One month old!

Kate turned one month on the 18th and she couldn't be more phenomenal! She is growing so fast and already weighs 10lbs. 9oz. as of the 19th! Big girl! She is starting to sleep for longer stretches at night which is pretty much amazing... last night she slept from about 10pm until almost 4am! That is six hours of sleepy bliss for me. I actually ended up having to unwrap her swaddle to get her to start waking up because I needed to feed her... I was in some pain from going so long without feeding her.

After I fed her last night, it was about 4:30am and I just didn't want to put her down. She was all cuddled up on my chest, sound asleep, and my brain started going. I realized how blessed I am. With my daughter on my chest and my husband asleep next to me, I felt like everything was right with the world. What a wonderful little family I have! I got a little choked up... I'll admit it. Eventually I put her back down and she slept for another 4 hours... amazing!

The first month has been such a period of learning. Nursing is finally something I can enjoy- instead of crying and hating every minute of it. I thought women were liars when they said "it gets better," but it really does. I never knew how many diapers a newborn baby could go through. Holy crap! No pun intended... Seriously, I change her wet pants before I feed her, then she poops in the clean diaper, then I change her again and it isn't long before we hear her let loose again. I read, while I was pregnant, that a breastfed baby should have a dirty diaper for every feeding... but I guess I just didn't realize how often that was. Dang! Supposedly she will start pooping less now that she is one month old. We'll see!

She has started smiling and it is the best thing in the world! She only does it in response to seeing someone else smile right now... I guess that is how their brains work, but it is amazing! She is going to be such a charmer. Look out, Daddy! The other night she giggled in her sleep and I just about melted into a puddle of goo right there. It was the cutest thing ever!

Matt is probably the greatest dad in the world. For real. He adores her so much and it makes my heart all fuzzy and warm. I really value that, since my dad wasn't around for me. I have a whole new love and respect for Matt that I can't really explain... there is nothing like seeing your husband become a dad.

I am so excited for Christmas- our first Christmas as a family of three! This little girl is going to be SO spoiled... I can already tell. It is so special to my mom and my grandpa, too, to have a new little one at Christmas time. Especially for my grandpa, since with all the scares we've had with his health, we never knew if he'd get to see this day. He tells me everytime he holds her how happy he is that he got to be here to see her. It is so special to me, too. I hope she will know how much he adores her.

Ok, now that I have made myself cry, I will use the rest of this time that she is sleeping to eat some breakfast and pick up around the house. Many more stories to come!

2 1/2 Weeks Later...

I can't believe we have had our baby girl for almost 3 weeks now! Things are going well- learning more everyday and things are getting easier! It is amazing how our bodies can adapt to living on so little sleep! Last night she went for a 4-hour stretch of sleep! Woohoo! You know you're a new parent when you're excited to sleep for only 4 hours, as opposed to 1 1/2 - 2 hours!

She is already changing so much and losing that 'newborn' look, at least I think so! She is starting to look like a "baby" instead of a "newborn", if that makes sense!

Here is a fun little creation I made of a few of her pictures:

Make a scrapbook!

Miss Thanksgiving? No way, Jose!

Why wait until Thanksgiving? Kathryn decided she would want to take advantage of all the cuddles she could get at a family gathering on Turkey Day, so she made her appearance before our scheduled induction. Here, you will find the "play-by-play"!

On Saturday, the 17th, Matt and I decided to make a regular old day out of it so that I wouldn't be sitting around and pouting about still being pregnant. We slept in, then went to Crystal Cove, one of our favorite places, for some lunch. We ate at the snack shack, then went down and walked on the beach for a little bit. Matt didn't want to go too far down the beach, just in case I were to go into labor... I kind of giggled to myself that that certainly wouldn't be happening, but agreed with him. I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions all day, but nothing painful to be excited about.

After that, we headed home to hang out until 4:30 when we were going to go to a local church to see what all the fuss is about with their Saturday night service. We came home, turned on the TV and were hanging out on the couch... I promptly drifted into a little nap. I woke up around 3:30pm to some painful contractions. It was kind of like period cramps. "Hmm," I thought. I got up, freshened up and we went over to the church service (which wasn't what we imagined it to be, by the way). I had a couple of contractions during the service and it was more difficult to stand up, sit down and walk... I just felt heavier.

