

Love,
Mommy

picture at 24 weeks along

milk, milk, lemonade...

2006-12-07T16:48:00.000-05:00

Saw my first bit of colostrum today.

Gross ya out?

Too much information?

Perhaps, but I thought it was cool. So much so, that I came out of the bathroom after my shower this morning and said to Josh, "Hey, wanna see something cool?"

ebbs & flows

2006-12-02T14:42:00.000-05:00

The baby has started a new trend of kicking all the time now (well, except when my Mom is around and she wants the baby to kick). My Mom is so cute all (while putting her hand on my belly), "This is Grandma." To which the baby replies with a big old nothing. Anyhow, as I said, the baby is kicking all the time now which is cool in itself, but the best part is that it is really visible. My entire stomach moves now when he gets on a roll.

Thursday night Josh and I were kicking back on our reclining love seat and the baby was going to town kicking and squirming. It was so repetitive and obvious that I looked down and saw my entire stomach go up and down—several times. Of course, for me the best part is that Josh got to see it too when it first happened. It's great that he's here for all the milestone movements—I imagine it helps that the baby likes to move a lot at night when we are both home relaxing.

I'm working on capturing the movement on video. When I get enough good footage shot, uploaded to the laptop and edited into a reasonable timeframe (with all the boring waiting shots edited out) I'll work on getting it posted here. Until then, I'm just going to enjoy all the kicking and have a talk with the baby about performing next time we are with my Mom.

baby boy

2006-11-29T23:00:00.000-05:00

On Friday October 27th we found out we were having a boy. Monday, October 30th I went out and bought my first gender specific outfit for the baby.

How cute is this? It's so little looking and really soft. I love the "sir hugs-a-lot" and the little puppy knight peeking out of the tiny pocket. Who says boy clothes can't be cute?

*As always, click on the pics for a much larger (and much clearer) image.

rockin' outfit

2006-11-27T19:31:00.000-05:00

This is so cute!

It would be perfect for our Wee One since his Daddy plays the guitar. The guitars on the shirt even sort of look like one Josh has. The bottoms are cargo pants (which got cut off in the enlarged picture). You can buy it at Temper Tantrums—a boys clothing store. They have lots of cute stuff that doesn't involve trucks or sports themes. I also adore the fortune onesie and the monkey see, monkey do onesie. Click on the links and check 'em out.

ornamental

2006-11-26T18:34:00.000-05:00

Each year since I was a wee one, my Mom would buy me a special ornament for the holiday season. It was one thing I knew would happen and that I could look forward to before Christmas even rolled around. It usually came cheerfully wrapped at the same time we put up our tree each year. The ornament was always thoughtfully chosen and usually reflected my interests at the time or something that was going on in my life. When I moved out I got all of the ornaments for a tree of my own. They run the gamut from a silver cat in a stocking engraved with my name and 1976 (which was my first Christmas) to a little blonde Brownie, to a collection of adorable Snowbabies ornaments. Some of my most recent ornaments include a bride and groom with 3-1-2003 written at the base (for Josh and my wedding anniversary) and last year's ornament which is the front door of a house that says New Home and has our last name and street address hand written on it to celebrate the acquisition of the first home of our own.

When the family came over for Thanksgiving dinner this year, my Mom came with the very last ornament for us. The tradition ends this year—although it will be carried on whole-heartedly with the baby from us so that one day he may have a collection of memories to call his own. It's somewhat bittersweet, but I understand. I am 30 and this tradition could have ended long ago. I'm grateful to have all of these ornaments and each year when we put up the tree a flood of memories come rushing back as I carefully find a spot for each glimpse into my life. But, my Mom never disappoints and this may be the best ornament to date. It's certainly one that I'll never forget.

How appropriate and adorable is this? The book the "father" is reading says Parents To-Be and as you can see, the other book says 2006. The "mother" hen is sitting on her egg, happy as can be knitting a little bootie. This is so awesome. Thanks Mom, we love it.

you know what's really great?

2006-11-22T14:24:00.000-05:00

Baby hiccups. Thump...thump...thump.

I love it!

159 days gone by

2006-11-20T14:47:00.000-05:00

Today was my five month prenatal checkup. Things seem to be moving along nicely. I'm measuring 25 cm and am 22 weeks and 5 days along. That's a few days ahead of my calculations. The baby's heart rate was in the 140's and sounded strong. That's my favorite part of the visits right now. Hearing that sound brings a big smile to my face every time. I'm now averaging a pound a week weight gain, which the doctor said is right on.

