Name updates

I've decided I cannot live with the middle name Tredyn if we have a girl. It's just too wierd and I hate getting those "Huh?" looks when I tell people. I hate explaining how Justin came up with it even more. I just can't live with being totally embarrassed by my child's name, even if it is just a middle name.
So I told Justin how I felt and he said the only other name he really likes is Siren. Yes, Like the mythical creatures with irresistably beautiful voices in The Oddessy. I'm a little worried about it being associated with society's bastardization of the word to connotate a sexual seductress (That or a police siren LOL). But the Sirens in The Oddessy were not sexual beings at all. It was only their impossibly beautiful songs that lured men to their death upon the rocks. These song appealed to the spirit, not the flesh. And being a singer myself, from a very musical family, I like the idea of naming my daughter after something with a voice like that. Especially in conjunction with the meaning of the name Lila in Sanskrit (see previous post on names).
Siren also means peace or tranquility in Latin
And then of course there are the screen sirens of classic films: Grace Kelly, Greta Garbo, Rita Hayworth, Katherine Hephburn, Audrey Hephburn, Marilyn Monroe, Veronica Lake, Ingrid Bergman.

So:
Lila Siren Lunsford

So far I'm liking it. It sounds very melodious. Original, but not too far out there. I'm not saying we I won't change my mind if we get horrible reactions from our families. Maybe I'll just keep it to myself until the birth and if indeed she is a girl say "That's what her name is. We like it and we don't want to hear any lip."

Mid-week update

I sent my doppler back yesterday! I haven't been using it much lately with all the kicking going on. But I do get nervous when Monkey hasn't moved in a while and now I can't check on "her" when that happens. Deep breaths. I will be strong and stay positive.

I think I'm having Braxton Hicks contractions. Sometimes I can't tell if that's what it is or if it's just Monkey flipping around. But my lower belly gets tight every now and then and stays that way for a few minutes. But there is no defined end to the tightening. I very very slowly fizzles out and I realize "hey, it's not tight anymore". It happens the most after I've been on my feet for a while. An hour is pretty much my limit. Then I have to go lie down for a while for the tightness to go away. I've gotten to the point where I cannot run errands on days that I work. I have to wait for a day off. And standing thru Liturgy in church is becoming impossible. I haven't called the Dr. about it because they have been going away after a rest. But I am going to ask him at my appointment on Monday what the deal might be.

And don't tell Justin, but I'm getting him this for his birthday in February:

He is IMPOSSIBLE to buy for. But I know he REALLY wants a monkey costume for Monkey. Not just for Halloween...OH NO. My crazy husband wants to dress the baby in it whenever he goes out. I've imposed an "only when I am not with you and it isn't too hot for a furry costume" stipulation. If he want's to look like a moron lugging around a baby in a monkey suit that's fine by me. As long as I'm not the one looking like a moron. I'm going to buy the 6-12 month size so baby Monkey will be in it roughly October-March. That should give him Halloween and plenty of cool weather days for this foolishness. ::shakes head::

Am I a good wife or what?

I WANT THIS!

I am coveting this diaper bag. I just adore the print. It's so me. And it will match my travel system so nicely.

But that's not all I like about it. It's made of a teflon coated fabric that just wipes clean. And the inside of the bad is coated with an anti-microbial lining. I find that AWESOME. All the hardware is metal so nothing will break. The messenger flap has a self-seeking magnet that finds its home so the flap doesn't get all ot of place. There is a mommy pocket on the outside of the flap for all my stuff. There are wonderful mesh pockets all on the inside so I can see what's in there. And there is a whole seperate pocket for diaper stuff that zpis out and folds down so everything is right on hand with no digging around in the bag. I'm in LOVE with this bag. Justin will never let me spend $120 on a diaper bag though. I put in on my Amazon.com registry, but I don't expect to get it. Oh well. Maybe with my bonus in March.

24 weeks

VIABILITY!!!!!!! Hallelujah! I am just so thankful to have made it here. For all the non-preggos out there, viability means that if the monkey were born today it would have a 47% chance of survival as opposed to only 26% at 23 weeks. And out chances only improve from here!
Christmas was good. It was over so fast and I'm still pretty bummed about the lack of a holiday season we seemed to experience this year. We really got great gifts. We got our travel system of course, (which I am SO excited about I've already put it together and pushed it around the house. I'm so thrilled with it I would totally take it for a walk if I didn't think people would look at me like a moron.). And then there was the stuff dad found used for me. He said he keeps a print out of my baby registry in his car and checks the list whenever he goes garage saling. So sweet. We got the afore mentioned high chair, which has a lovely neutral animal print on it. I'm just beyond happy that it's not an uber-babyish print. We also scored a bottle warmer, jumper, training potty, bumbo, and activity gym. The last two we actually already had at home, but it will be nice to have duplicates at mom and dads...and you can't pass that up when you find it for just a couple of $$$. And my brother says he has something for us as well, but he left it at work by mistake.
For non-baby items, we each got $50 cash. And my sister sent us a BEAUTIFUL Japanese scroll with a painting of cranes on it. I love it. It reminds me of A Thousand Cranes, one of the books we read my junior year of high school. And it is the PERFECT piece of art for this one wall in my living room that has been just waiting for adornment for the last 2 years. It even matches my color palette. Great job Katie!!!! She also sent me a beautiful pendant that is the dried skeleton of a Japanese maple leaf dipped in gold. She says Japanese maple leaves are said to bring good luck.
I've got my last night shift for a while tonight. I'm so sad to not be able to work them anymore, but I would just hate to go into labor at work when I was the only person there. So for now I am stuck with days and/or evenings. I was off last night and I spent it nesting. I reorganized the storage closet/pantry and started on our bedroom. The shower in the master bath is just a tiny stall and we don't like using it. So I turned it into storage too. Best idea ever. I've got all Justin's packing and shipping supplies in there along with everything he still needs to put up on ebay. I'm so happy it have it out of my way now that we're begining to acumulate baby stuff.
We've also set dates for my baby showers. Jamie and Erin are throwing me a friends/couples shower on the 18th of January. And my sister will be home the last week in January and is hosting one for the family on the 31st! We will also be starting prepared child birth classes on the 8th and we have another ulrasound on te 2nd. January is going to be a whirlwind of a month. I'm excited and I'm really hoping all the activity makes it FLY by. I am anxious to get into my third trimester...which I just realized is only 2 weeks away! WOAH!
My belly is really feeling stretchy and itchy lately. I'm thinking I'm about to hit another popping point. So stay tuned for some pictures to compare!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