Came home, ate some dinner and parked it on the couch. By 6:30pm I was starting to feel the contractions irregularly... pretty far apart, not very long, but definitely there. Around 8pm I was really restless and wanted to get out and go to the grocery store, but Matt thought it might not be a good idea. I huffed and puffed that I wasn't in labor and it was no big deal, but ended up deciding he was probably right and I should chill out... just to be on the safe side.

We went to bed around 11:00pm... by 11:30 the contractions had started becoming very regular. We got out a pen and paper and started timing. About 5 minutes apart each time, usually close to 1 minute long and getting progressively more painful... oh crap! I remembered the "5-1-1" rule: call your doctor when your contractions are 5 minutes apart, 1 minute in length, for a period of 1 hour... you may be in labor! So we timed for over an hour, then called the doctor. It was about 1:00am at this point. Doctor said to time for another 30 minutes and if they were still regular to head to the hospital.

30 minutes later, we were on our way to Hoag! The car ride was surreal... there were so few cars on the 405 and it was a little foggy and I couldn't believe we were doing this! We checked in to the Labor & Delivery floor a little after 2:00am on Sunday, the 18th. They put me in a room, checked me out and basically said I was definitely having contractions, but wasn't dilated at all. They had us walk around the L&D ward for 30 minutes to see if that would move things along, and sure enough next time they checked I had begun to dilate... we wouldn't be leaving that hospital without a baby now!

They put in the IV which was maybe one of the worst parts about the whole experience! It hurt SO bad! I don't recall ever loudly exclaiming, "OWW!" when getting an IV, but dang! I sure did this time! I didn't watch, but when I looked at Matt he had gone white and had to sit down. After she got it in and "cleaned me up" I looked and my fingernails all had blood under them. Matt later told me that blood shot on the floor and it had been a pretty big mess. What the heck!?

They had me walk a little bit later for another 30 minutes and this time I had to stop several times because the contractions were getting intense. Matt was so great the whole time... right by my side. After we got back in the room and checked me again, they decided to give me Pitocin to get the contractions going better and get the process really moving. They hooked me up to the Pitocin around 6:00am and a doctor came in and broke my water (what a sick feeling, by the way... to feel the flood gates open- so glad that didn't happen in public somewhere). At 7:00am we made a few phone calls to let people know I was having the baby sometime that day. Contractions were pretty strong at this point and I couldn't really rest. I don't remember much from that point... just being checked on a lot and concentrating on breathing through the contractions. They told me to let them know when I needed the pain meds (which I had already told them I would want eventually- bring on the epidural), but I was trying to put it off for a while.

By about 9:45am I was shaking with every contraction, sweating and in notable pain. Matt's mom and dad showed up somewhere before then... then went down for some breakfast in the cafe. Matt's brother, Ryan, arrived just in time to see me start to sweat profusely then proceed to toss my cookies into one of those pink, kidney shaped dishes. Sorry, Ryan. And sorry, Matt! He was awesome- holding my hand, cleaning me up... I was just embarrassed that I had just puked in front of him and his brother. Matt called my mom and told her to head down... I think he could tell I needed my mommy!

The nurse came in and said the anesthesiologist would be going in for a c-section soon and would be unavailable for an hour, so if I wanted the epidural I could get it now or wait an hour. GIVE IT TO ME NOW!!! Getting the epi was not bad at all... the worst part was just trying to keep still through a contraction (by this point I was shaking violently through them and writhing in pain) so she could place it. The nurse, Mary (who was amazing, by the way), held me and helped me get through them while I got the epi. It was cake... so NOT painful at all. I highly recommend epi's to all laboring women- they are a gift from God!

Once that was done, Matt's mom, dad and brother came back and we visited for a bit. My mom and grandpa arrived and we visited too. They all got some lunch downstairs while Matt and I napped... it had already been a long night/day. We got a nice nap before they returned.

The nurse kept checking the baby's heartrate and began to get concerned that her heartrate dropped sharply with each contraction. They stopped the Pitocin and monitored her... the nurse gave me the news that if this continued much longer, I would be getting a c-section. I can't remember the whole conversation, but it had something to do with being a week overdue and sometimes the placenta isn't functioning as highly as it needs to for the baby. Everything worked itself out, though, eventually, and we were in the clear for now and they turned the Pitocin back on.

