What I love about this week

This week of my pregnancy has actually been surprisingly wonderful. Yes, it's possible that I know that I'm that much closer to meeting our little one so I am just in a better mind set. But I'm pretty sure it's just been a great week in general.

First, I don't know if I just suddenly look gigantic (this is my suspicion and I have family members that can attest to my hulkness at this point) but people are starting to take notice. By that I mean, people are starting to go out of their way to be nice and helpful. In other words...random people are kissing my ass and I dig it.

Example: All in one day yesterday I was offered a FREE hot cocoa from starbucks (I didn't take it because I was already sweating like a pig...but it was very nice of her), I was given a free mini mascara at Von Maur because the lady said I might as well "try it before I buy it" (this is not normal...most of the time they just want your money), AND I had some nice man that worked at the grocery store put all of my groceries in my cart and then offer to help me put them in my car. Oh, and someone told me "you are all belly"...which is a rare pregnancy comment that I sincerely enjoy hearing...even if she didn't mean it.

Another thing that has made this week great is that Jamie and I picked out Fiona's first gift from "mommy and daddy". It's the softest, most adorable stuffed monkey that I've ever seen and she will love it (we hope). I just loved watching Jamie decide what he thought was best for her...ahhh a daddy in practice. Heartwarming to say the least.

Last but not least, I finally get to kick my heels up and take it easy after today as I am officially starting my maternity leave. Yes, I may only get one lazy day but that's alright with me. I'm just excited that we might finally have our little one by Friday! If you haven't heard already, there is a chance they might be inducing me on that day...latest will be early next week!

Look out world, here she comes!

TEN DAYS

THIS IS JUST TO TELL YOU THAT I HAVE OFFICIALLY REACHED THE TEN DAY COUNTDOWN. RAISE. THE. ROOF.

I hope I have good news for you before that time, but we shall see. She is taking her time and with my luck she is hoping to be fashionably late. This is probably an influence from me, and one can not disrespect that mindset...because obviously her mom is a genius and a social guru. Also, she knows the party can't start without her, so I suspect she's milking that for all it's worth;)

Keep your fingers crossed for us. We can't wait to meet our little bundle!

 

Uncomfortable office chairs, flowers and a countdown

Holey smokes it's Wednesday. Yay! I've always been a fan of hump day, especially now since it means I only have two days left of sitting on my very uncomfortable office chair while trying to crouch over my desk and type. Ahhh the joys of the third trimester.

Official countdown to my due date: 16 GLORIOUS DAYS

How many days I am hoping will go by before she comes: 4? 5? Maybe 7?

Common now, I'm hoping she cooks as long as she needs to but I just want to meet her. As does everyone else, right? So keep your fingers crossed for a little early, HEALTHY arrival.

In other news, I received these AMAZING, perfect, wonderful flowers at my office today. They were discretely signed "Fiona" with a clever little note. However, the hubs has since fessed up to the dirty work (sneaky, eh?). They absolutely made my day...and probably my whole month. Awwww.....

Future daddies-take note.

Holidays are here-ish

Well, with our impending nugget on the way I've pretty much been shopping for Christmas presents since October. Yes, I am prepared. That doesn't mean I'm finished...I'm not that good.

One second in the malls and you know the holidays are here. There is holiday music blaring, red and green explosions of color everywhere you look and yes, HOLIDAY SALES. Which I am in love with, obviously. Black Friday-look out. The hubs and I have plans to check out one store at midnight and we mean business. We can't sleep lately anyhow, so we might as well shop till we drop (the non-sleeping is a whole other story...basically I'm using pregnancy as an excuse...and we think he just might have a sleeping disease).

So...I am hoping all of you have found the "leaked" black Friday ads and are excited as I am. It's really the holiday BEFORE the holiday.

What's that you say? There is Thanksgiving first? Yeah, well no one else seems to care anymore so why should I? Thanksgiving is like the ugly step child of the holiday season. Don't act offended and put off...you know I'm right.

Ok, well happy almost Thanksgiving and here's hoping you all have a GREAT one. Eat all you can. Act like your pregnant. I dare you.

I'm just over 32 weeks here...thought you'd like to see how giant I've gotten.

Countdown Update!

Well, we have hit what I think is another milestone.

30 DAYS UNTIL MY DUE DATE!

Only one more month to go! However, we all know that I could pass that day by without any sort of labor progression at all. In that case, I will be induced no later than one week past my due date.

We pretty much have all the necessities done at this point, so we are ready and excited for her to arrive! I have some little things to do here and there, and a few big things but none of it is anything that would be disastrous if she were to unexpectedly come early.

Luckily, we have Thanksgiving right around the corner to distract us from thinking about everything and constantly counting down the days. Not to mention...I get to eat whatever I want this Thanksgiving and not feel bad about it. Ha! Ahhhh...I couldn't have planned it better if you ask me.

So baby watch begins soon. I'll try to get a picture up on here of our nursery so those of you who haven't seen it can. I really tried to make it a baby wonderland, but you can be the judge!

Ahh...I heart weekends.

Heyo and happy sunny Monday!

An update from last post: I have since gone to my family doctor (a.k.a. my father...aren't I a lucky panicked first time mom?) and he measured my giant belly. NOT TO WORRY-BABY FAID IS MEASURING JUST FINE. One inch off. No big deal. They were probably measuring me from the wrong spot...or just trying to mess with my emotions.

Since that day, Jamie and I have tackled baby to-do's like it's our job. Well, it kind of IS our job. So we tackled. This weekend, hubby dearest (that is what we will refer to him as when he is a wonderful, errand running, mommy-helping, chore-doing, yes-man) ran baby errands with me on Friday, installed both car seats and taught me how to use them on Saturday, helped me clean the ENTIRE dirty house and bought me a frosty.

Yes, that last one is a baby to-do. It's almost always on my list.

Not to mention, we got some quality hang time with Gizmo, which I feel is probably necessary so that he stops chewing up our stuff. This is his preparation for our little nugget. And I mean, let's face it...our little family needs to hang (and nap) as much as possible before baby arrives. Embracing the quiet. We are also embracing R-rated movies that will soon be inappropriate in front of tiny, baby eyes.

I said R-RATED folks...not X-rated. You are all sick.

Ok, well it was an absolutely glorious weekend. Hope it was the same for all of you and your Monday didn't suck too much and ruin your weekend glow.

I'm off to ponder the consumption of more Frostys.

Our sweet new stroller. Even the hubs thinks this one is cool enough to push.

Baby Faid Update! They tell me the end is in sight....

Loyal followers (and losers who just NOW started reading...just kidding), this JUST IN. 

I had a baby appointment today and the doctor and nurse both said something about being in the "homestretch" of this pregnancy. I of course perked up and then told both of them I am trying not to think that way because otherwise I'll make myself crazy. Better off that I just assume I'll deliver late than hoping beyond hope that I'll somehow deliver RIGHT ON my due date. Ridiculous. No one is that lucky.

In other news, I have learned something important. Baby is officially head down, which is a good thing. This is the way we want her. Babies do not come out feet first, in case you wondered.

However, baby is measuring on the small side all of a sudden. The doc didn't seem at all concerned but I'd be lying if I didn't say I was a tiny bit worried about this. If I'm still measuring small in about 2 weeks when I go in (yes, I thought I'd be going in every week at this point, but this doc said no....who knows) I'll request an ultrasound. I don't care if they think I need it. It's my kid and I'll request it if I want. Yes, pregnancy has made me demanding. It's also possible I've always been this way. Hmm....