The whole appointment only lasts a few minutes right now, but I suppose that's okay because it means everything is normal. My next appointment will be on the 15th of December and at that appointment I'll get the lab work to have the glucose screening done. I'm hoping Josh will be able to come to my next appointment so he can meet the doctor and hear the heartbeat again.

21 weeks

2006-11-13T11:00:00.000-05:00

Dear Baby Boy,
Wow, I can't believe it's been 21 weeks already. That's over the half-way mark. The time seems to be flying by and before we know it you'll be gracing us with your presence. We can't wait. Of course, we aren't ready for you at all. The nursery hasn't been started yet—except for moving the stereo out of it. We haven't finished registering—you'd be pretty much naked if you were to show up today. I sent out the form for our parenting class today. Hopefully we will get our first choice and when done with it at the end of January, we'll feel a bit more prepared to greet you. If not, well they didn't always have classes and the world seems to have carried on okay.

The second trimester really has been the best so far. You can tell I'm carrying a baby, we are feeling you move more and more (but do tend to freak out when you don't), and I'm past that awful morning sickness and looming fatigue stage. My back hurts a bit, but it will all be worth it in the end. It's crazy to think that in just a few more weeks we'll be in that final trimester. Please continue to flip and kick and do all those things that remind us how close we are to the end. We are all anxiously awaiting the next 19 weeks. Oh, and if you could, try not to wait too long after March 23rd to arrive.

Love,
Momma

zanzibar

2006-11-09T16:39:00.000-05:00

This is the nursery theme we registered for over at Babies 'R' Us. It's called Zanzibar and we really loved the little fuzzy monkey on the blanket and crib bumper. The crib set comes with the comforter, crib bumper, crib sheet, dust ruffle, diaper stacker and window valance. We also registered for the wall hangings, the lamp, the mobile, the pillows, a light switchplate, the hamper, the border, and an additional fleece blanket. So, pretty much everything but the drapes, the rug, and a few other things. Of course, we won't shove everything into one corner like they do in the picture—so it won't look so crowded and overwhelming.

my head is spinning

2006-11-07T16:24:00.000-05:00

Since the weather is really crappy here today and Josh had the day off of work, we decided that today would be a good day to go and register for baby gear. We went to Babies "R" Us and started our registry. That's right STARTED, but not finished. It is so overwhelming in there and in the two hours we were there, we only made it through half the store. We were totally burnt out and hungry and both agreed to stop and come back at another time.

Not that it wasn't fun, it's just so much to absorb in one pass. Especially the infant care section which is where you really start. Bottles, pacifiers, baby washes, bibs, thermometers, etc., etc., etc. And loads of it. I think we were in that section alone for at least a half an hour. Then it's car seats and strollers. How do you decide what to get when you have no idea? We never made it to the clothing section, the furniture stuff (except for the bedding & nursery theme), or the keepsakes and storage type area. We'll go back another time—or at the very least, add to it online.

For those of you that know us personally, you can check out our registry here. For the rest of you, well maybe if you email us, ask real nice, and promise to send us something, I'll let you in on the details for accessing the registry.

just ducky

2006-11-06T17:33:00.000-05:00

Look what I got today for $1! It's so cute, and for just a buck I couldn't pass it up.

kick off

2006-11-01T09:17:00.000-05:00

I've been feeling the little flutters—called quickening—for several weeks now. It was subtle and sporadic, but it was there. About 5 a.m. Tuesday morning, I could feel the Wee One moving all over the place while I was trying to sleep.

Last night we got hit with the first big one. Josh and I had just finished dinner and were kicking back on the couch watching some television. Our couch has recliners built into it and I had the leg rest up and was rubbing my belly. I felt a little movement and mentioned it to Josh. A few seconds later, the right side of my stomach was privy to a BIG visible kick! It was incredible. The best part was Josh was right there and had his hand in the perfect spot to not only feel the kick, but see it too. I hope this starts to happen more often because it ranks up there with one of the truly awesome parts of this fabulous process called pregnancy.

19 weeks

2006-10-29T20:22:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween!

what did you guess?

2006-10-27T19:04:00.000-05:00

I think the next baby item I buy will have to be this:

Because...

girl? boy? will we find out tomorrow?