Around 4:45pm I could start feeling the contractions in my belly slighty. I told the nurse and she checked me- she said we would start pushing probably around 5:30ish. I must've looked like a deer in headlights, because she said, "It's ok! This is a good thing! Yay!" and tried to comfort me... I was super nervous now. Really?! I'm going to have to push this thing out, now?! I'm scared!!!!

I started needing to push just before 5:30. The nurse came in and she and Matt got me started. Three hard pushes with each contraction for a count of 10. I will take this moment to state that Matt is the most wonderful, phenominal man in the entire world. We went into this thing thinking he could just sit up by my head and not have to see anything... we were both content with that. But it didn't really work out that way. He became my full on birth coach, counting, telling me how great I was doing... and he saw a lot more than he had bargained for. A lot more. Pretty much everything. And it totally didn't phase him. He was so encouraging and wonderful... I can honestly say I don't know if I could have done it without him.

So... I pushed. And pushed. And pushed some more. The nurse was practically yelling, "YOU'RE DOING GREAT! She's right there! Push HARDER! Push HARDER!" I wanted to rip her face off a couple of times and I felt with every push like my face was going to explode. I know I threw up again at some point, but it was the least of my concerns at that point. The doctor, Dr. Hsu, came in (my doctor was not on call that day, so she wasn't able to deliver me, but Dr. Hsu was the sweetest, gentlest woman... I'm so grateful that it could be her if it couldn't be Dr. Grouse) and I knew we were moments away from meeting our little girl. I did end up needing an episiotomy (if you don't know what that is, then be thankful) and almost right after she did that, I gave it a few more pushes and Kathryn Elizabeth Conrad made her debut appearance at 6:27pm!!! I heard Matt say, "Oh my gosh..." in an awestruck voice (I think it was awestruck, but it could have been more of a grossed out reaction to the madness that had just gone down).

Kathryn started crying immediately and they put her on my belly. I have never felt an emotion like I felt at that moment. I was so struck by love and amazement at this little, crying bundle squirming around on my belly... she was incredible. I couldn't get it together- I just cried and cried. They let Matt cut the cord then took her over to the warmer to weigh her, clean her up and suction the goo from her nose and mouth. The nurses kept saying how beautifully pink she was and sounded genuinely impressed at how cute she was already. The nurse, Mary, kept gushing about how beautiful she was. I was proud :) I couldn't have cared less about being stitched up and all that at that point... the massaging part hurt a bit, but I was so focused on watching Kathryn and watching Matt watch her. It was so amazing.




I could hear the whole gang outside the door waiting to come in and meet her- all our friends and family. After they stitched me up and got everything cleaned up, Matt and I spent some time just with her. We knew everyone was waiting to meet her, but we needed some time. Not too much later, we opened the door and let everyone in. My mom and Matt's mom came in first... my mom was so overtaken with emotion. I'll always remember the look on her face. Then came my grandpa (beaming from ear to ear), Matt's dad, Ryan & Beth, Chris, Summer and Chris Baldwin. I was so proud at that moment and so filled with joy and love and thankfulness that so many people care about us and love us. Kat got passed around and eventually it was time for everyone to head out. It flew by.


They moved us up to the Mother-Baby floor around 9:00pm and Scott and Andrew were there waiting to meet Kathryn. We visited for a while and they oohed-and-awwed at how cute she was...


then they left and it was just us. Our family of three.

Recovery has been fairly easy... I'm a little sore, but nothing unusual. Kat is such a good baby, and I am amazed every time I look at her. Breastfeeding is hard- really hard! I never knew how much work it is, but I know it is what is best for her. We're learning together. The nights have been pretty long- last night was better and I know it only gets better from here. Matt is the best daddy ever. He is so patient and gentle with her and is so good to me right now. I can't imagine how hard it would have been to come home, only to have him go to work everyday and leave me with her alone. This first few days home has been a learning experience, but so wonderful. She is such a great addition to our family.





So today is Thanksgiving. The day of our original scheduled induction. Kathryn is in her swing, Matt is sleeping in (he deserves every minute of it) and I am here, counting all the things I have to be thankful for on this national day of Thanks. I can't even begin to count my blessings, as there are so many. I can't wait to head down to Matt's parent's house in a few hours, where my mom and grandpa will join us, for our first holiday with our daughter. We have so much to be thankful for.

My cup runneth over!!!

Could it be possible...

...to sneeze this baby out? Seriously... I have sneezed at least 20 times this morning. Maybe that will get things moving. Pray that I can sneeze myself into contractions!