But all in all, her heartbeat is good and she's kicking like a maniac in there. So I'm a happy mamma-to-be.

Just a thought...if they are wrong and we actually have a boy...we are really in a pickle. I mean, the nursery is a pink wonderland and so are most of her clothes. Some people have asked me what I'd do if that were to happen and to be honest, we are stuck with most of her stuff at this point. So we'd be storing it away in hopes of future use. Jamie would probably tell you that we'd be getting back on the baby train ASAP because he thinks I'm a baby machine...

Well friends, drink some caffeinated beverages for me. Until next time.

More Great Advice...and other hilariousness.

A friend of mine sent me a fantastic little email (a.k.a. "forward" but when I actually enjoy the contents of these inbox fillers, I kindly call them "emails") today with some AMAZING, UNFORGETTABLE pregnancy advice. Check it out.

Quoted from random forward:

Q : I'm two months pregnant now. When will my baby move?

A: With any luck, right after he finishes college.

Q : What is the most reliable method to determine a baby's sex?

A: Childbirth.

Q: My wife is five months pregnant and so moody that sometimes she's borderline irrational.

A: So what's your question?

 

Also, you should all know that our lovely little dog Gizmo has recently turned into a mini terror. He has apprehended not one but TWO baby things that were not yet put away in Fiona's nursery drawers and chewed one to bits. He has also rolled in his own poo twice in one week.

My conclusion from this behavior is that he's on to our games with this baby. He knows he is about to be upstaged by something that poos on herself several times a day, so I'm sure he figures "why the hell not roll in my poop-at least I get some attention afterward."


The good news is that Jamie is finally having to bathe him when I'm not there, so that's probably good experience. The bad news is that he didn't clean him all the way last time and Gizzy still smelled like turds. Oops...Nicole to the rescue.

Here is a recent photo of the Giz himself...so maybe he's a little spoiled.

I doubt he will be giving this spot up anytime soon.

Preparing for Pregnancy....what?!

The hubs and I started prenatal classes last week. The set of five classes (one per week) is  supposed to prepare us for birth, which is reassuring when you think about it. I mean, who DOESN'T want to be prepared during this whole labor/delivery thing?

After two hours of explaining some possible complications (not reassuring), an instruction on hand massage (thank you to whichever nurse felt that was a necessary thing to teach), and some serious "relaxation" techniques, I felt pretty informed...Jamie felt bored and unimpressed.

Now, are you really surprised? I was not. Yes, this is supposed to prepare us both for the big day. However, I'll be honest when I say it's mostly about me. And by "me" I mean the mammas-to-be in the class. I shouldn't be selfish (yeah, right).

Bring on the relaxation techniques because I feel a little like crying when I think about the actual birth thing. It just sounds hard...and painful. Yes, I know my body was made for this and it will be fine. But I'm entitled to some nerves.

Before class, they made us fill out a sheet telling them our biggest fears of birth. I wrote something about not knowing what to expect or having complications. Blah, blah, blah...I think most of us new mommies in there could have filled out a heck of a lot more than two lines of "fears".

I am sure I will be fine when the day comes. Right now, let's be honest, I just want the little nugget to arrive so I can snuggle her and stare at her...and never leave her. Yes, I'll probably be an overprotective parent. I JUST WANT HER TO GET HERE AND I STILL HAVE A MONTH AND A HALF LEFT. Bahhh....Fiona...if you can hear me....mommy understands that you need more time and I respect that. But I can't wait to meet you...and daddy is getting impatient.

What will I be like at 39 (I'm only 33.5 weeks now) weeks? I'll tell you. I'll be a crazy person. 

My mom got me a book with all sorts of what I will call "babyisms". Basically it's full of hilarious sayings and quotes that are much more reassuring than any baby class. This one is what they should put on that giant projection screen at our next prenatal class.

"100% of babies will forgive you for inexperience."

Ahhh yes....words to live by.

Prepping a future hawkeye mind-IOWA HOMECOMING WEEK!

Yes, it's a big week for us Hawkeyes. It's the BIG game on Saturday and I am seriously looking forward to it. I will be wrapping my giant preggo belly in black and gold and jamming out to the fight song as much as I please with lots of Hawkeye pride (even if I get a stink eye from a cyclone). Why is this exciting? Because it's homecoming for IOWA and it should be a state holiday, obviously. Also, Fiona will be hearing the fight song for the very first time. I've read that at this point in pregnancy she can hear/enjoy songs and will possibly be soothed by those she hears multiple times while still in the womb.

So, hopefully she will hear it so many times that it becomes a bedtime lullaby. A hawkeye mom can only dream.

Oh, and for those of you confused as to where my husband's loyalties lie...he tells me he is a Hawkeye and he faithfully wears a Hawkeye watch daily. But we all have our suspicions;)

What's your favorite position? Not like that...sick...

Today I am starting to really wonder if my little Fiona is head down (like she is supposed to be, ideally) breech, or sideways (transverse). I have another appointment in about a week, so I will of course be bringing this up to my doc, but it certainly has me thinking.

You probably wonder why I am even thinking about this and think I am "assuming the worst". I'll admit, sometimes I do that so you wouldn't be off by thinking that. It's not that I'm a pessimist, I just like to set my sights low so I'm not totally crushed when things aren't all wonderland and roses. Yah, yah...wish for what you want and it might happen...blah, blah...whatever.

I think she's in a strange position because I feel movement pretty much EVERYWHERE. I feel her up high, on the sides (mostly on the left side) and very often...around my bladder/very low. That's right, she thinks my bladder is a punching bag. I can only hope she grows up to be a famous boxer or preferably, a kickboxing enthusiast/workout instructor/gym owner (it just sounds cooler). I think her daddy would be proud.

I have no idea what would happen if she's in a funny position birth-wise because I haven't asked yet. But I will. Until then, I'll scour the internet. So far it seems there is always a chance for turning but it could result in a c-section. Good-bye once decent-ish abs.

Another fun fact? I WAS SIDEWAYS BEFORE BIRTH. However, the showstopper that I am, I turned just in the nick of time. I have always liked a good dose of suspense, so it's not surprising. However, I'm also a little difficult. My mom should have known my birth was a glimpse into the future.

I'll keep you in the loop as I have more information and less assumptions.

Later gremlins (I strive to be like Gaga).

30 Weeks 4 Days...and my must-haves

I have officially seemed to make it to the home stretch of my pregnancy. Yay!

I am sure when I am 38 weeks I will look back and this post and think, "yah, right...if you only knew." But, right now I'm going to go ahead and bask in my over 30 week glory. If you hate when I tell you how far I am in weeks and not months and don't enjoy doing the math in your head I am just a little bit under 8 months.

So, I have about 9.5 weeks left and I am still feeling pretty good. Yes, I'm exhausted and large but I don't really think those are things to complain about. I knew those things were going to happen before I got on the baby-making train. Not that I don't sometimes complain to the hubs...he is special and gets to hear all of my whining about how giant and sleepy I am.

Sooo...what has made my pregnancy so wonderful? How did I get so lucky? Hmm...it's a mystery to me folks, sorry. However, I do hope that this continues all the way through birth (but I'm not planning on that part being much of a picnic). Since I'm also new at this whole pregnancy thing, I can't say I'm any kind of expert. BUT I will tell you a few things that have helped me along the way.