2006-10-26T13:54:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is the big ultrasound day. We are really hoping the wee one cooperates and isn't shy about showing off the business. Send us good vibes around 10 a.m. on Friday (EST time).

EDIT: Friday, 12:00 pm. We know! We know! I have a few more people in the 3-dimensional world that I have to tell first and then we will let you all know. Stay tuned and place your bets now.

almost half way there

2006-10-23T13:53:00.000-05:00

Friday was my most recent checkup. Things seem to be progressing well. I'm definately gaining weight and my belly (fundal height) measured 21 inches from my pelvic bone to my ribcage. The AFP test came back normal—Yay! Baby's heartbeat sounded steady and strong and measured in the 150's. This coming Friday, Josh and I go in for my second ultrasound. Unfortunately I have to drink 32 ounces of water one hour before the appointment and keep my bladder full until it's over. Wish me luck on that one—it's seems like a form of torture if you ask me. The main purpose of this ultrasound is to check out organ development and size versus date estimates but we are hoping to find out the gender too. It's all dependant on the cooperation of the Wee One. Send us good vibes that day.

Here's a lovely aerial shot of me Josh took yesterday—18 weeks and counting.

17 weeks and growing

2006-10-18T08:58:00.000-05:00

It seems like I've had an explosion of baby belly appear in just the last week. I'm at the highest weight I've ever been in my entire life and it all seems to be hanging out right in the baby belly. Which is okay. I like finally looking pregnant—and oh buddy do I look pregnant now. Not as much from the front, but when I turn to the side there is no doubt about it.

See what I mean?

16 weeks

2006-10-08T20:07:00.000-05:00

Here are some new pictures taken yesterday of me and my ever growing baby belly. You can check out the progression by clicking here, here, and here for pre-baby, 10 weeks, and 13 weeks respectively.

The Buddha belly.

Here's one of Josh. Think he's growing too?

old wives tales

2006-10-06T15:46:00.000-05:00

Not including the 4 dreams—actually 5 because Josh had another dream and this time the baby was a girl ("A cute one.", he said)—the votes stand at 6 for boy & 4 for girl. In light of the debate, here are some old wives tales regarding gender prediction in pregnancy. It still could go either way. We'll just have to wait until the next ultrasound and hope that the Wee One cooperates in showing us it's business.

If you're having a girl, then the fetal heart rate will be above 140. A boy will have a heart rate below 140. (158 at first ultrasound, 140's at next appointment via the doppler)

If you can't get enough chocolate, you could be having a girl. Those sour cravings are a result of the little boy inside of you. (umm...just food in general)

The belief is that, if your husband puts on weight during your pregnancy, then you will be having a girl. If he doesn't put on a pound, then you're carrying a boy. (I tease him that he is, but face it, Josh is blessed with a fabulous metabolism)

Hold a pendant over your hand. If the necklace swings back and forth, you're having a boy. If it is more of a circular motion, then it's a girl. This can also be done by suspending a ring on a string above your belly.

Some believe that getting acne during your pregnancy indicates you're carrying a girl. Maybe the acne is caused by twice the amount of female hormones?

If you get moody during pregnancy you are more likely to have a girl. This is because all women are moody, and when carrying a girl you become doubly so. (moody is just a fact)

If you carry the baby out front (others can’t see your pregnancy from behind) then you will have a boy. If others can tell that you are pregnant when looking at you from behind, then you will have a girl. (anyone want to look at my bum and let me know?)

If the mother's age at conception and the year of conception are both even or both odd, the baby is a girl. If one is even and one is odd, the baby is a boy. (29 in 2006)

If the mum-to-be was the more aggressive partner when the baby was conceived, it will be a boy. If the father was the more aggressive, the baby will be a girl.

Ask the mum-to-be to show you her hands. If she shows them palms up, it's a girl; palms down, a boy.

If you dream of girls, you will have a boy. If you dream of boys, you will have a girl. (you know where I stand here)

Ask yourself what you think you're having. In a study that asked women with no previous knowledge about their baby's sex, the moms-to-be correctly guessed the sex of their baby 71% of the time.

4 dreams

2006-09-30T10:20:00.000-05:00

So far there have been four dreams had about the baby after it's born. One by Josh, one by my Mom, and two by me. In each dream we were fully aware of the sex of the baby. Here are the current standing via our subconscious:

Josh: boy
Mom: boy
Me: girl
Me: girl

So, looks like we're neck and neck at this point. Any predictions? It will still be another 4 weeks or so before we find out for sure—assuming the Wee One cooperates at the next ultrasound.

ch...ch...ch...changes

2006-09-23T14:47:00.000-05:00

Everybody says that your life changes the moment you have children, but I don't think that's the case. I think your life actually changes the moment you find out you (or your partner) are pregnant. At least mine has.