It's 4:45 in the morning and I am at work. It's been a super slow night. I think I've only gotten like 5 calls. I LOVE working on holidays. It's SLOW as heck AND I get double time and a half. I really wish I were working tomorrow night too.
It hasn't really felt much like Christmas this year.
1) I didn't deck my halls this year. Money is tight, no one would ever see it, and I'm just too darn tired. So I didn't do it, even though Mom offered to buy me a tree.
2) We didn't have annual family Christmas parties or EITHER side of my family. That totally bums me out. Christmas is the ONLY time I ever get to see some of my cousins.
3) Did I mention money is tight? We didn't do any Christmas shopping. I have small gifts for my parents and siblings, but I feel like a Scrooge for not being able to spend time picking out the perfect gift for everyone and wrapping them just right. I hate that my parents are going to shower us with gifts and we only have a pittance to give back to them...Especially my dad. He's impossible to shop for anyway.
4) Justin and I didn't get anything for each other. All our extra money is going toward preparing for the baby. He really wants an external hard drive. I'm sitting here wishing I'd bought one for him anyway. But after Christmas there will probably be some great sales on them...
5) And most significant: My sister Katie was not able to come home this year. It's the first Christmas EVER that we're not all together. My stupid pregnancy hormones make this so much worse. I can't even think about her being so far away from us on Christmas without tearing up. But on the bright side, I have time to finish the hat I'm making her before she comes to visit in January.

So what was on my Christmas list? Just ONE thing. My Chicco Cortina travel system. Mom and Dad set a spending limit every year for each of us and I told Mom that as long as it was within her budget, it's all I really wanted, even if it's the only gift I have to open. Mom is really sensitive about this. Dad loves to tell stories about how she'd divide our gifts into three piles and make sure we all had the same amount of gifts to open. If the numbers weren't even she'd find something else to wrap up for the person that was short a gift. Even now that we are all old enough to understand we're all getting the same $ value worth of gifts, she still gets upset if we don't have the same number of gifts to open. Which leads me to my Christmas Eve discovery:
I saw several gifts for Justin and I under the tree, but nothing big enough to be what I'd asked for. SO, and I'm ashamed to say it...I went peeking! I felt like I was 10 again. I found the stroller in the garage along with some other baby items. Dad is an avid garage saler and he told me to give him a list of stuff he could look for used (and CHEAP) for us. So I think he's been saving everything he's picked up for us to give us this morning, so that Mom has more stuff to wrap for us! I love my parents. It's so sweet and adorable that they STILL worry about giving us all a great Christmas. They can't imagine how much I appreciate it. But I always feel so inadequately grateful.
And that said I'm really looking forward to the day that Christmas isn't all about us kids and the presents anymore. Eventually I'm looking forward to buying for my own babies and watching their eyes light up. But for the next few years, before this baby can really understand what the big deal is, I'd love for Christmas to become MORE about family. I'd like for us to be able to take a trip and just hang out and have fun without a ton of presents. I want my parents to know that THAT is what is really important to us, not the presents.
Well...one more hour until it's present time. Despite the guilt that I feel over Christmas being so underwhelming this year, I am really excited to get my baby stuff!

Happy Holiday everyone. I hope you're all enjoying your families today.

Hiccups??

I think I'm feeling hiccups. And now that it's dawned on me what they are I realize I've been feeling them for a while and "she" gets them a lot. They aren't as hard as a kick and don't make my tummy jump. They feel more like the resonating thumping you feel when someone drives by with their bass BLASTING. And they are low between my hips.
"She's" had them for the last 8 minutes. It's kind of hilarious.

23 Weeks!

As I sit here eating my diabetes in a box (aka: a cinnabon. Yes, of course with extra frosting.) I'm thinking how blessed and lucky we are to be 23 weeks pregnant. In general I'm feeing good. Normal aches and pains and pregnancy complaints, but overall--NORMAL! And normal is a great great thing to be.
I've craving a lot of sweets lately...I really wanted french toast, but we were out of milk then I went down to make it. So I scrambled some eggs and got a cinnabon on my way to work. I'm also craving really fresh stuff, like vegetable sushi and salads. Lucky for my there is this awesome sushi buffet by the mall (Nippon Buffet). The owner is SO super nice, he always points out what rolls are either only veggie or fully cooked for me. And 16 peices is only $10! I have some sitting in the fridge right now. I can hardly wait to devour it!!!!

My online friend Maria sent me this message today I thought it was really sweet of her. So I'll finish up with that:

Hey! I was reading your blog today and I was so excited to hear you're doing great! The fabrics you put up there are sooo cute and the striped pink walls? It'll look like a princess' dream I wanted to tell you something about the baby names and you're feeling that its a girl. My niece's father is Hawaiian and when my sister was pregnant my niece's name, Analea, sort of just told to her. She was at a restaurant and the waitress came up, introduced herself as Analea, walked away and never came back again. (Seriously, they got another waitress and never saw this girl again)My sister loved this name and thought it was so weird that she had such a strong feeling about it. Her future mother-in-law told her later that the Hawaiians believe that a child's name is revealed to a mother while she's pregnant. She will know when it is the right name and should choose that to name her child to bring them good luck. When you get a good feeling about something or strong emotion you should go with it. So be convinced you're having a daughter and that is her name! Just thought I'd share that little story with you..Maria

Oh happy day!!!

Today has been a good good day. Justin and I both woke up rested and refreshed. And after my waffles I spent the morning sewing.
I opened the door to go to work and there on my porch was my Old Navy package full of maternity clothes. I was in a hurry so I cannot wait to get home tonight to try everything on. And then I checked the mail, and both my Swaddlebees order and some of the used diaper covers I bought on DiaperSwappers.com had come! One of the diaper in my Swaddlebees order is a newborn sized pocket diaper. AND OH MY GAWD! It is SO freakin' TINY and adorable!
On my way to work I stopped off at a fabric store to continue my search for a black and white canopy striped fabric. And wouldn't you know it, they had one! And it was 50% off!
And to top it all off I got to work and my supervisor called me into her office to tell me I was being promoted and getting a 10.2% raise!!!!!!! 10.2%!!! I couldn't believe it. And I looked at my paycheck for tomorrow and my quarterly bonus and holiday pay are all on there so tomorrow my bank account will be a nice fat $300 heavier than I thought it would be! Yippee!

Baby Monkey has been kangaroo boxing all evening. I think my stomach might be bruised tomorrow. Luckily "she" seems to have gotten sleepy. As much as I love that "she's" getting stronger and more active, it sometimes gets uncomfortable.

I also have to blog about Crunchy Clean (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5760585). It's an amazing eco-friendly laundry detergent. And it's CHEAP. There are so many yummy scents. So far my favorites are Baby Bee Clean and Gardenia. I really look forward to doing laundry now because it makes my house smell SO GOOD. So really it totally doubles as an air freshener. I love love love it.

Banking on a girl.