1. Get an exercise ball and learn how to use it while pregnant. I had a little bit of a lower joint issue very early in pregnancy and was sent to a physical therapist for a few weeks to fix the issue. The problem was apparently caused by my ligaments loosening due to pregnancy. While there, I used a large exercise ball and the therapist showed me some things I could do on it all the way through my pregnancy to keep muscles active and strong. I will tell you that I was really good about this in my first and second trimester and have been lacking a little lately. But I do feel like this helped keep me feeling strong and healthy with very little effort. SOOooo now I have my own.

Ta dah! Big Green Exercise Ball = Nicole's Wonderful Pregnancy

2. Ok, the next one I don't have a picture for but do yourself a favor if you are thinking about getting pregnant and get some acne face wash. Sounds gross right? Well, too bad. My skin has always been relatively good and lately it has pretty much sucked. So I talked to my OB and was able to find some good things to keep it under wraps (for the most part...I'm still kind of disgusting, but the level is minimal). From what I understand, I'm not the only preggo that has had this sort of thing happen.

3. People keep asking me how I avoided morning sickness in my first trimester. Well, I honestly don't really know how I did that for sure. However, my OB had told me a while before we even thought about getting preggo that I should start popping some multi-vitamins with folic acid in them about 3 months before trying. So I did. In fact, I started popping these suckers almost every day about 4 months prior. I think it may have helped how I feel and I know it was definitely a good thing for baby. On a side note, at about 8 weeks pregnant I was no longer able to keep these down (even with food) so now I'm a proud Flintstones Vitamin popper. Don't worry, my doctor approved them.

4. Finally, I think I was probably in the best shape of my life before we decided to jump on the baby bandwagon. I had just trained and finished a half marathon, which is something I had never done before so for me that was an accomplishment (for you that might be a weak show of physical work, but for me it was big). I was also eating a balanced diet and actively trying to fulfill my fruits, veggies, grains, etc. So, that may have also contributed to the fact that I felt pretty decent all the way through the first trimester.

So, there you have it. This is just stuff that worked for me and made me feel good but it could be totally worthless to someone else. If you have any other suggestions for me and anyone else reading who is looking into the world of baby land, let it rip below.

After all, part of the reason I started this whole blog was to get advice from other people and share my experiences. Hope this didn't bore you to tears!

Smells make me sad

New developments in my pregnant life:

1. Smells are making my life difficult. Not every smell bothers me, but some that are regular, everyday parts of my life. For example, most frozen meals smell like glue...or sometimes rotten cheese. The entryway to my office building also smells awful...this one I cannot describe but I can tell you that it's not good. I actually stubbed my toe this morning trying to run through and miss the stink.

2. I feel huge, but I have been told by quite a few people (mostly people I don't know and haven't asked their opinion) that I better "get to growing". To that I say, grow where? I think I'm almost out of room. I think they are just trying to be nice. Which I appreciate. They are probably thinking, "Whoa beast, watch the donuts why don't you."

3. Also smell related, I smell cinnamon everywhere. I smelled it at the mall, in my car, while taking Gizmo for a walk...apparently there is an invisible leprechaun dusting my way with the spice. I'm pretty sure this scent is in my head, but it's possible that people are really amping up their fall scents this year.

4. Last but not least, pregnancy brain has set in. What is pregnancy brain? It basically means pregnant women supposedly become forgetful and stupid while harboring their little one for 9 months. Up until this point I feel that I have successfully dodged this bullet (no matter what my husband has told you). However, yesterday I did something pretty stupid. I locked myself out of my (24 hour, key card entry only) gym. There was no one in the gym. There were no businesses still open near the gym. My car keys and gym key card were LOCKED IN THE GYM. So I had to walk about a mile home (picture me walking, giant belly, gross workout clothes, kindle and fleece in tow). Luckily, it was nice out. Unluckily, I had to wake the hubs (creature of madness) from his afternoon nap to take me back to the gym. He was not impressed.


So the pic I had posted here no longer exists...I know, I know...sadness. But the hubs didn't really get it...and the next day neither did I.

Maternity Center Madness

This past week or so was full of baby planning. I think it goes without saying that from here on out, that's pretty much going to be the case.

Last Friday we took the night to catch up on some things we had been overlooking. For me, that was a GIANT mound of clean laundry that needed to be steamed and hung up. For Jamie, that meant putting together our brand new glider for the nursery. Aside from the window panels that we have hung already, the glider is the only other nursery item we have and it is also the only thing we will have to put together on our own (the furniture is being delivered and put together for us).

So Jamie got to work and a couple of hours later we had a beautiful, rocking, reclining, glider!

Coming Along...

Job well done...the hubs is pooped!

There is actually an ottoman with the chair, but it's possible I got excited a little too early and took the pic before that. Don't worry, once the nursery starts to come along, I'll post some new pictures. Note the window panels-I'm taking full credit on putting those up all by myself.

Anyhow, Monday came and I had another doctor's appointment. They tell me all is well and goon's heartbeat is very strong. Yay! I'm also measuring right where I need to be. If you have no idea what that means, I can't really help you because I've never actually asked. I'm pretty sure it's their way of making sure baby is growing at the right speed. But if you have some extra insight on that, let me know. As long as they say things like, "yep, right on track" or "you are right where you need to be," I don't ask questions. I just roll with it.

My mom came with me on this appointment and got the pleasure of hearing her first grandchild's heartbeat! No matter how many times I hear it, it's still a reassuring, wonderful sound. She's been kicking and moving a lot more these days (hard enough that I can feel it), so I know she's in there swimming around, but there is just something about that heartbeat. It's magical.

Then came Wednesday. We had a scheduled appointment to get a private tour of the maternity area of the hospital I'll be delivering at. I know they have a special name for all of it, but to be honest, it's basically four floors of rooms dedicated to mamma and baby's well-being. We had a wonderful nurse show us around, answer our questions, and show us all the scenarios of how our little one's birth could go.

Without going into too much detail, there was a lot to take in. I am 100% sure that it is the right hospital for us and I'm very happy with all that she showed us. We didn't hear anyone screaming their head off, and I didn't come in contact with any crazy women being rushed into the birthing unit. So that was nice.

However, she did say that "December seems to be a busy month this year, so it will probably be busy."

Jamie and I took one look at those waiting rooms and thought, "well lady, our family is going to take up at least two full waiting areas, so be ready."

Also, word to the other mommies to be due in December: Move aside...I'm getting one of the real birthing units...no one puts baby in a corner...or in an "overflow room". Psh...

To conclude this post I will just say this. The tour was great and I'm pretty sure I know where I should go when the deed needs to be done. However, there are a lot of things that make me pretty nervous. As I'm sure any woman would agree, I'd like this portion of my life to go off without a hitch, if you know what I mean.

It also feels very, very real now that we have seen where the birth, recovery, etc. will go down. In fact, I was so nervous that evening that I couldn't sleep, felt sick and ended up sleeping half the night on the couch. Is it too much to ask that she just walk right out of me and shut the door behind her?

Oh, and have I mentioned that I'm looking into "natural" childbirth? That means no drugs...so we will see. Yes, I may be crazy.

TV TIME!

Well, it's fall premiere week on TV which means my life is pretty much consumed by taping and watching my fave shows. This is a week the hubs and I look forward to every year because there is always a show we are dying to continue wasting our lives watching. However, this year it seems he is more interested in football (lame) and less in mindless shows. I, on the other hand am more obsessed than ever. This could be because I am pregnant and therefore have very little else going on during the weekends (my previous "going out" days have come to a screeching hault, duh) or that I'm just a closet loser and the pregnancy hormones are bringing that out.