The Final Countdown

Well... I made it to the OB appointment I was hoping to not make it to. Dr. Grouse checked me out and I am still not dilated and nothing is changing. She wasn't comfortable scheduling me for an induction this weekend, since my cervix (sorry- had to use that word) isn't ready so we had to go into next week. They couldn't get me in before the holiday, so it looks like I will be having a baby on Thanksgiving Day. I can't believe it. People have joked with me that I might be eating Thanksgiving dinner in the hospital, but I always scoffed and said, No way! I was sure- SURE!- that I'd have my baby before that. I think I fated myself for this! As we left the Dr.'s office, she said, "Now that we have that scheduled, you'll probably go into labor on your own!"

Good Lord... I hope she is right. I really hope. A lot.

Monday I go in to the hospital for a Non-Stress test (NST). They will hook me up to a fetal heart rate monitor and give me an ultrasound to make sure the baby is still happy and healthy and that my amniotic fluid levels are still normal. Assuming everything is normal, we will proceed with life as normal... if anything is wrong, I'll be induced that day.

I imagine everything will be fine (no reason to think otherwise), so that brings us to Wednesday. I'm scheduled to go in at 2:00pm to have Prostaglandin gel put in place. I'll be vague about that one... but basically it gets things prepared. Then I go home and rest up in preparation for Thursday.

Thursday: Thanksgiving Day. I'm on the schedule to be at Hoag at 6:00am. Now, I have to call ahead and see if they have room for me... if they are very busy, I could be pushed back to later in the day. Great. So at some point on Thursday, I go to Hoag, get settled in and they pump me full of Pitocin (oxytocin) to start contractions and get labor going. Inductions usually take hours... so I am guessing Kat will be born that night.

I managed to hold it together in the doctor's office yesterday, but once we were out and the elevator hit the first floor, I couldn't hold back the tears anymore. I'm so overwhelmed, tired, sore, and generally OVER being pregnant... I couldn't believe we would have to be waiting another full week. I can't sleep, my back hurts, I'm all swollen... and then... Thanksgiving Day?! Really?!! That means every plan that had been laid for the family as far as Thanksgiving goes was all messed up. I lost it... cried a lot (poor Matt)... then had a raging headache for the following 12 hours due to my stuffed up, tear and snot filled sinuses. Sweet.

Someone told me today, "Perhaps you just need to relax and not think about it. That is when it will happen." Ohhhhhhh- that is it! I will just stop thinking about it. That is super easy. Right.

So today after I get home, I am going to take a good, long walk and then maybe work on Kat's scrapbook. I've been begging God to let me go into labor this weekend, but I know his will is bigger (and better) than mine, so we will see. The thought of showing up at church on Sunday makes me even more emotional... I am haunted by the knowledge that I will be bombarded by everyone with such classic comments as:
"You're still here?!"
"When is that baby coming out, already?"
"What are you doing here?!"
And the ever popular, "Are you still pregnant?!" I don't know if I can handle it. I've been toying for hours over how I can successfully get in and out of church without being seen or noticed. I've never felt that way before. I can barely bring myself to answer my cell phone anymore, knowing it will be a baby status inquiry. Don't get me wrong- I love that people care and am blessed to have so many people thinking of us... it is just that I am asking "When will she be here?" every moment of everyday now and it is so emotionally draining to explain 6 times a day that no, she isn't here yet.

At least I know there is an end in sight... even though it is a full week away. She will be here soon and I will be tired in a whole new way. Right now I am just exhausted and discouraged, but all will be well soon.

We still don't have a baby!

I know that no one has ever been pregnant forever, but there is a first for everything, isn't there? I think it might be me. Nothing is happening. The ladies in the office say that she has definitely dropped, and I would tend to agree since I can feel her much lower now, but other than that... nothing. No contractions. No 'visible signs' that I will spare you the details of. Eh.

So November 11th, my due date, came and went without excitement. If I had a quarter for every person at church on Sunday morning that said something to the effect of, "You're still here?!" then I would have had a free lunch, for sure. Yep. Still here. Still pregnant. Ready to do this. I was able to attend the LCGS 50th anniversary party that night, which was fun. I felt some funny twinges by the time we got home, but by Monday morning they had passed. I get these 'twinges' mostly in the evening... maybe that is when she is lowest from all my happenings of the day, I don't know, but I certainly hope it means something! And now the 12th has passed. Today is the 13th and I don't feel different than any other day besides being more irritable and tired. I took a Tylenol PM last night, which was glorious, since I only slept maybe 4 hours total on Sunday night.