I bought this fabric AGES ago when I saw it at Wal-Mart for $0.50/yard. I bought the WHOLE bolt (12 yards) thinking that, when I had a girl (and I will have one, because despite what Justin says we're not stopping until I get a little princess of my own), I would design her nursery around it. A posh jet-setter theme in pink, black, and white:
Then I found the crib bedding pattern I wanted on e-Bay for $5. And a few weeks ago I spotted some pink polka-dot fabric at Jo-Ann's for $4/yard (so I bought that bolt too). SO! Yesterday I decided that since I just FEEL like my monkey is a girl I'd go ahead and get started making some bedding. If monkey surprises me and comes out a boy, well, no big deal. I'll have only wasted a little of my time and $$$ making bedding for a girl. And honestly, I can just put it away and save it for when we do have a girl. BUT if I wait I doubt I'll be able to find the time and energy to drag out my sewing machine and take on a project of this magnitude. Better to get it done now than not be able to later, right? (And if it's a boy I'll be doing a golf theme in honor of my daddy. And I've found the cutest blue and green argyle bedding for cheap that I can buy online after he's here. So I'm covered on that front too...Can you tell I'm not into cutesy baby stuff?)
And now for pictures of my progress!
Crib Sheet:Bumper: There are 6 of these . This side faces the outside of the crib...The pink looks a little lighter in the picture than in reality.And this side faces the inside of the crib:Dust Ruffle: This is only the top half (and not the full length of course). The bottom half will be a wide black and white vertical stripe...as soon as I can find some that isn't upholstery fabric. I looks like I'm going to have to order it online.My other plans for this nursery include:
1) Light pink walls, maybe striped with a pink a shade or two darker, we'll see how adventurous I'm feeling and if it will even work with the Spanish lace treatment on the walls.
2) Panel window treatments on the sliding glass door with the black and white vertical striped fabric at the top (for about 1.5 feet), a thin pink stripe, and then the print fabric the rest of the way to the floor. And white sheers under those.
3) Several clocks in a row on the wall with London, Paris, and New York time (and maybe Moscow too. We'll see what looks better 3 or 4.)
4) Black and white photographs of the monuments in the printed fabric. There are a few on etsy.com that I've been eyeing.

AND since I already had the sewing machine out I cut up some old and ugly receiving blankets and baby towels I got from a friend and made myself some double sided cloth wipes. Not the prettiest, but certainly functional. And best of all: FREE. I've whipped out about 10 so far. The cutting is the tedious part. I'm going to take the stash of blankets and towels to work with me and cut squares to bring home and sew. Justin has requested larger wipes for him to use. I think he's nuts wanting wipes bigger than a quilt square, but I'll make him a few to try out until he realizes that my smaller, wipe once and get a fresh one, sized wipes are easier to use...and not as messy as trying to fold over a poopy wipe to use the other side.
So here's a pic of a few of the wipe:

And now I am going to bed because I'm so tired my stitches are starting to get sloppy. Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

More on names...

I'm bored at work. So I've been googling our baby name choices to see what comes up. While I didn't find anything more on Linkin (other than the band, Linkin Park) I did find a meaning of Lila that I had not heard before.

Hindu: Lila is he term for play, drama, dance, pastime, and sport. The Rama lila is the fall festival that honors Rama, while the Ras lila is the spring festival in honor of Krishna.
Another website says: Lila is a way of describing all reality, including the cosmos, as the outcome of creative play by the divine absolute.

If you know me, you know how much I want to be Indian (the kind from India). And you also know how much I love the theater. So how perfect is that combination?

And while I knew Lila was the Hebrew word for "night", i didn't know it also means "you are mine". More than ever I am convinced that I am having a daughter and this IS her name.

D is for Diapers.

I bought diapers!!! Now that Justin has a steady and well paying job again I can start building my stash. It's DIFFICULT to buy gender neutral diapers because the girly ones are just so darn cute. I did have a psychotic break and buy one Blueberry minky in a zebra print. Oh well. I believe in my heart it's a girl. And besides, we'll have a boy one day...so either way he'll get to sport a zebra print diaper. LOL. But seriously, how could I resist something as incredibly cute as this:

In addition to my ridiculously impractical zebra diaper I'm accumulating an assortment of diapers so I can decide what I like best. I have 1 BG 3.0 already. And because Swaddlebees was having a MAJOR sale last night I bought:

1 newborn ABC wrap & 1 small ABC wrap:

1 stuffable All in One (AIO)...in COW PRINT!!!:
and 1 pocket diaper:

These 4 came to a total of $29!!!! That is a total steal! I really hope I like them all.

I've also been scouring ebay and diaperswappers.com for good deals on diapers and covers. I'm determined to do this as inexpensively as possible.

Since the pockets and AIOs rarely fit newborn babies we've decided to use Kissaluvs size 0 (KL0s) and MAYBE prefolds (PFs). These are not self-contained diapers and require the use of a cover.

Is it crazy that I'm this excited about cloth diapering? Even with the extra laundry and hassle I'm really looking forward to it!

And now I am getting off work and I'm going to hit up a few garage sales on the way home (providing I don't step outside into bad weather) to look for bargins on baby stuff. Happy Saturday!!!!

22 weeks

What's new this week?
My skin seems to be clearing up...at least the skin on my face does. So that's a big plus. And I'm not needing as much sleep as I have been. I can get by on 8 hours instead of 10-14. Not quite as awesome as my usual "6 hours and I'm golden", but considering I wake up about every couple of hours to pee or because I'm getting my ass kicked from the inside, I guess it's a pretty good compromise.
My skin is becoming quite translucent, which is really strange. I'm fair skinned, so I've always been able to see the veins on the insides of my arms. But today I got out of the shower and I was a veritable road map of green veins! They are all over my chest, the sides of my belly, hips, and inner thighs. Of course I had to run to my computer to google pictures "varicose veins" and message my friend Jessica (who is also quite fair skinned and pregnant) to see if she was experiencing the same thing. She is, and it isn't varicose veins. But it still looks wierd.
Today my back hurt like CRAZY. I could barely even walk it hurt so badly on the left side. As soon as I sat down I felt better, so I don't think it was a pre-term labor symptom. I think I just tried to do too much (like go run errands all morning) and haven't been drinking enough water. If it happens again in the next week though, I'm calling the Dr.
And one more down, my usually iron stomach has become a total wuss. I'm not experiencing morning sickness, but anything that looks or smells gross and high heights send me running for the toilet. I literally almost threw up yesterday watching an episode of CSI:NY when Mac, Hawks, and Danny were on the top of the Empire State building. I had to close my eyes until the scene was over. Talk about vertigo.
I am finally learning how to tell what position "she" is in. At my ultrasound Monday "she" was head down. But I was thinking "she" was feet down because of all the taps I feel near my hips. Now I can feel the difference between punches and kicks. Punches are sharper and smaller, while kicks are more like resounding thumps. And sometimes I will feel a big hard bulge on one side of my belly...I though it was a head, turns out, it's a butt. It's pretty exciting.
The Florida Institute of Ultrasound needs patients for their students to practice on. So I'm going to go and be their pregnant guinea pig on January 22. Hopefully the kiddo will be much stronger by then so I can really get a good idea of what position "she" might be in beforehand. Then I can check test my theory.
And now for the belly from my point of view:

Anatomy Scan

Since they couldn't get a good shot of the spine last time I get another ultrasound today! Baby monkey is head down and measuring about 20 weeks...a little behind, but both the tech and Dr. Lile said that was ok. Infact he said everything looks wonderful. My belly is also measuring about 20 weeks. The quad screen for Downs and Spina Bifida also came back normal.
I've finally gained some weight, 8 lbs by the scale at the Dr's office. But I had to pee and I'd been up all night in preparation for my week of night shifts. So since they didn't get a morning weight don't think I've quite gained that much.
AND!!!!!! The best part: Dr Lile said that despite the septum in my uterus it is expanding and ballooning out almost normally!! So instead of having only 1/2 the normal amount of space, Monkey has almost a full uterus to grow in!!! He seemed so pleased by this unexpected miracle, as am I of course! I'm not completely off the "high risk for pre-term labor" radar, but What wonderful news! Praise the LORD!!!!
Next appointment Jan 5. I asked today if they would give me the glucose drink to take home with me at my next appointment so I can drink it before coming in for my 28 week appointment and avoid waiting around for an hour with the nasty orange glucose drink flavor in my mouth. So YAY!
Look at that little nose...It's just like daddy's.

21 weeks

Every Friday I am consistently amazed that another week has gone by and we are one week closer to meeting our little baby. I wonder what he/she will be like, what he/she will look like, and if we will feel different when we are finally parents. I'm not sure I can quite imagine what it will be like, how much our lives are going to change in a matter of moments...
Ok, enough of the sappy stuff and on to what's up this week:
I'm back to feeling fine. No more queasiness in the mornings. I'm thrilled about that. And the monkey is kicking like a maniac. I can feel "her" turning around every now and then. It's quite uncomfortable. And sometimes I feel like there are little limbs poking me in certain spots. Watching the kicks from the outside is endlessly amusing. I can't even describe how silly it looks. One of these day's I'll catch it on video...maybe when it's a bit more pronounced.
As far as cravings go I don't really have anything intense. Food definitely tastes different and I find myself liking things I didn't used to (like green bean casserole) and things that don't really sound all that appetizing (like red grapes dipped in sour cream, I know...But I swear, it's yummy).
The belly is definitely getting out there and I am starting to feel kinda fat, even though I'm really not. I think it's mostly because of my barren wardrobe. I am SO frustrated with maternity clothes! I was in Old Navy today and their sizing SUCKS. Mediums fit in the butt and hips, but are way too tight around my ever expanding belly. So I try a large and it's nice and comfortable in the waistband, but the butt and hips fit like the fat pants picture on a weight loss infomercial. It's ridiculous! I mean seriously? I could fit one of myself in each leg. I wanted to throw them at the dressing room attendant and scream...
Which brings me to the mood swings. I feel like a crazy person. I can't stop myself from getting totally worked up over anything even remotely frustrating. Someone on the nest posted a link to this place in California where you can go and throw breakable stuff at a wall. I NEED a place like that. There is nothing like smashing thing into little bits to release tension. And don't even get me started on work. I shudder to think what my blood pressure must be doing this past week. I really hope this ends soon. I don't like feeling so out of control.
I've been feeling less tired though. I think being off the progesterone is making a difference there. I'm no longer totally incapacitated by anything less than 10 hours of shut eye.
And speaking of sleep, I have a big day tomorrow with my girls (lunch, shopping, and knitting, and then enchiladas and Christmas cookies with Mom and Dad and the Navy kids across the street my Mom's practically adopted) so I'm going to go get some.

Baby monkey and I say: So long, farewell, auf weidersehen, goodbye...(yes, of course my baby knows showtunes already.)

I caved.

And set up my pack n play. I bought it on Black Friday with my birthday money from Mom and Dad. Justin didn't want me to open it. But I couldn't resist! It's SOOOOOO cute and sweet! I can't wait to have a baby to put in it!

Monkey See, Monkey Do

I saw the monkey kicking my belly just now! It was so adorable, and kind of freaky. This little spot on the right side of my belly just pokes out all of the sudden or kind of pulsates with repeated kicks. It cracks me up. It's just strange to think about there being a whole nother person in there.

And one last thing--Oh joy, I have a fever blister. I got my first one EVER during the last pregnancy. I was SO happy that I'd seemed to escape them so far this time, but alas, my luck has ended. Damn. And it's even in the EXACT same spot as last time. Campho-Phenique is soothing it, I hope it dries it out fast too. OUT, OUT DAMN SPOT!

Whooah, we're halfway there...

Yeah, shut up. You know I've been waiting months to use Bon Jovi in my post title.

So yesterday was the halfway point. I can't even believe it.
Still having the morning sickness, and midday sickness if I go to long without eating, eat too much, or drink a bunch of water without food to go with it.
My belly is getting noticeably larger and all the maternity shirts I bought in my normal shirt size are becoming too short. But the next size up is too big in the chest. If my boobs would just cooperate I'd totally be set. But they stubbornly refuse to grow. Stupid boobs.
The Monkey's kicks are becoming much stronger and a lot of them are more like pushes...like when a cat kneads it's paws into you. I can also feel a lot of wiggling and squirming going on in there. It's so STRANGE! "Alien" really gets the imagry right, because it feels like it would look like that if you could see it.
I am pretty sure my hips spread last week. It felt like something was pushing them apart. Not the best thing I've ever experienced. I can't help but wonder if I am just super sensitive to these things or if a lot of other pregnant women feel them too. Because I never hear anyone talking about it. I did start feeling kicks much sooner than most. Maybe I have hyper-sensitive nerve endings. Perhaps that's also why I have a low pain threshold? Lucky me. I'm curious to know if there is any science behind it.
What else...We have our anatomy scan a week from Monday! I'm excited to see the little peanut again and make sure it's growing correctly. And of course, get more pictures to post!

And I guess that's it for now. I'll edit with pictures later tonight and add anything else I think of.

Yep. It's back.