Either way, here are the shows I am currently obsessed with.

1. Up All Night. This one is amazing folks. It's about new parents and a cry baby (seriously) and I love it. They also use the "bleep" function a lot which I think is hilarious in itself. Possibly what Jamie and I will be like?

2. Sons of Anarchy. Motorcyle dudes at their best. Not to mention, the main character finally cut his hair and has transformed from a greasy goon into a fine piece of gangster candy.

3. Two and a Half Men. We will see if I continue the watch this one. Kutcher (current star) has taken the place of Sheen (former star turned giant lunatic) as a sex crazed, life flaunting, man whore. I see what they are trying to do here and I'm not sure I'm into it yet.

Finally, I have DVR'd The New Girl and The Middle for my breast feeding/maternity leave enjoyment. I also am currently in search of a way to have seasons three and four of 30 Rock at my disposal for hours of hilarity. Because what ELSE am I supposed to do while I'm at home doing these new mommy things? Take care of my nugget you say? Don't fret, she will be well taken care of...she'll just get a healthy dose of wonderful prime time sitcoms while we're at it.

Bump Picture #3

My belly at 27 weeks 1 day

So, I thought I would share another bump picture for everyone to look at. This is probably the last remaining IOWA t-shirt I have that doesn't completely look like it will bust at the seams. To be honest, I don't feel a whole lot bigger than I did the last time I took a picture, but I know that I am. Tape measures don't lie.

Also, don't judge the horrific outfit. I was about to go work on my fitness. Usually, only the gym rats get to see me in this fancy attire. Oh, in case you wondered, yes...there is a saying on the butt of these shorts. Try not to be jealous.

Our precious baby's name

First, if you don't already know, our little lady's name will be Fiona Kay Faidley. I know, I know don't fall out of your chair with excitement at the cuteness. We are child-naming geniuses.

However, when I go to input her name into my "smart" phone her first name is auto-corrected to "goons". Hmmm... The hubs is strangely obsessed with The Goonies (one of many fabulous 80's movies) so it's possible that the name is even MORE perfect now. He has even referred to me as "Sloth" on some occasions.

A cool new nickname? We shall see...maybe I'll start referring to her as Goons.

My first official craving...

Well, many people have asked about what cravings I've had so far and until recently I have not had an answer. Food aversions? Sure. I used to be a vegetable nut and now I somehow cannot handle the "smell" of a carrot. That's right, carrots have a smell. Who knew.

So, I have wanted certain foods of course but nothing out of the ordinary from my normal diet.

Insert this weekend. I bought some salted peanuts after my little GD scare last week in hopes that I would have some sort of snack readily available that would not consist of 100% sugar. Until Sunday they went unopened. But then something happened. I had some for breakfast (don't ask) and suddenly I couldn't stop thinking about them. Now, keep in mind I prefer these mixed with some sort of chocolate (m&ms, chocolate chips, whatever) but still. I am not usually a peanut lover. In fact, I barely even like peanut butter. This is probably the first time I've voluntarily eaten a peanut.

My yummy Monday snack. Check out that salt friends.

So there you have it. I have a craving. We will see how long it lasts. I think I'm going to switch to unsalted after today. See how that treats me.

I'm sure this is probably the most interesting thing you've read in a long time. Wink, wink.

In other news, I'm officially in my THIRD TRIMESTER! Look out folks, the Faidley kid will be gracing us with her presence in less than three months!

Pizza and Frostys and Carbs, oh my!

I PASSED THE NO GOOD, AWFUL 3 HOUR BLOOD TEST!

Yep, after all that crazy prep and failure, I went on to get a call from my doctor yesterday afternoon that "everything looks normal". Well, that's a GIANT relief. I'm sure my doc thinks I'm a total crazy person since I almost cried in celebration on the phone with her. Oh well, I PASSED!

So, I know I said I'd blog throughout and I tried people, I did. However, I could not gain access to the Mercy Hospital wireless and to be honest I pretty much had to focus on not vomiting my brains out for the entire thing (Although, we will be trying to figure out that wireless thing before birth because otherwise I'm sure Jamie will go absolutely batty).

Here is a run down of the whole (terrible) experience.

7am: I walk into Mercy and get lost trying to find the area I'm supposed to be in. A patient practically yells at me while I'm on the phone trying to find directions.

7:15am: I check in, sit down and pray.

7:30am: A (very nice) nurse takes my "fasting" blood sample, asks if I fasted for the one the day before and says, "I bet that's why you failed it the first time". She then gives me double the orange gunk from the day before to down and stares at me while I take it down like a giant shot. I tell her I got sick yesterday and she tells me that if I puke today I have to come back tomorrow and start all over.

7:45am: While sitting in the waiting room, I start to feel ill. I move to another location to put my feet up on an end table and get scowled at by a nurse that walks by. I get the feeling they don't like me here.

8:15am: I'm in full out sick mode. I have my head down (trying to get it between my legs), I'm sweating and I'm eying the trash can like a war opponent. I will not give up.

8:35am: Another blood draw. The nurse is all smiles, which I appreciate. Maybe I won't die in here.

At this point I'm actually hopeful.

9:15am: I open my eyes and think I might be feeling better, so I take this moment to take a photo of my battle wounds as well as my pale, sick face. I look like poo because that's how I feel.

I really tried to make a "thumbs down" sign here.

9:35am: Another blood draw.

10:35am: The last blood draw was done by a "trainee" who was very nice but had to stick me 2x. By this time I don't even care but keep in mind I was stuck 5x in three hours...AHHHHhh....I'm done and I get out of there as fast as humanly possible to go get some sort of "protein loaded snack" that they recommend.

At this point I'm still feeling sick but I'm at least able to go home, eat something and get to work before my day is over. My doctor called at about 2:30pm to tell me the good news. So, how did I celebrate? Jamie and I went to Blue Moon and I devoured a chicken sandwich. Sounds healthy and non-celebrational you say? Well, I had cinnamon crunch cereal this morning and it was glorious. I also need to admit that I just had pizza for lunch. Ahhh... a life without regrets.

Moral of the story? If you are a prospective mother, I'd recommend asking your doc if you need to fast the first time. I didn't ask my OB a single question before the test, which was probably not a good plan. No, it wasn't the end of the world and I survived (and so will you) and I was fully prepared to accept either result (also not the end of the world). However, next time around I will probably schedule my first test early and fast so I can have a better chance of passing the first time. The three hour gig was just not fun and my arms currently make me look like a drug addict.

Happy eating!

Gestational Diabetes = Goodbye Wonderful Life

Ahh...the big day is here friends. I got up this morning and after an excruciating day of eating nothing but protein yesterday (for the most part) I was ready to eat a "sensible" breakfast and be on my way to conquer my glucose test. As a reminder, this is when they make me drink gross orange liquid, test my blood and tell me if I am at risk for gestational diabetes or not.


Luckily, I have the best husband in the world who got up early and made me a wonderful "sensible" breakfast that got me to stay away from my usual sugary cereal (which I adore).

Yes, he is a keeper. It was like heaven in my mouth and I love him even more for it (hint, hint).

So I didn't eat after this and in the afternoon I went to the doc with a pretty optimistic view on this whole test. After it being my main fear since about week 2 of knowing I was preggo I had been reassured by friends, family, nurses, doctors, etc. that there was almost no chance I'd fail this test.

Well I showed those biotches. I went right in there and failed, yes I did.