We have an appointment with my OB scheduled for this Thursday, the 15th. She said if nothing is happening by then that we will talk about "picking a birthday" (also known as inducing labor). I was really hoping that we wouldn't make it to that point, but it isn't looking hopeful. I really want Kathryn to be here by this weekend. Really. A lot. We're edging closer and closer to Thanksgiving and I was really looking forward to turkey, stuffing and pie... so if I am in the hospital I am going to be so crabby!

The wait continues... I hope that the next post I make is to announce that Kat is here with stats and pictures and all. Cross your fingers for us!!!!

2 days to go? Maybe...

My actual due date is only 2 days away. I have a feeling I am going to be saying Hello and Goodbye to November 11th without Kathryn making her debut. At the doctor's yesterday I was only "fingertip dilated" (meaning, pretty much nothing) and had no other signs of impending labor. I wasn't surprised... maybe a little disappointed, but not surprised.

Everyone keeps saying, "Oh, but you never know... you could go any minute! When I was pregnant... blah blah blah." So I've heard stories of women delivering early, delivering late and delivering right on their due date. What will my story be? Can't say... but my guess is late. My mom was due on October 9th and I was born the 12th, so I am taking that into consideration.

So at 39 weeks and 5 days pregnant, one's body is in a constant state of crappiness. Granted, I feel pretty good compared to some people I have talked to... I have had a lucky pregnancy. However, there are still some weird, bizarre things I am feeling that I never knew one could feel.
- Pardon the use of medical terminology here, but I've never actually been aware of my cervix until I was about 33 weeks pregnant. It has always just existed without me thinking about it. But holy moly. The first time I was bumped there by this baby, I knew it immediately. I can't compare it to anything I've ever felt, but it is startling. It stops you in your tracks... lets just say that. I was making dinner one night when it happened and let out an, "OOF!" I wasn't quite sure how to explain to Matt, with a puzzled look on his face, that I now knew precisely where my cervix was. Hmm.
- The same goes for being karate chopped from the inside on my rib cage and pelvis. Well, anatomically, I guess I'm being chopped in the pelvis and kicked in the ribs... as long as she remains vertex (the fancy word for "head down"). I've heard pregnant women talk about it. My own mother recalls very vividly- not exactly fondly- all the power kicks she received to the ribs. But I could never even imagine what it felt like until it happened. And DANG... it is bizarre. Alien-ish almost. What are you doing in there, baby?!
- As of about 36 weeks, I've been experiencing a phenomenon that makes me giggle at inappropriate times... my belly has corners! As she has started running out of room in there, there is pretty much always some kind of body part sticking out, creating a strange shape- an elbow here, a foot there... even her little butt creating an odd bulge right under my rib cage! Belly with corners... love it. Now at almost 40 weeks, the belly is never "round". To quote Mike Rowe, from Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel, "It is some kind of rhombus..."

So those are all the funny things... well, not really all of them, but I have used the word "cervix" enough times in this post that I will spare you from other strange details.

On Sunday, my due date, I will be sending Kathryn an eviction notice, so I hope she takes that to heart. Perhaps she has not received the memo that it is cool to come out any time now, so I will give her some slack. I'd rather not have to wait another full week, only to be pumped full of oxytocin to get labor started... come on out, Kat! Everyone is eager to meet you! And mommy wants bladder control back! Thanks so much!

Atta girl, Kat!

Okay... so, I guess she was just playing games with us last week. We went in for my 38 week appointment today and talked about the possibilities for a breech baby- external cephalic version (turning the baby around from the outside) was an option, but it sounds risky, painful and not necessarily effective, so we decided we would just opt for a scheduled c-section.

She then did the normal check-ups... actually, she let Matt use the doppler to listen to the baby's heartbeat- he was a pro and found it right away :) Then she did the internal and said I am not dilated or anything, but said she could feel "something". I told her that I had felt some crazy movement on Friday night and that it felt like she was back in the same position she had always been. So, she felt around my belly then decided we should get another ultrasound to see if she had flipped back to vertex (head down).