Morning sickness that is. Today was the 3 morning this week I've gotten sick about 2 hours into my day. It was SO not fun vomiting in the church bathroom...luckily I was able to hold it in until everyone in there had left. I can't figure out how to ward it off. I eat before getting out of bed, but that doesn't work. But as soon as I puke, I'm fine. I guess I'm going to have to try sticking my finger down my throat before I try to go anywhere.
My belly is SOOOOOO stretchy feeling today. I read in Your Pregnancy Week-by-Week (YPWBW) that this week my abdominal muscles will start to separate and pull apart to make room for my uterus. It definitely feels like someone is ripping my abs apart. Fun.
Monkey is kicking like CRAZY. I'm starting to feel "her" more and more when I'm standing up (rather than squishing "her" in an attempt to make her kick me). But "she" really needs to turn out of this transverse position because my right hip bone is really taking a beating.
I went to Old Navy today (Stuff n' Save time!!!) and totally scored. Not only did I have my 20% off entire purchase, but sweaters were all $15 each (I got some for Justin), and maternity shirts were all 2 for $15! I also got a maternity dress for $5 and 2 cute pairs of ballet flats for $3 each (and one of them matches the dress PERFECTLY)!!!! I'm going to go online and see if I can add a sweater for myself to my bounty as there were none available in the store. Happy Thanksgiving to me!

19 weeks!

YAY! Almost halfway!
I'm feeling the monkey move so much more now. "She" seems to be developing a pattern: Kick mommy in the morning, kick mommy at night, kick mommy about 20 minutes after she eats, kick mommy when she doesn't drink enough water, and KICK THE FREAKIN' SH!T out of mommy when she has to pee.
All that coke (and no water) I drank yesterday I believe started some Braxton Hicks contractions. After I downed 2 16oz glasses of water they went away, but geez that was scary. I guess monkey didn't like all the squishing because "she" really went nuts. I could feel "her" flipping around and pressing up against the front side of my uterus. Not painful, but pretty uncomfortable.
And then "she" kicked me in the bladder 3 times in rapid sucession. Which made me run for the bathroom. You've really got to stop that while I'm at work, kiddo...the bathroom is to dang far away.
My last progesterone injection is on Monday. I've been reading all about it being used to prevent PTL and I'm guessing (since she never explained) that's why Dr. Prafke wanted me to stay on it until at least 20 weeks. Dr. Lile says I can stop taking it. But I'm afraid to! I mean if there is even a .01% chance it will prevent PTL I don't mind paying $51/month and a weekly stick in the a$$. I'm going to call Monday and ask if I can just stay on it another month or so and if there are any risks I run by doing that. Argh. I hate being so paranoid. Everything has been fine and "she's" a little kicking monster. Maybe I shouldn't worry...but maybe that's all BECAUSE of the progesterone! ::SIGH:: What to do?
And I will leave you with one final picture, from the front...my new and MUCH needed haircut...well trim. So yeah, it doesn't really look any different, but it feels different and it looks so much healthier.

Morning sickness again!?!?!

I woke up this morning feeling my usual "I'm so freaking hungry". But instead of going back to sleep like I usually do I went downstairs and scarffed down some milk and cheese. MISTAKE! I pretty much projectile vomited it back up an hour or so later. And let me tell you, sharp cheddar cheese and milk are the absolute NASTIEST things I have ever regurgitated. I'm feeling better, but still nauseated. And I'm sorry baby monkey, but coca-cola is the only thing helping me keep food in my stomach right now (even if it is only cheeseburgers). I hope you can tolerate all the sugar and caffeine.

Needless to say I won't be eating cheese again for a while. ::shudder::

Monkey kicked Daddy!

I thought Monkey was getting pretty strong. I've been feeling it kick the doppler probe when I'm checking in on it's heartbeat. It was kicking me pretty consistently near my right hip tonight and I wondered if I might be able to feel it if I put my hand there. AND I DID! It felt like a little pulse. I had Justin put his hand there and, sure enough, within a minute he got kicked too! What a special moment. I am just blown away that it came so flippin' early! It's normally around 25 weeks before kicks can be felt from the outside!
Last night I was listening to the heartbeat and it slowed WAY down. Slower than my own heartbeat even! It sped back up about 30 seconds later, but I almost threw up when I heard it slow down like that. Today it was nice and strong. I've heard it's normal for the fetal heart rate to drop or even cease all together for a few seconds...but I'm still calling the doctor first thing tomorrow. Thank GOD I've got a little boxing kangaroo in there giving me some reassurance. I just pray nothing is wrong with it's little heart.

18 weeks!

18 weeks and counting. I really and just so thankful to have made it this far. I'm still nervous as heck that something will go wrong and I still depend on lots of prayer and my handy dandy doppler to get me thru the really rough days. But we certainly have much to be thankful for this year!
The belly is really getting out there. Look how round it looks from the front now! People still don't notice that I'm pregnant though. If it happens to come up when talking to a stranger they always do a double take. What do they just think I'm fat? Seriously people...that's a belly. And not a belly that says I just enjoy a few nightly beers. Sheesh. But at least I'm not getting rude and annoying comments from people like "WOW, are you SURE it's not twins?"
I am still feeling little kicks. Monkey usually has 2 active periods per day on days I work and 1 on days I don't. I notice the strongest kicks at work, when I'm sitting Indian-style in my chair (something I am taking full advantage of while I still can). And then at night while I'm lying on my side with my legs curled up. They totally tickle. I can't get over what a strange sensation it is!
I've been craving sweets lately. Good thing the Greek Festival is this weekend and I have an excuse to indulge! Baklava! MMMMMM.
And since my belly seems to look SO much bigger to me than it does to everyone else...here it is, from my vantage point (notice how there are no feet in this picture):

Naming the Monkey

We've had quite a time picking names for this little monkey. Justin hates everything I love and I hate everything he loves. Today we finally came to an agreement! He gets his wack-a-do name picks as middle names and I get what I want for the first names. Neither of us are TOTALLY happy, but it's a good compromise and one we can both live with. So, drum roll please...

Linkin Keld OR Lila Tredyn

Justin has been an avid participant in the online RPG Everquest since he was a kid. Keld and Tredyn (pronounced Tray-din) are the names of some of his best friends characters. Tredyn sounds like Trade In to me. I asked Justin "What are we trading it in for?". He wasn't amused.
While they are strange, I like that they have some sentimental value to him. And it's not like anyone is ever going to call the kid by it's middle name...I don't even KNOW half of my friends middle names.

AND, of course, I googled them to see if they might have some other meanings to make them a tad less strange. Here is what I found:

Keld:
1) It's actually a Swedish surname! And my grandmother was Swedish. So that makes me happy to have a little piece of my heritage thrown in there. It means "cauldron" in Swedish.
2) It's the name of a hamlet in North Yorkshire, England

Tredyn:
1) The name of a Channel Six staff member from the Supergirl comic books. She was a Southern Belle with blond hair and green eyes...and can you guess who else fits that description? ME! (When I don't dye my hair that is).
2) An ancient city of refuge for the bankrupt in Pembrokeshire, England.
3) A British surname from the 1800s

YAY! Our baby has a name, whatever gender it turns out to be.