Basically my numbers were high in the results, which means I have to go to the hospital tomorrow for a three hour test at which they will test my blood four times. I don't mean a finger prick. I mean legit blood testing. Which means I'll probably vomit and/or pass out. Anyhow, if I pass this one I'm all clear but if I don't then I have to start treatment for gestational diabetes.

I will be honest and tell you that I did not do well after this first test. After getting to my car, I was feeling a little sick and light headed so I stayed put for about 5 minutes before driving home for a bite to eat (since I'm assuming I was just hungry...?) then I proceeded to feel sick and pretty much dry heaved and even puked a little bit while driving home. It was pretty awesome [insert sarcasm].

All is now well and I am feeling better after I went home, ate a little bit and cried like a baby about the "failed" test result.

I have decided that I am going to assume I have gestational diabetes (that way my hopes are not high and if I get it I won't go through the same amount of disappointment as I did today). Apparently any preggo can get this glorious title. No weight, amount of working out, eating well or ANYTHING can stop it from getting a hold of your body. Which is good because I have not put on a lot of weight during this pregnancy and have been working out pretty consistently (although, I'll admit to loving sugar). So this failure pretty much made me feel awful.

But, now that I am in a slightly better mood about it all I will tell you a few good things I think might come of this (should I fail the next one and be officially diagnosed).

1. This might make me eat seriously healthy for the rest of my pregnancy, thus making me not gain very much more weight which will only mean it will be easier for me to take the weight off.

2. Maybe the healthy eating habits of the "treatment" will follow me after pregnancy and I'll soon have the body of a lean, mean supermodel machine.

3. I will continue to have a healthy, happy pregnancy.

But, If I DON'T have it I can go straight to Wendy's and buy myself a chocolate frosty in celebration of my continued sugary ways...

So, tomorrow is another big day. I will be at the hospital super early and will be blogging throughout so you can all experience the glory that is my pregnancy!

Eat something sugary for me.

Yours Truly,

The admitted frosty-aholic

99 days!

Today is a milestone (in my book). I officially have only 99 more days until the BIG DUE DATE. I am that much closer to holding my little nugget! It may not sound like a big deal to those of you who haven't counted down anything longer than a few months or weeks, but to me (and hopefully to the hubs) this is a BIG DEAL.

In other news, I am somehow still feeling pretty great. I have days where I am tired and a little awkward (tying my shoes last night was somewhat of a struggle) but I expected all of that. I don't know why I deserve such a nice little pregnancy, but I'm grateful!

I have the big gestational diabetes test next Tuesday and I'm a little worried about it. Basically, this just means that they make you drink a disgusting orange drink and measure the sugar in your blood. If you know me, you know I'm a sugar lover. So clearly I'm thinking I'm in for it with this test. Time will tell. Until then...keep your baked goods and sugary candies away from me!

Registry Fun

Hello! I apologize for my brief hiatus on the blog front. I have had some stuff going on...like getting ready for a baby. No biggie, right?! Ha...

So I said I would recount our wonderful baby registry outings and I am here to do that today. To start I will say it was definitely more fun for me than it was for Jamie. Somehow he did not find pondering over various bottle types/bouncer seats/swaddle blankets quite as fun as I did. I, on the other hand, imagined our little one in each and every item that we chose, and had to feel and test everything to make sure I thought it was up to par.

Our first outing was to Pottery Barn for Kids. This was actually in search of nursery furniture which we have since bought...and not from there (sorry PBK, you're just expensive...and the hubs doesn't like your lack of "sturdy" furniture). So, while there we were suckered into registering so that we could get the tiny, little discount (she didn't really have to sucker me...I love that place like candy). As I tested out the registering gun with salesgirl #1 (I forgot her name...), I looked over her shoulder to see Jamie clearly absorbed with a finger puppet book. I mean, eyebrows knitted, wiggling the finger puppet like crazy-obviously sold. It was maybe the cutest thing I'd ever seen. But we had not yet made it to the other side of the store where an even more hilarious/cute thing would happen. I will just say that at one point I turned around to this:

Obviously a chick magnet.

Yes folks, Jamie loves the board books. I can only hope our child loves them as much as he does.

Our next outing was to Babies R Us which was where we registered for our "essentials". I had obviously loaded up on research and came armed with a giant list of the best products-most of which our store doesn't carry. Good to know they are right on top of things.

Anyhow, as we wondered through aisle after aisle I feel like we did a pretty good job of finding things that were perfect for our needs. It's a gigantic place. I'll admit Jamie wondered off at one point and came back with a sly little grin on his face. He could barely wait to tell me that he registered us for some things he thought we "needed". I won't tell you what item it was, but it's still on the registry list because it's actually pretty hilarious...and ridiculous all at the same time. He also felt we needed 2 of these, which I knocked down to one after we got home. You will know the item when you see it. It's got Jamie written all over it.

Well, it's been real readers. Hope this catches you up at least a little bit. I will leave you with just one more registry photo in which I look certifiably insane while holding something seriously disgusting...but don't worry...it's on our list:)

Today's Thoughts...

Things on my mind today...

1. I went to a one year old's birthday party this weekend. It was heartwarming and adorable and I was completely exhausted after. It's possible parenting is a pretty intense job [insert sarcasm here]. I pretty much just watched and I hit a point of exhaustion that I haven't felt in a long time. It also made me so, so excited to become a mother...and put my little girl in cute birthday crowns. They are ridiculous and fabulous all at the same time.

2. Another preggo told me this weekend that whenever she worries about her parental skills her husband reminds her of one thing: there are crack babies that survive. Therefore, my kid will be just fine. Yes, it might be crass but it's pretty reassuring.

3. I find myself assuming that my body will somehow snap back to supermodel proportions shortly after birth. Magazines and other adorable new mommies have given me this (what I assume is) false hope. Someone needs to gently snap me out of this crazy thought. However, if you are my husband or if I am to be in your wedding shortly after the birth of my child please forget this entry and assume I will look like Heidi Klum just in time for New Years.

4. Finally, some have said that my blog puts far too much pressure on perspective/new/current daddies because of the nice things I write about "the hubs". To those readers I give you this story. While headed to the in-laws one evening, Jamie told me that he'd really like to go to Bass Pro Shop and was sad that we couldn't stop in.  He said he was afraid someone would harpoon me like an animal.

We finally registered this weekend and it was an adventure to say the least. More to come!

Parenting Class #2...and a new BUMP PIC!

Last night Jamie and I attended the "Breastfeeding Essentials" class at mercy. Going into it, I'd say Jamie was definitely more apprehensive but by the time we left it was clear I was the one who was worried.

There was just so much more to it than I thought. Props to all of you that are already mothers. I have no idea how you fed your little rugrat without going completely mad. I'm seriously worried I'll be horrible at this (however, that doesn't change the fact that I'm bound and determined to do it).

Without going into too many overly grotesque details, I will just say that the class mainly covered how to breastfeed/pump, the benefits of this form of feeding and what I will call "troubleshooting". Basically, troubleshooting covered all of the things she said I may struggle with during this glorious time.

The entire class I just wanted to scream, "SLOW DOWN!" and "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO REMEMBER THAT?" and "OMG I AM NOT GOING TO BE GOOD AT THIS!". Alas, I quietly panicked and tried to assure myself that I would get an email the next day reviewing the main topics.

At one point, I turned to Jamie and he mouthed, "What have we gotten ourselves into?"
To that I responded, "What have you gotten ME into?"