From the day we found out about the wee one, things have been different, both psychologically and physically. For example, one of the first things I did when I found out I was pregnant was give up caffeine. Now, that's saying a lot coming from a girl who drank two or three cups of coffee every morning. It wasn't easy, but it was necessary. Josh changed his coffee habits too. Instead of us making a pot of coffee at home each morning, Josh waits until he gets to work to have his cup(s) o' joe. He'll still make a pot on Saturday and Sunday mornings at home, but it's a huge change from what we used to do. And he does it out of respect for me. He's kind enough to think of me and doesn't make it so I don't have to smell it or be tempted by it.

There are quite a few other food related changes I've had to make in my life: no cold cuts, no soft cheeses, watch the fish consumption, make sure I'm getting an adequate amount of calcium in my diet, etc. Oh, and eating breakfast again—every day. That's a habit that I had really gotten out of and would solely subsist on my morning coffee until the afternoon. Now that's changed.

It's odd how much better you want to take care of yourself—both mentally and physically—when you know someone else is depending on you. Not that I didn't take good care of myself before, but now, we take even better care of ourselves. It's no longer just about us two—we have another human completely depending on us to give them a healthy "home", now and after they're born. And that's is what is really important to us now.

So, while I'm sure our lives will change even more when the wee one arrives, for us the process has already begun.

the first trimester is coming to a close

2006-09-17T11:19:00.000-05:00

Saturday will mark the end official end of the first trimester and the start of what many tell me will be my most beloved trimester. These first 13 weeks have been full of ups and downs and while they've been relatively lovely, I'm looking forward to the next trimester. Looking back at this first trimester, I've experienced all of the following and then some.

Week 1—3: The "pre-pregnancy awareness" days. I went about my daily routine, oblivious to the happenings (or about to be happenings) going on inside my body. I knew Josh and I were ready to begin the journey towards parenthood, but I had no idea it would happen in July of 2006.

Week 4: I knew something had changed at this point. It would still be a few days until the confirmation tests, but I just had that gut feeling. My breasts felt like they had been trapped in a vice and I was suddenly exhausted. All.the.time. Just two days after the start of week four I ran out and got the test that changed our lives forever. We were thrilled and wanted the world to know, but it would still be another week before we would start spreading the news.

Week 5: The official news breaks. First to my parents and then to Josh's. After that it was a free for all. My Mom would shout it from the rooftops and I had to be sure Josh and I got to our closest friends before they heard it from someone else. This was also the week that the ugly side effect known as morning sickness reared it's head (and decided to stay around for way too long). The first real episode was from the dishwater in the sink one morning. An odd thing to make a person gag if you ask me. Definately, not fun.

Week 6—7: In just days we would leave for a much anticipated vacation in Arizona. Morning sickness is at it's worst so far and I'm really concerned about the flight out there. I did not want to be the girl who threw up on the plane. I armed myself with Seabands© and a plethora of dry snacks and gingerale for the plane ride. It worked and we made it to AZ without incident. This, however, is where the "fun" ceased. We had a decent time—swimming, being with our friends, etc.—but I was miserable the whole week. It was so hot out there (in the 90's by 8 a.m) and we couldn't do much more than sit in the recycled central air. I was nauseous daily and had to nap every afternoon. I never threw up while we were there—or on the plane ride home—but it took everything I had to keep me from doing so.

Week 8: Absolutely miserable and praying for the morning sickness to stop, I wondered how people could stand to go through this more than once. I guess you forget and 6 weeks of morning sickness is nothing compared to the rewards you reap when it's all over. I turned 30 this week. Despite the fact that I couldn't drink a margarita or three to celebrate, it was a wonderful birthday. Josh threw the surprise party for me and so many came out to celebrate. I also told work that I was pregnant this week. They were thrilled for us. I'm lucky to work for such a great company that is not only accomodating, but very family oriented. Even this past Friday at our Fall Planning & Development meeting they mentioned to the entire staff & faculty, via part of our "Lots to Celebrate" powerpoint slide, that Josh and I were expecting our first child.