Off to the hospital... we got our ultrasound. The technician asked what we thought before she did the u/s... I said I thought she was vertex; Matt said she'd still be breech- just to make it interesting. Well... I was RIGHT! I knew she had done it! Then we got to check out her heart and her little face for a while- the tech thinks she has my lips... who knows.

So- we have 10 days until the due date. No signs of impending labor, but I guess you never know. Dr. Grouse won't let me go too far past the 11th, so hopefully she'll be here within the next 14 days. Hopefully. I can't wait!

As of now, I am excited, horrified, worried, thrilled and pretty much everything in between. It feels fairly unreal that I am going to go through labor and delivery in the next couple of weeks and will soon be a mom. Maybe it will be real when it all happens- maybe not. Who knows... all I know is that I am ready to meet this little girl and love the heck out of her! Hooray!

Kathryn is SO grounded!

Well, yesterday's OB appointment was not what I was expecting at all. I went in and everything was fine- no weight gain, good blood pressure, strong fetal heartbeat. Then she did my internal exam to see if I had dilated or made any progress. The words I didn't want to hear escaped her mouth, "Hmm... where did her head go?"

I'm sorry- what, did you just say?

She was head down just last week and the doctor knew right where she was. She said that most likely she was still head down, but they wanted to do an ultrasound just to be sure of her positioning since we're closing in on the end of this pregnancy. So I was sent to Hoag hospital, Matt in tow, to look at our little one. She started the ultrasound down low and I thought, "Oh crap... that looks like a butt." As she moved up toward my rib cage, I see a large sphere and finally said to the technician, "That is her head, isn't it?" She said, "Yeah... probably not what you wanted to hear, huh?" No. Not really.

So at 37 weeks and 4 days pregnant, we have a breech baby on our hands. Kathryn is in so much trouble. Seriously. What baby does that this close to their delivery date?! Only my stubborn daughter. So what now?

I haven't spoken with the doctor yet, and it sounds like I just sit and wait until my next appointment with her in a week. Then I guess she will check to see if Kat is still breech or if she decided to turn again... if not, I guess we could be looking at scheduling a c-section. Lame! I'm not a fan of the thought of surgery, but I guess it is what it is... whatever is best for her.

But seriously, Kat, take note- you have been warned. You'll be grounded until you're 15 if you don't bust a 180 pretty soon.

Doctor, doctor!

So I am officially seeing my doctor every week now until Kat makes her appearance into the world. I'm not a huge fan of going up to Irvine every week before work, but it is admittedly kind of an exciting time. Every week I will go in with the hope that some progress will be made and she will tell me that delivery is imminent! Not today, though. No progress, no changes and baby has only dropped a little bit... she still has some descending to do. It feels like she has dropped significantly- I can actually get air in my lungs now- but I expect to see some changes in the next couple of weeks.

So we're 24 days away from our EDD (estimated delivery date). For some reason I still feel like she might come earlier than planned, but I don't know. That is probably just wishful thinking.

The Pumpkin Patch here at church is in full force and here I am: Day 4 and I already hate pumpkins again. I'm exhausted and really don't want to look at them anymore. Someone came and smashed two of them last night... and stole a big one. Nice. Why people feel like they have to do that- especially at a church- is beyond me.

This morning I had a lovely case of pregnant woman woes... I'm just so tired, so over this pumpkin patch thing, and then driving up to find a couple of smashed pumpkins just sent me over the edge! I sat here crying and wondering why, WHY, did I agree to do this again this year?! What kind of idiot am I?! I am hoping that I will have enough help tonight that I can leave around 4:00pm. Who knows?

Well, that is all the news for now... our glider arrived and everything is ready for baby! Our bags are packed, the diaper bag is prepared and I am ready to do this! Bring it on, baby!

Just when I thought it was safe...

At almost 35 weeks pregnant, I was more than thrilled to be walking around without a stretch mark in sight. Just the other day I noticed two small, purple-ish spots right next to the scar from my appendectomy, but didn't panic. Well folks, today I see that they have indeed spread into two small stretch marks... just like two little arrows pointing and laughing at my scar. Jerks! Now, I don't mind a couple of little stretch marks, but now I am afraid that this will open the flood gates and my belly will errupt into a canvas of reddish-purplish lines... mama noooooooo!