I also didn't know how to get them to "latch on". For those men that are reading this and are disgusted...too bad. You will never have to do this (now go out and celebrate!). Long story short, I watched an elderly woman hold up a fake boob and after a few fake "tastes" to the baby, she just smashed the little plastic baby to the boob. That is the technique. In case you wondered. I can only imagine what my face looked like when she first showed us that trick.

All in all, I'm very, very glad we went because as it turns out, we really had no idea what we were supposed to do in regards to feeding. I hadn't even thought about how many times a day my little darling would eat. Don't worry, now I know. But I'm sure I'll be reading, studying and cramming for this part of parenting until she enters the world. She needs me...and I'm up to the challenge.

So, I know I promised pictures from this class but I was too busy trying to mentally prepare myself for this huge part of my parenting. So I did you one better. I FINALLY TOOK A BUMP PHOTO! Here I am at 22 weeks, 4 days. It's crooked because I took it myself...Jamie was playing his Xbox (probably trying to forget about the plastic boobs from class).

Father/Daughter Bump Pic

Well, after a lazy little Saturday evening Jamie and I decided to take a picture of "the bump". However, after a few tries and fails, we quit. Not to be defeated, Jamie decided to bond with baby in a new way. Standing in the kitchen, he bypassed the chat with Baby Faid and decided to just listen this time. Here is Jamie...lovingly trying to hear our little girl.

I'm pretty sure she didn't respond...probably because I was laughing too hard for her to concentrate. Hope this bump picture works until we can get another one!

The First Movements (that I can feel)!

Well, they told us that she's a wiggle machine and now I have proof!

Last Thursday I officially was caught off guard by what were definitely movements inside my belly. A few days before this, I had felt a couple of light, quick flips, but nothing like I'm getting now. It basically feels like little flicks in my stomach, and I feel it more often when I'm not talking or moving. It's hard to explain what I'm feeling, but I would like to think she's jamming out in there with some sweet moves.

It's just so great to be able to feel her. It really is a bonding moment. I cannot even explain how badly I want to meet her, especially now that she is squirming around. It's a very, very special milestone and I can't WAIT until Jamie gets to feel her too! She's got some growing to do before that happens!

However, now that she can move and it seems just that much more real Jamie took to talking to her last night. As you know (since you've been faithfully reading my blog, haha) she can hear us now, so he was chatting it up with her last night before bed. It's a squirmy time for her, so it would seem she was up for her first real father/daughter talk. This is a taste of how it went while I was on the phone...

Jamie: Baby, can you hear me? This is your dad. Your mommy won't talk to me right now, so I'm going to talk to you. Have you changed into a boy yet? Two kicks for yes...
Baby: No response.

So there you have it folks. She was either soothed by his voice and stopped moving or insulted by his question. Don't get me wrong, Jamie is very excited to have a little princess, but at this point, girl swag is covering the nursery floor and I'm sureee he's just checking to make sure we won't have a little surprise boy on our hands after the nursery is pink!

Ok, more later...and yes...stay tuned for a new bump pic very soon!

My First Baby Purchases

Here are just a few of the adorable finds from my baby shopping spree this weekend. My favorite is the white, gray and pink sweatsuit. It's so fuzzy, and let's get real here...is there anything cuter on a baby than a fuzzy sweatsuit? Well, maybe tiny boots or a hat in the shape of a cupcake (yes, they make them)...alright fine, it's all cute. Don't worry, I won't bore you and post every item I buy, I just thought I'd show a sneak peak!

My Giant Life

Hello Again.

This post is rightfully titled because that is how I feel. I am a giant. In the past two weeks I am pretty sure my stomach has pretty much doubled in size. Baby is supposed to be the size of a cantaloupe right now (or something...I think that is what it was last time) but I look like I have a bowling ball protruding from my belly.

I wish I could tell you that I couldn't feel more beautiful or that I'm just positively glowing, but that's not exactly the case this week. The only thing glowing about me is the sweat glistening on my forehead from the incessant heat. Ok, my complaining is over, but remember this blog is an open book about my pregnancy!

Sometime soon I will have someone near and dear to me snap a photo so you can all see how big the belly is-I know this is a fascination for all. I'm just going to wait until this week is over and I feel cute again. If that never happens you had better hope you see me soon. Don't get me wrong, I know that the big belly is a good and beautiful thing that means baby is healthy and growing. For that, I am very, very grateful. I will get as big as it takes as long as she is a healthy little snuggle bug!

In other news, I finally shopped a little bit for baby! I will take photos later this evening and post them so everyone can see the adorable things I found. I'll be honest, I could have bought the entire Carter's store...but I felt that was probably financially irresponsible...and I'm supposed to be becoming a responsible, money savvy mommy. So, I only got 4 onesies, 4 pairs of matching leggings, one sweatsuit, three pairs of fuzzy socks, a hoodie, and one pair of frilly pink leggings.

Hey, I have to get my mind off my fat arse somehow...

Our first parenting class

Jamie and I have officially started training to become parents! That's right, there are training courses for this stuff...and it's free. Naturally, we were all over that.

So our first class was Tuesday evening and was entitled "Baby Basics". Lots of people asked me what I was supposed to learn at this class before we went. THE BASICS, people. That's what I expected. And apparently I don't even know what the basics are...because my head was spinning when we left. I believe Jamie used the words "scare tactics" when telling me what he thought of the class.

Here is a picture of Jamie that I took during the break. This was before the scare tactics, but after some pretty disgusting cleaning techniques. I wish I had a picture of him right after they showed a giant photo of baby's first poo would look like. Don't worry, I can sum it up in words: Sheer Terror.

Long story short here is what we learned.

1. It's probably good we aren't having a boy because those little buggers have some pretty specific/scary bathing and diapering MUSTS. I won't get into the specifics, but if you have a boy, you know what I'm referring to.
2. Diaper changing will be the easy part. For me. Jamie wants no part of that, haha...
3. We are not good at swaddling and will therefore be registering for the blankets that basically swaddle your baby for you. Trust me, we practiced on plastic dolls...and they were not impressed.
4. There are 5 miracle methods to getting your baby to sleep, and one of those methods is holding them like a football. If you are reading this and have seen this done or did this with your child, please let us know. We are not convinced.
5. Their poo will probably make Jamie vomit.
6. SIDS prevention, which really, really scared us. Obviously.
7. Last but not least, we learned that we want/need to be good parents and so we need to start cramming for this baby. I'm pretty sure Jamie has already bought and started reading some kind of baby book.

Oh, and surprisingly there was nothing that scared us enough to not still be out of our minds excited for our little girl to arrive. So that's good. December is too far away...especially since we are pretty much waiting on the best present ever.

Our next class is in just over 2 weeks and is entitled "Breastfeeding Essentials". I'm pretty sure the hubs is going to love this one...so I'll try to take more photos...

Sonogram Photo-18wks3days

In case you don't follow facebook and would like to see one of the many amazing sonogram photos we got last week, here you go!

Our Wonderful Little Sunday Morning

Yesterday I was able to bask in a major perk of being pregnant.

Jamie made me breakfast! Not only did he make me breakfast, but I didn't ask for it. He just wanted to do it. Awww....what a great husband. He made some sort of egg, cheese and waffle concoction that was pretty amazing. My hopes are that this is the start to a very wonderful trend in the Faidley home.

I know, I should have taken a photo to prove to you that this did, in fact, happen. But you see, when someone makes any sort of food for a hungry pregnant woman there is no time for photos. I am a hungry beast.