Week 9—11: Two words. Morning Sickness. Thankfully the eleventh week marked the end of the dreaded daily gag/vomit. I don't miss it at all.

Week 12: We had our first ultrasound & early screen blood work. The blood work came back normal and all appears to be progressing well. The last week or so has also found me altering my wardrobe with a few pairs of maternity pants and tops making there way into my daily life. I can still wear quite of few of my regular tops—and oddly, my pre-pregnancy jeans still fit—but it won't be long until I say good-bye to all of them. I'm starting to really show and have noticed that I'm even beginning to walk different (I think my uterus may have tipped). Earlier in the week I found a chart with my measurements from October 2005. I was astonished to see that my waist is a whopping 8 inches bigger than it was just a year ago. Baby has lots of room to float around right now.

Week 13: The wee one is now three inches long and weighs just an ounce. So, where have these 5 extra pounds come from? I haven't had any noticable "must have now" cravings, but if I'm hungry for something, I satisfy that desire. Josh has been great and for weeks now has taken over bathroom cleaning duty. I seem to be completely over the morning sickness and feel great being pregnant. I hope to hear the heartbeat again at my doctor's appointment on Tuesday, more than anything I'm just happy things are progressing nicely.

Here's to the next 27 weeks.

dragon lady nails

2006-09-14T12:07:00.000-05:00

One of the benefits of the prenatal vitamins I take: super long and strong fingernails. Look at the middle one! It's out of control. Just the part of the nail that extends past the nail bed is nearly a half an inch long. Even the lady at the pharmacy today touched it and mentioned that she remembered that side effect being a benefit of the vitamins.

the first ultrasound

2006-09-12T08:28:00.000-05:00

Saturday, September 9, 2006

Dear Baby,
Yesterday your Daddy and I went to our very first ultrasound appointment. It was one of the most amazing things we've ever seen. The sonographer put the warm (thankfully) jelly on my belly and all of a sudden there you were. It made the pregnancy that much more real.

I was happy to see that there was only one of you in there and you really seemed to be enjoying the buoyancy of the amniotic fluid. You were bouncing all over the place and were really active. The technician (Jillian) took lots of pictures and measurements of you while we were there. She pointed out your various parts—which were so obvious, as you look completely like a human already at just 12 weeks.

After about ten minutes or so you settled down and Jillian wanted you to move a bit more so she had me cough a couple of times to get you going. When I did you put your arm up to your head as if I was putting you out. That made all three of us laugh. It was so cute and one of the main things your Dad would tell people about after the appointment. Then you got the hiccups. Amazing that you could get the hiccups like that in-utero. The sonographer surprised us by bringing up your heartbeat for a listen. It was like a quick whosh, whosh, whosh and she said that it was a good heartbeat at 158 beats per minute. We could see your little heart beating right through your chest on the monitor.

All in all we spent about a half in hour in there ohhing and ahhing over our little baby. Jillian took a whopping 25 pictures of you and gave us a whole two. But that's okay, I've looked at those two very real pictures of you at least a dozen times since that moment. Probably many more than that.

Can't wait to see you again at around 20 weeks—to find out your gender. Just another six months and we'll be holding you in our arms instead of a picture.

Love,
Mommy

too soon? never...

2006-09-09T09:54:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week I purchased my first baby item (not the first I've received, just the first purchased by me). Now, before you tell me buying baby stuff at 11.5 weeks is too early, let's look at the facts:

The item was on sale, and with the little bit of $ I still had on a gift card it only cost me $3.97 out of pocket.
Since the computer is part of my daily life, this seemed ultra appropriate and too cute to pass up.
The tie-dyed onesie my Mom got us last month looked so lonely hanging in the closet by itself and needed a friend.

See, it was a necessary purchase. Don't you agree? And cute to boot.

one more reason I love my baby's daddy

2006-09-05T09:02:00.000-05:00

Each morning before he leaves for work, Josh kisses me good-bye and tells me he loves me. Then, he pulls back the covers, kisses my stomach and says to the baby, "I love you too."

We love you, Josh.

swallow this

2006-08-30T09:54:00.000-05:00

These are the prenatal vitamins that I have to take every day. Why, oh why, must they be so huge? They can put a mountain of information into a tiny microchip, but they can't make a vitamin that isn't gigantic? Come on people—give us women a break. Personally, I think they are doing it so when we have to swallow our pride in the delivery room it won't be so difficult.

I've included the ruler with metric measurements for our friends who don't use inches or nickels. See how thoughtful I am?