Now for some not so great news: I've noticed a little pink spotting today and yesterday. I know it's probably just from the pap smear I had yesterday, but it's still scary and nerve wracking! If it doesn't go away tomorrow I'm calling the Dr.
GO AWAY SPOTTING!!!!

Strike a Pose.

The Monkey was lying transversley with it's feet to my right side (where I was feeling those kicks yesterday!) so we couldn't get any great pictures today. The sonographer took lots of measurements and monkey is measuring exactly on time. It's little foot is 1 inch long! It was also curled up so tight. She said my baby just likes to stay in a little ball with it's knees to it's nose. So cute. Oh, and my placenta is almost exactly where I thought it was. I got the placement right, but the orientation wrong. It's not anterior, it's on the back wall of my uterus. She wasn't able to get a great view of the spine and the Dr. said it was still a little early to get what they needed for an anatomy scan. SO we're going back on December 8th for another try. YAY! But I'll show you some pictures anyway:

See the spine in that 2nd to last one? And how it's just about kneeing it's self in the face? And the face in the last one? How flippin' neato-burrito is that? That's my baby! I'm so in love.

I am totally impressed with Sacred Heart's facilities. They had a big screen TV positioned right in front of the ultrasound exam table so we could see what the sonographer saw w/o having to crane our necks to see her little screen. It was totally the Hilton of ultrasound rooms. Really it was the Hilton of Dr.s offices. They had free Wi-Fi in the waiting room and Justin was able to play games online while we waited (he was happy as a clam, and since the office is inside the hospital we'll deliver at he's excited to be able to play his game while we're there too). He commented "I like this place MUCH better than the other place". I'm just happy to have him entertained in the waiting room. And just like no Hilton establishment would give their guests cheap scratchy bathrobes...this office uses REAL CLOTH hospital gowns and sheets! I just about busted out a happy dance at the news that my modesty would no longer be decimated by too small paper sheets and vests that don't stay closed!!!!!!!! ::Breaks out Happy Dance::

And on top of all that I just adore my new Dr.! He is very informative and EXTREMELY up-beat. His smile never faltered and he made me feel SO comfortable. Very similar to my general practicioner. I am SO SO SO SO SO glad I switched.

The monkey's heartbeat was 133 and I am officially back up to my pre-pregnancy weight! And I am still feeling movement today. It's so cool to know that the pops on the left are fists and the pops on the right are feet...for now anyway.

Lights. Camera. Action!

I am sitting here at work getting kicked from the inside just above my right hip bone! It is such a strange feeling. Like a bag might feel with popping popcorn inside. There's some pressure on that side too. I can't stop giggling. The monkey must be squished by these too tight pants...since it's kick me right in the waist band. LOL. Dance Monkey, DANCE!

I'm also starting to get the compulsion to nest. I actually organized the whole laundry/utility room last night in between loads of laundry. And then I went around and fixed all the towel racks and toilet paper holders that just refuse to stay attached. I'm still feeling the need to organize more, but I'm trying no to over-do it...and lots of what I need to do to accomplish the organization I want required moving objects that exceed my 15 lb limit.

17 weeks

Definitely popping out more now. I feel like the bump looks bigger when I am looking down at it than it does from other peoples viewpoint. Justin agrees. in less than 48 hours we'll get to see the little monkey again. I am SO anxious. For the last few days the heartbeat has seemed faint and erratic. Several friends have said they experienced the same thing and their OBs told them it was perfectly normal even for the baby's heart to stop beating for a few seconds. So that makes me feel a little bit better. But I can't help but be paranoid that something is terribly wrong. Here's to another 48 hours of holding my breath.

Anyone that sees an optometrist might remember the test that evaulates periphreal vision. You look into a machine and stare at the black dot and click a button whenever you see squiggly vibrating lines somewhere on the screen. Well I haven't been able to determine if I'm feeling anymore movement, but I have been feel something similar to the squiggly vibrating areas on this particular eye exam. And sometimes I feel thumping, but not sharp like that first kick, this thumping is more like the bass from a passing car with some punk kid in it, rattling the windows.

I really lucked out this week when my friend Amber called to say she was chucking all her son's baby stuff and to came and take what I wanted. Her son Connor is 4 so I was thinking, I guess I'll take a look, but how much could she really have after 4 years? I was overwhlemingly surprised! Not only did I score a ton of bibs, onsies, toys, lap pads, blankets, burp clothes, and towles; I also got a bouncy chair that vibrates, an infantino baby carrier (in a stylish black and grey print), bath time stuff, a training potty, a diaper genie, and best of all: This awesome little tent that shields baby from sun and sand at the beach! So thanks a million Amber (and Connor) for all the great hand-me-downs. Connor was just adorable while I was pilaging. He kept showing me what he thought I should have and putting it in my pile. Then he insisted on helping me take everything to my car. He is such a sweetheart. I told him he's going to have to give my kid lessons. Okay, this beach tent this is just too cool. I've got to post some pictures:

I'm now in the process of washing all my loot with Dreft. And NO WONDER babies always smell so darn good! This detergent is making my whole house smell like babies. It's great!

Now for the not so great: I'm still having a dificult time eating. Nothing sounds appetizing. But if I don't eat I get sick. It's just no fun having to force food down. I used to get so much pleasure from food. It's really disappointing to have lost the ability to experience that. Especially with Thanksgiving coming up in a few weeks. And my back is aching more and more. But that's all I really have to complain about. All things considered, I'm feeling pretty lucky.

16 weeks!

Another week bites the dust. As does another year. I turned the big 2-5 on Tuesday. It's strange to think that I've been on earth for 1/4 of a century. I guess I'm getting old. Still no more tangible movement from our little monkey. I can hear it wiggling around on the doppler, but I can't feel anything. This weeks has just DRAGGED by. And I imagine next week will be even worse with all this waiting for my next appointment. I am excited to see the baby again, but I'm even MORE excited that Justin is finally excited to see it too. I am STILL down 1.5 pounds. I switched from skim to 2% milk in an attempt to bulk up a bit, but I'm still not gaining. And I suspect that what I have gained back is all baby, uterus, and fluids because my butt has definitely shrunk.