In other news, we have been keeping all of our "baby swag" that we have received in the to-be nursery. On Friday, Jamie came upstairs to find a furry little monster nestled next to all the baby clothes, diapers and other adorable pink things. That's right, Gizmo is catching on to all of this madness. He is either very excited to welcome a new baby...or making sure we don't forget about him.

I'm hoping he doesn't think the onesies are for him. Although now that I mention it...that could be cute...

Just kidding!

Baby is a Mango!

Today I got a lovely little email from thebump.com telling me that I am now 19 weeks pregnant and the baby is the size of a mango!

If, like me, you have never seen a mango in your life, here are the stats. Baby should be around 6 inches by now and 8.5 ounces (roughly). Still pretty small, but I'm happy to say I have made it to "mango week"!

I still have yet to personally purchase something for our little one. Now that I can, I just don't know where to start. Burp cloths? Hats? Booties? Diaper rash cream (so exciting)!? We will see...I'll be sure to keep you in the loop when I do hop on that bandwagon. Until then, happy Friday!

Diaper Time

Baby Faidley has diapers.

This milestone has come too soon you say? Well, timeline be damned. My mom had a coupon. 

Now, for those of you who grew up with me, you probably know that coupons were cut, saved and religiously used in the Lenz house. There was no question about it. In fact, when I went to college I continued to think this was normal and actually cut out the coupons that you find in the Press Citizen just in case I needed them (I once used a coupon to buy beer once I turned 21 and didn't think twice about it). I am pretty lucky I made friends at all now that I think back on it...

So when my mom and I were at dinner and she said she had a coupon for Huggies Diapers, I knew that meant we were buying some...tonight. 

We got some other things done at Target and then found the diaper isle...after we asked some kid that appeared to be about 12 where they were located. That's right, a 12 year old knows more about buying diapers than I do. 

I'll just say this-there are about a hundred types and sizes of these things. After we found the Huggies we felt we had conquered it. We were wrong. At one point, my mom asked, "do you want to be green?". As in, do I want to put my future child in eco friendly diapers. I had no idea those things could be eco friendly. From what I hear, the smell and mess is something that the earth would no longer want to make use of. 

So, clearly we bought the "green" ones because they said hypoallergenic. Why in the world aren't they ALL that way? Wouldn't it just make sense? 

We had one more coupon to burn and after finding the size we needed there were 2 options. One said "keeps in leaks" and one said "keeps in runny mess". I'm not joking here, it actually said RUNNY MESS. BAHHHH. Why do I have to choose to only combat one of these horrible things? Where are the diapers that say "wonder diapers: self changing, odor and mess free"?  They don't exist. So I decided runny mess sounded more disgusting.

In the end my mom found some that said "leak lock" and we high tailed it out of there to the clothing isle to look at booties, clothing and hooded towels. I think she was starting to sense the panic in my voice as we continued to ponder diaper pros and cons.

Who knew diapers were so complicated? Well, the good thing is that Baby Faid has some diapers and the coupon did not lose its value. Victory is ours.

More later...in the meantime here is a cute picture of baby's new nightlight from Grandma Deb. Awww...

Our Halfway Ultrasound!

The verdict is in...It's a GIRL!

I just got back from the "midway ultrasound" and everything looks good (I am so excited I can't stand myself)! They confirmed that we are having a baby girl and showed us her feet, legs, arms, belly, head, etc. She is a verrry wiggly little one! It took her a while to get some of the pictures because she kept moving her hands in front of her face and wiggling side to side. It was just amazing to see her and know that SHE is a SHE!

My favorite part was seeing her hand with her fingers all spread apart. Waving for the camera? Maybe we have a little model in there...

We also got to see her mouth move and get just a tiny glimpse of her nose. The nose is pretty small yet, which I'll take to be a good sign...haha...!

I haven't felt any kicks yet and the doctor says that even though she's a mover and a shaker I probably won't feel anything for a while since my placenta is on the outside (this is not the case with all women). But it's good to know she's an active little squirt. She's also measuring about 3 days small, which they assured me is fine. My due date is still the same, but she's just a little, tiny lady yet.

Let the shopping begin!

Our Beautiful Sunday Dinner...

Well, tonight I made dinner.

This will probably shock all of you since I'm assuming most of you know that I'm not exactly a master in the kitchen. Tonight didn't change that.

I went to work in the kitchen while Jamie was upstairs and about 30 minutes later, dinner was served. I had made a beautiful Hamburger Helper and canned corn. Yes, gourmet magazine here I come. I even set the table.

Now, I haven't eaten Hamburger Helper since I was a small child but I bought it because I'm not a good cook, I know it's easy, and it cost 88 cents. It was a steal.

As we sat down to dinner Jamie immediately said he didn't like Hamburger Helper and it, "brought back bad memories". I didn't even ask. I just told him to eat it. Then I took a couple of bites and started in on my delicious corn.

I had to eventually confess that I didn't like it either because it was just not good. It's just mushy (sorry to all of you HH fanatics). There's probably still enough HH to feed a family of four. Which I'll be eating for lunch this week because I'm cheap...and lazy.

Now you may be asking-what in the world do I plan to feed my future child? I have thought of that and I've been earnestly trying to learn to cook. But when it comes down to it, I prefer the easy route. That route includes take out, restaurants and frozen foods. I think I'll stick to those.

After I served Jamie a pudding cup as a peace offering for making such a bad dinner, I asked him what he had called the Hamburger Helper while we were trying to eat. I said, "Did you call that dog shi* or dog food?". His answer?

"Both."

Hello Weekend! 18 Weeks...

Just got back from a GLORIOUS massage. It was great. In fact I'm a little comatose right now so the fact that I am typing is a pretty big feat. I am a strong believer that all pregnant women should be allowed at least one massage a month (minimum). Jamie? Did you read that?

So I mentioned fear mongers a while back and I'll briefly touch on that subject today. "Fear Mongers" are what I like to refer to all those people that like to talk about the worse case scenarios. I'm a pretty big fan of TheBump.com and I enjoy the emails, advice, etc. What I need to avoid looking at are the comments from other "bumpies". This is where lots of people talk about their past horrible stories. I am as sensitive as the next, but I think that towards the start of my pregnancy these comments really scared me. They basically made me nervous about EVERYTHING.

Another example of this is a story another pregnant woman was telling me recently. She is on her second pregnancy and jumped into this story about how she had a c-section. During this c-section they missed twice trying to give her the shot that was supposed to numb her. Then, once they finally got it, it didn't numb her left side, so she freaked out. OMG I DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN TO ME.

I was recently chatting to someone about this and how it seriously made me freak out (and made me want to puke a little bit). They basically told me that mommies like to tell their "war stories" of birth. So all of you-do me a favor and until I'm done with this beautiful time in my life-save me the icky stories unless it's something I can avoid. I can't take the pressure. I'm a pretty big worry wart lately anyhow. Oh, and if I decide to tell you my war story after I'm done feel free to tell me to shut it.

On a lighter note, we get to find out the gender of the baby on Monday morning! I keep asking Gizmo if he'd like a brother or a sister but he has stayed quiet so far. Jamie and I tried to test him the other night with "bark if you want a boy" or "lay down if you want a girl" and he didn't really cooperate. I think he finally laid down after Jamie was barking at him trying to get him riled up enough to bark (he was probably just scared of the crazy human barking at him). I will try to get Jamie's barking on video sometime so all of you can see it. It's priceless.