10 weeks

2006-08-27T16:05:00.000-05:00

Here is a picture of me from today. Ten weeks along. Aren't I fancy, putting the front and side shot into one image? I've got mad skills. If you compare it to the shot below, which is from June 16th you can definately tell something is brewing. Everything looks...bigger. My face, my chest, my middle, and even my butt—although you can't see that in the June shot. I'm wearing almost the exact same outfit in both, the top is just a different color. It also looks like my hair has gotten quite a bit longer (you can see the back in the side view).

What do you think? As always, click on the picture for a bigger version.

cravings

2006-08-25T15:58:00.000-05:00

I may or may not have just eaten 5 taco supremes from Taco Bell. They may have been delicious.

Guilt factor: none

Bloat factor: high

Last time I ate Taco Bell: November or December 2005

today's lesson

2006-08-24T14:00:00.000-05:00

Equation: banana + morning = vomiting

Lesson: Stop eating bananas in the morning. Half or whole, with cereal or alone, they obviously aren't agreeing with you & the Wee One.

Yes, I had to be taught this lesson twice. I figured I'd be safe today because it was just half a banana on my ritualistic savior breakfast of Cheerios and milk. I was wrong.

baby, be good to momma

2006-08-23T10:58:00.000-05:00

9.5 weeks along.
First day of Fall Quarter.
Please don't make me wanna throw-up.

3 things I've learned in the last 9 weeks

2006-08-21T09:19:00.000-05:00

Morning sickness sucks big time.
a. Sea-bands rock. I don't care if I look like a punk-rocker wearing them.
b. Saltines are your friend. Although I won't be sad if I never eat another when it's all said and done
c. So are ginger-ale & caffeine free Coke.
Never underestimate the power of a nap.
I was never the type of girl who would just take a nap in the middle of the afternoon. I never woke up refreshed and didn't see the point of it.
I have changed my outlook on this one. As a friend of ours says, "You're climbing mountains." meaning my body is working so hard creating this baby, it gets exhausted easy. All hail the afternoon nap.
Wow, are the dreams I have now vivid.
There have been lots of times in the past when I've had vivid dreams that I could remember. Nothing like the ones I have now though. Almost every night I have some sort of obscure & extremely detailed dream. There isn't one occuring theme, it's all across the board. Some aren't half bad either.

the day we found out

2006-08-17T15:53:00.000-05:00

It was a month ago today that we found out the news that would change our lives forever. Here is what I wrote just an hour after I found out.

Monday, July 17, 2006

I just had a feeling. A feeling that I've had for at least of week now. A feeling that I just had to have concrete evidence of. But was it too early? Today (or yesterday or tomorrow depending) would have been the first day of the cycle. Could I really find out today?

"I'll just look at them" I told myself. I was out and about and had to stop and get vitamins anyway. So I looked & I decided to get one and find out. No harm in that right? I got chili mac from Ideal Hotdog on the way home and turned the AC on for the first time this year. It's hot out today—94° at 2:30 p.m. I didn't do it right away. I checked the email, read the literature and then off I went.

You are supposed to wait 3 minutes for the results but I could see it before I even got out of the bathroom. Two faint pink lines. I shut the bathroom door and went into the office to wait my 3 minutes. 1:29 p.m. At 1:32 p.m. I opened the bathroom door and what I already knew was confirmed. The two pink lines were dark and bold. Two lines means pregnant!

I knew it. Conceived 4th of July weekend. I just had a feeling. I've been really tired and my boobs were so tender. Josh isn't home yet. I called the Dr. office right away and got myself a myriad of appointments set up. I cannot wait to tell Josh.

okay, here's the scoop

2006-08-16T18:00:00.000-05:00

Man are you all ever impatient. That, coupled with the fact that somebody, may or may not have guessed it, I will let you know the big news sooner than later.

Are you ready?

Sure?

Really?

I'll wait if you aren't.

Okay then...

I'm PREGNANT!

We are super excited and no, it wasn't a total accident. I didn't go into the whole "I'm ovulating, let's go, let's go." But...we were sorta, kinda, didn't mind either way trying. So, ya, that's it. The big news. Eight weeks along. I created the new blog to keep the old one from becoming a "mommy blog", so no worries, I'm not jumping the shark over there. For any of you that are remotely interested I'll keep you posted on the ever changing wee one here—and would love any advice/support/whatever you have to offer.