I'm still waiting for the lauded second trimester energy to kick in. I'm still pretty tired and run down. I'm not sleeping very well though. My hips, neck, and shoulder are not too happy about me not being able to sleep on my back. I am up before the sun every morning, absolutely famished. I about ready to get a mini fridge to keep next to the bed so I can have a glass of milk without traipsing all the way down stairs. I'm also having nightmares. This morning I heard a loud and menacing growl that startled me awake. I made Justin get up and check outside to make sure there were no monsters on our balcony. The sound must have been in my dream...scary!
Now lets talk food. I still don't like the sound of most things and stick mostly to dairy and carbs to fill my tummy. I am loving citrus fruits (oranges, satsumas, and clementines) and apples with peanut butter. And then there are times I have these out of the blue cravings. Some of them have included mom's candied carrots (which I have had in probably 10 years), chicken terriyaki (from the place in the mall of course), guacamole, mom's spinach artichoke dip, hot dogs, and borscht. And then sometimes I really want something so badly I'm drooling over it then I get it and take a bite and can barely choke it down. Other times I think "hmm...I'm not sure I can eat that" and end up wolfing the whole thing down after the first tentative bite.
When I get too hungry I dry-heave like mad, so I try to eat every hour or so to stay ahead of the hunger...but that means I can only eat about a handful of food at one time. Which totally blows. I spend all my time eating and sleeping. I can't go out without eating first and taking snacks or planning to stop and get food. And I can't finish whole meals so a lot of the microwave meals I take to work are wasted.
This growing a human thing is some hard work.
Le Sigh. I am so ready for bed right now.

KICK!!!!

I totally just felt a kick (or punch maybe). I'm lying here unable to sleep and I felt it. Just one. But it was unmistakeable. And sharp. Like someone flicked me from the inside about 2 inches below my belly button. SO cool and strange.

15 weeks

Alright! Another week down. I DEFINITELY heard baby kick the doppler probe today. It was ALL over the place. I had to chase the heartbeat down a record 5 times. And once as it moved away, I heard a loud "THUMP. THUMP." as if someone had flicked the end of the transducer. But I couldn't feel it. =(
Hopefully it's a sign that feeling movement is just around the corner. We get another ultrasound 2 weeks from Monday. I'm really excited to see what's going on in there.

Justin and I went to Toys R Us the other day to check out some baby gear. Mainly travel systems. I was torn between the Graco and the Chicco Cortina. I love the parent features on the Graco (like the great big basket underneath) and the car seat that's rated to 30lbs. But the Chicco is a better stroller and it's so stylish looking (I am SO not into babyish prints). Justin decided he like the Chicco better. He made some really good points about it. The Chicco is significantly lighter than the Graco, which I am sure to appreciate when I'm trying to lift it one handed into the trunk. It also has a little bit smoother ride.
By the time I'd decided that I agreed with his choice he was so bored he was lounging on the floor in the middle of the aisle. I asked if he wanted to go with me this weekend to register for more stuff and even offered him full control of the scanner gun. He said "no way". I think I might have the only husband who isn't totally excited to pretend to be a gunslinger in the aisle's of the baby depertment. That's ok though, I prefer to shop alone and if I need his input on something I will just take him back later.

In other news I am turning 25 on Tuesday. I'm 1/4 of a century old. I'm just baffled at how I got here SO fast.

New Developments

In the last couple of days I've experienced 2 of the typical pregnant gal experiences:

1) Saturday I was walking thru the grocery store and spotted gallons of sweet tea. I know it is SO un-southern of me, but I've never really liked sweet tea. But in that instance, I all of the sudden HAD TO HAVE IT. It took all my will power not to pop open the gallon and drink it in the car on the way home. By the time I poured myself a glass I was positively drooling I was craving it so badly. I guzzled it down like someone dying of thirst. I have to admit, that moment has made my list of all time best moments of my life.
2) My belly is starting to itch. I feel like a disgusting trucker scratching my belly, that looks more like a beer belly than a baby bump at this point. It's so embarassing.

I'm also begining to feel more ambiguous about the baby's gender (No, we're still not finding out). At first I was sure it was a girl. Now I am starting to feel like it's a boy. I can't say I'll be disappointed with either. I want both equally, each for different reasons. I want a boy for practical reasons. Money is tight and, let's face it, baby boy stuff is nowhere near as cute as baby girl stuff. BUT that's good for us right now. I'm a recovering shopaholic and it will be so much easier to stay on the wagon without being tempted by all the iresistable baby girl stuff that is just totally unnecessary. At the same time, what woman could say they wouldn't just DIE to have a baby girl to shop for and dress up in the most adorable outfits ever made?
SO. For now, I would really like a boy. And next time, when we're hopefully more settled into life and financially stable, when I can shop with wreckless abandon and really enjoy it, I want a girl.

And that's the scoop. Have a great day!

Cloth Diapering

Justin and I have, in an effort to save $$$ decided to try cloth diapers. I know what you're thinking...but cloth diapers have come a LOOOOOOONG way from the giant safety pins and hideous plastic covers our mom's used. They are really adorable, pretty much self contained and just as easy to use as disposables. I've done a ton of research and asked countless mom's that are using them and have decided to go with the BumGenius 3.0. Here's a picture:I am just in awe of the craftsmanship. They have adjustable snaps that convert them to different sizes so that one stash of diapers will last you from 7 lbs infant thru potty training! Mom's that use them say that they are just wonderful. They leak less and don't cause diaper rash. And they are really just so cute, and SOFT!
How they work: You choose the size that best fits your kiddo and adjust the snaps to fit. Then you insert the liner, a thick absorbent pad that goes in between the inner and outer layer of the diaper (if you have a heavy wetter you can double the pads for more absorbency). When you change them you just pull out the liner and drop it and the diaper into the pail (any solids you just knock off into the potty and flush). ALL of that then goes right into the washing machine! I have heard they hold up best if you line dry the covers and machine dry the liners.
They cost about $18 for each diaper. So yes, the initial start up cost is hefty. But in the long run, on average, the savings add up to about $2500 over the total time your child is in diapers. And that's just one child, don't forget you can use them for baby #2 as well! Not to even mention how much better they are for the environment than disposables. And then there is the added bonus of not having to run to the store b/c you've run out of diapers.
It is a little more work, and a little more icky and I'm not 100% certain it's going to work out for us. But we're definitely going to give it a shot. I'm thinking we'll start with a just few BG 3.0 and see how we like them and slowly build our stash while supplementing with disposables...unless we just LOVE them to death and decide to go ahead and buy a bunch at once. And I am sure we will still have occasion to use disposables because of their convenience.
So far though I am really excited about them and I hope and pray they work out for us. I'm glad that Justin is on board, and I am very surprised at how little it took to convince him.
But what I am MOST thrilled about today...I FOUND THEM AT TARGET!!!! I've only seen them online until now. Being able to touch them and see for myself just how they work really got me pumped to use them.

Registry must haves from Crazy.