Below is the Baby's First Onesie! So cute:)

Furry Friend

In case you are not lucky enough to have seen this picture of Gizmo yet, here you go. He was born to model. Which is of course the reason I am seriously considering getting him a t-shirt that says "big brother" or something to that effect. Hilarious or ridiculous...probably the latter. But I still think it's funny:)

In case you wondered, this sweater is an old photo. I don't make a habit of stuffing him in winter attire in the heat of summer. He's way too fashionable for that. It's probably last season anyhow...

It's live...

Well, I just sent out the link to some people today because I feel like it's now or never. Not to mention, this blog was really not meant for just me to read. I have to tell you, it's a little nerve wracking! I have to hand it to people that do this sort of stuff all the time. It's just all out there now...for you to judge...haha! Hopefully you don't all deem me to crazy to associate with after reading this. It's also possible that I will become seriously annoying and you will no longer be able to stand my presence. I apologize in advance as I suspect that will be the outcome...

Ok, enjoy!

I plan to write more soon...I have a serious issue with "fear mongers" and can't wait to tell you about it. More later!

Manic Monday...

Hello All! Well, today it is HOTTTTTT out....which means I feel like I am about to die every time I step outside. But there are too many good things happening for me to complain about that. This weekend we got a few cards from friends congratulating us on our news and guess what-one in particular included baby's first onesie! It is adorable and so, so tiny. It is a Wisconsin onesie (from our Madison friend!) but we will let it slide-our little nugget "just can't lose" on game day I guess!

I will confess that I looked for IOWA onsies pretty much immediately. They did not disappoint in the cuteness department. Although I suspect that any tiny onesie is bound to make me melt at this point.

I am finally getting my energy back and even got in a pretty decent work out yesterday. Don't worry, I'm keeping track of my heartbeat and all that, but it just feels good to finally feel like I can do that without completely passing out! Healthy pregnancy here I come!

Baby should be developing hearing this week, so hopefully he or she is not disturbed by my jamming out in the car. Either baby is getting a really great sense of country and 80's music...or getting his/her first chuckle at mommy's singing!

17 weeks!

Today has been a pretty good little Friday so far. I'm finally learning what people meant when they said I was going to feel about ten degrees warmer than everyone else during this pregnancy. Definitely feeling the heat!

Today is my 17th week mark! For those of you who despise the "week" counting-I am a little over 4 months. I promise I will never tell you that my child is 234 weeks old...haha. I have it written on my calendar of course (anyone who has ever lived with me knows I love my calendars). I got an email from TheBump.com that told me that little one is officially the size of an onion! I will only update you on this when I feel the fruit or veggie they compare baby to is acceptable. At one point baby was compared to a prune...yuck.

I am really looking forward to our doctor's appointment on the 18th when we will find out the sex. The curiosity is getting to me more than I thought it would. Not to mention, I'm finding it hard not to peruse the Pottery Barn for kids website... I'm sure Jamie would really love to know that!

Anyway, expect a VERY EXCITED entry on that day!

It's my pregnancy, and I'll blog if I want to

Ok, so now that you are all caught up on some of the latest BIG stuff I'll start on some of the daily, random stuff that comes along with my first pregnancy. This will pretty much be a sounding board for my worries, exciting milestones, questions, and of course ALL funny things that happen along the way. Just so you know, I'm almost 17 weeks and I'm due on Dec. 16th!

I've just begun on this journey and I feel like I've got a lot to share. I'm also excited to learn more, make mistakes, and share all of it with my little web audience. It couldn't be better therapy! I've already found this to be fun and relaxing. Plus, for all the other mom's to be out there, or currents moms-you know that all you want to do is talk about your pregnancy some days. It's just so exciting!

With some great doctors with me on this ride, I'll let them speak for the medical stuff, because that's their "thing". But here I can hopefully not only update everyone but also help others out by telling you what I've learned over the past months and what I'll learn going forward.

I know that my best confidants so far (besides my docs and nurses) have been mommy friends or other preggo pals. They can commiserate and and almost always relate to something. So, with this blog I hope to be an online preggo pal to some and just a fun read for others!

For those of you who are not pregnant or mommies already I hope you can just laugh at what is bound to be a very crazy experience at times. I'm sure I'll even share some tender moments. Either way, enjoy!

My early screening and FIRST ULTRASOUND!

THIS WAS SUCH A FUN APPOINTMENT!

So the hubs and I went together to the doc this time around (I was just under 13 weeks) and it was nice to have a little moral support there. Something about doctor's offices always make me a little nervous, never have figured out why!

After being weighed I was told I could not used the little girl's room even though a preggo woman's best friend is often the toilet. Apparently a full bladder is a good thing for the ultrasound. If the little one didn't move right away, she'd let me go to see if we could get little Faid to move.

No problems with the moving. A very wiggly little sucker as it turns out.

I have to say, my breath caught when I saw the image on the screen. Our little one already looks like a little person in there. The nurse said, "That's your baby" and I almost chuckled. I mean, thank goodness, right? What else could it be? She also typed the word "baby" on the ultrasound pics we got at the end. I just love it...good thing she didn't type "squirrel" or "rat". Just kidding, I just think it's funny because it's so obvious.

The hubs seemed pretty enthralled by seeing our baby too. She also let us hear the heartbeat again-down a little bit from last time but still very normal! It was the first time he heard it and he smiled at me when I looked over. Proud pappa to be.

I just love hearing that sound. It makes me want to cry.

After that we saw baby in 3D (yep, its not just in the theaters, folks) and we saw the little arms and legs. Then the nurse asked us if we were going to find out the sex of the baby. After telling her there was no way the two of us could stand to wait she asked, "Do you want me to guess?".

So we let her guess because, like I said, we can't wait to find out.

She guessed a girl!

She told us not to buy anything until we get our next ultrasound because she could be wrong...but it doesn't stop a future mamma from looking at some little girl stuff here and there. Just looking can't hurt right?!

We can't wait to find out the definite answer and will of course be thrilled with either! Stay tuned...

The First Doctor's Appointment

After finding out that I was pregnant at only about 4 weeks I was quick to call my doctor only to be told that they like to see us preggos at about 10 weeks for our first visit. At first I thought that was no big deal, and then week 6 arrived and I was already counting down the days until I went in for my check up. As a constant worrier anyhow, you can imagine how crazy I was about this tiny little one growing inside of me. First, I was worried because I didn't "feel" pregnant. Basically I didn't have morning sickness, sore boobs, cravings for pickles; all those things you see on movies or hear from your best friend who swears she felt a kick at week 2.

It may not surprise you to hear that I called my doctor's office 3 times before I saw them for the first time. That's right, 3 times. I called about cramping (normal), what over the counter medicines I could take (tylenol), and something else that I don't remember anymore because it was probably so insignificant that even I knew I shouldn't have been calling. The last time the nurse finally said, "Ok, so we will talk to you on May 23rd," clearly urging me to stop worrying so much in the nicest way she could.

So I finally made it to the appointment and I still didn't "feel" preggo but she reassured me that was good news! Clearly, those girls out there that puked for days will hate to hear that I have somehow gotten off the hook for that one. At this first appointment it was the basics and then all of a sudden she was rubbing my stomach with a tiny contraption-and after a few seconds I HEARD THE HEART BEART!

Such a great feeling and a total relief. After that I made 2 more appointments-one for early testing and one for my next monthly visit.

I called the hubs on my way out to the car and told him the good news. My next appointments will be for early screening and then a regular 4 week check up. The early screening involves an ultrasound, yay!