* Boppy! I used this thing for everything. A pillow for me & dh in the hospital. A pillow for dd in the hospital. Breastfeeding.
* Car seat (obviously)
* Swing. We got the bouncy seat/swing combo from graco. Couldn't live without it. I take the seat off & sit here everywhere I am when I need to do things like shower or pee.
* Diaper pail. I tried to go without one the 1st week & it was such a PITA! We got the diaper dekor.
* Hamper. Same reason as above.
* Pump
* Cloth diapers for burp cloths (more economical)
* Towels & washcloths like they're going out of style for sponge baths, regular baths & face washes
* Sleep positioner. We got the incline one from BRU. We use it in her carriage, crib, couch, our bed, etc. We propped it up when she was on her back, it keeps her on her side (preferred sleeping position), kept her in place (she scoots) on her belly. We also use it to make sure the transition is smooth when she goes from one thing to the other to sleep. it's her one constant.
* Diaper caddy. We are able to keep it in our room at night for night time changes, bring it all over the house for changes anywhere, Sometimes you just don't wanna move them when they've had a blow out.
* Bathtub with a sling.
* A paci. Just have it on hand if your bfing because they start to use your boobs as one & that gets uncomfy. Even if you don't plan to introduce it right away, at 3am you may change your mind. I did and had to send dh to the 24 hr rite aid for one.
* We ordered a pnp, but haven't used it yet. We will when we go to the beach next year or in the yard.
* A baby monitor. We got the sony babycall.
* A bottle & some formula. just in case you have to supplement or you're about to rip your hair out of your head and have nothing pumped (if you're bfing) and dh needs to take over a feeding.
* Saline, gas drops, gripe water, mylanta w/gas stuff. We use it ALL the time.
* Hats, mittens, receiving blankets (not to many I only use about 5-6. not the 14 we got), warm blanket
* Car seat cover. JJ Bundle Me voids any warranty on the car seat and prevents the car seat from working properly to protect your child during a car accident.
* Newborn Onesies (long sleeve if you're in a cold climate). Even if you don't think you'll need them for long. Baby will appreciate having something where the neck fits. You'll appreciate baby being warm.
* Long sleeve "kimono" undershirts (newborn) until the cord falls off.
* Sleepers. Easy on & easy off for pedi appts, diaper changes, bathsm etc.

14 Weeks

Ya-hoo! 14 weeks!
I'm still feeling pretty good (with the exception of heartburn). There is the odd moment now and then when I gag all of the sudden. Usually when I brush my teeth or see or smell something disgusting. I'm still craving oranges and now garlic stuffed green olives. But the olives give me heartburn. =(
I'm anxious to start feeling some movement. It could be any day now...
I've decided on a new OB/GYN and I think I'm going to be in good hands. I'm a little uncomfortable going to a man, but I guess I'll get over it. I have always heard that men make better OBs, but I've always only seen women. No matter. It's only a few minutes every couple of weeks. And it's not like it's anything new to him, right?
This new office does an ultrasound on new OB patients just to date the pregnancy. So we've got one on Monday, November 10th. I'll be 17 weeks. They should be able to tell the gender by then, but we've decided not to find out. I know, I know. You all want to know what it is. But you'll just have to wait until the birthday to find out. We want to be surprised!

OOO...And all of the sudden I want french toast...

2nd Trimester!

Holy cow. I have to say can't even believe I made it this far. Still nervous, but the odds have jumped significantly in our favor. Whew. Praise God.

I think I've decided that I don't want to know the baby's gender. Justin wants to know, but I want to be surprised. I want everyone to be surprised. I was a surprise. Katie was too. And it will prevent me from spending insane amounts of money on adorable baby clothes that will only fit for a few months.

Just incase anyone wants to get a head start on helping us prepare for this little one, I've added a gadget to the right with links to my registries. Wow! I'm having a baby!

13 Weeks

Let me start this off with an ultrasound photo from last week. Here is my little 12 week old baby. Ultrasounds are going to be much less frequent from here on out (unless there are problems, God forbid). This baby is so active. It is all over the place when I try to listen to the heartbeat. Last night Kari, Erin, and Jamie wanted to listen so I broke out the doppler (which totally made Erin cry). Baby just kept swimming away from it...maybe it's uncomfortable having the transducer pressed into it's personal space and is just moving to accommodate the change. Who knows? I'm just glad it's moving! And now for the 13 week belly:
I look totally scrubby in these pictures. But I don't care. I'm too lazy to take more right now. The belly looks a little bigger than last week. I can't wait for it to get even bigger so I actually look pregnant and not just like I drink too much beer. LOL. Justin is totally loving the belly. It makes it so much more real for him I think. I'm excited for Halloween in a few weeks. Jamie and Erin are throwing a party at their house and I am going as a Treasure Troll. So a propos, as I had a huge collection back in the 90's when they were popular. Justin has promised to stick my hair straight up for me with wood glue and spray it purple. Apparently he's a pro at styling liberty spikes and is sure he can get my hair to stand on end. I'm going to fashion some kind of jewel to put on my belly and make a giant comb out of cardboard and paint it pink. I can't wait. HOPEFULLY my belly will expand a little bit more between now and then.
I have yet to feel anymore bubbles or pops, so I'm guessing it was just gas that I felt a few weeks ago.
I am SO happy to be able to EAT again. Now that I can I am starting to have cravings for oranges, apples with peanut butter, guacamole, tuna sandwiches, and yellow cake cupcakes with dark chocolate icing. I'm still noticing a little bit of morning sickness, it helps if I eat some bread before getting out of bed. And in the evening I have MAJOR heartburn. And it gets a lot worse if I forget to take my Prevacid.
Really no major complaints now that I am off the hell-caps. I'm noticing that I'm sneezing a lot, but it doesn't seem to be related to anything. And if I am on my feet too long I get a back ache, so I try to rest as much as I can. I'm loving naps right now. It takes me a while to fall asleep, but having an hour or so of extra rest it heaven.
Justin is SO SICK right now. I'm sleeping on the couch to try and avoid getting sick myself. That's not so pleasant, but another bout of vomiting and dehydration would be worse. So baby and I are camping out in the living room. And actually, being out of my bedroom is a nice change of scenery. I'm really lucky we have such a comfy couch...but it's still a couch. And I can tell by my lion's yawns that it's time to get myself to bed (well couch). I've got another injection at 8am. I was hoping Justin could go with me for a quick lesson so that he could start shooting me up in the evenings. But I don't think he's going to make it. He has some experience administering intra-muscular injections, but I'd feel better if he did a practice round in front of a nurse first. Maybe next week.
And before I go, there is a new feature on the blog. To the right there you will notice a link to my baby names list. We have already decided on a boy name and Justin (after some heavy coercion)has agreed to pick a girl name from my list of likes. So this is my list of names that I like, in no particular order. So if you care to have a vote, make your selections! And feel free to leave comments on the blog about which names you like for either first or middle names.

Au revoir for now mes cheries! And next time I post I will OFFICIALLY be in the 2nd Trimester! ::tears of joy::