Other than my tiny battle scars, I am feeling pretty well. Sleep continues to be a challenge. Even just relaxing on the couch watching TV is becoming impossible, as I can't quite find a comfortable way to sit/lay. I can't lay on my right side too much, because usually Kat is hanging out over there and her foot or knee or some random body part is sticking out and making it impossible to lie on that side. So it is left side only, and after about 3 hours of sleep I am awakened with a sore left hip and leg cramps... my body wants me to switch positions, but my baby is quite happy with the way I was. Ack.

Our pumpkin patch at church begins on October 14th. On one hand, this will be a great distraction through this last month... I won't be so focused on myself- I won't have time. On the other hand, it is a stressful event and I can't help but shake the feeling that this little girl might make an early appearance into the world. I know it is unlikely (maybe even wishful thinking), but it is just a feeling I keep getting. The baby is considered "full-term" (meaning, ready to come out) at 37 weeks of pregnancy. That is in 17 days from today. HOLY MOLY! Now, chances are good she would rather hang in there until 40-41 weeks (possibly even 42, but Dr. Grouse won't let me go that far past my due date at 40 weeks), but I feel like I need to be prepared for her to be here any time now.

The nesting instinct has set in for me... I cleaned the kitchen cabinet doors last week and my closet last night. I've been wiping down the kitchen counter with anti-bacterial wipes all the time and I get antsy when things are out of place (such as the paper plates being out on the counter instead of in the cabinet). I washed all newborn through 3 months clothes, all the blankets and sheets, the curtains and changing table covers from the baby's room. Now I am realizing I haven't washed the car set cover yet. We haven't tested out the car seat to make sure it fits in the car, but I have to assume that it does, since they would put Skye (Matt's niece) in there when Matt's mom still owned the car (and her seat was the same kind we have). Yesterday at work I felt the overwhelming urge to organize my office. I keep looking at the couch cover and wanting to take it home to wash... though I am afraid of the spiders that might be lurking behind the couch. Eww.

So... I am losing my mind. But I have been reassured that it is perfectly normal when you're pregnant, which makes me feel a little better... but just a little.

Well, that is it for now... not much longer before I'll be writing about the adventure of being a new mom, instead of the pregnancy craziness. How exciting!

And you think you're tired!

I am exhausted. All the time. Everyone said you get a burst of energy in your second trimester, which I thought was total crap until I made my way into the middle of my third trimester and am now SO tired! Gah! I need a nap almost everyday now just to feel functional!

I can't sleep at night either- can't get comfortable, can't get rid of the awful heartburn that is plaguing me... and some people like to say, "Oh, that is just your body getting used to being tired constantly with a new baby!" Well, folks, that just doesn't make sense. Shouldn't my body be resting up? Storing energy for the many late nights that lie ahead? Someone explain this to me!

My 33 week doctors appointment yesterday went well. For the next few weeks I will be going to see her every other week, until about 37 weeks, when I will start coming in every week to be checked (no fun). Kathryn is still hanging out, head down, as she should be... keep hoping that she stays that way! I always thought I wouldn't really care if I had to have a c-section, but as we get closer I am really praying we can do it the old fashioned way (well... old fashion, plus an epidural). She also said that Kat's growth has evened out now, so hopefully we won't have to worry about an early induction or c-section for a big baby!

We've had our childbirth class, our Baby Basics class and Baby Saver (CPR) class so far, with one more class to go. It was definitely an experience, to say the least! I'm still totally in the dark about what to expect when I go into labor and how to know if it is the real deal, but I'm sure when the time comes it will all make sense. I think. I hope.

Our shower was amazing on Sunday- so many wonderful people came and we were very blessed to receive so many things to help prepare us for Kat's arrival. We had a lot of fun, played some games, chatted and ate great food... what more could you want? Kat is going to be such a lucky little girl and have so many people who love her... it really astounds me that we are so fortunate. Her room is looking good- still have some things to hang up and put away, but it is getting there. The glider is supposed to be coming in within the next 8 weeks- ha! I could have a baby before I have a glider, but that is ok... my fault for waiting so long.

I think that is it for now... 7 more weeks to go!!!

I've Lost Control of my Body

I am 7 months pregnant and it is official- this little girl is in control of my body and everything it does and it freaks me out a little bit! As of our last OB appointment, my uterus is growing a few weeks ahead of schedule, which means we need to keep an eye on Kat's growth. Dr. Grouse said that if I am still measuring this far ahead at 35/36 weeks, we'll do an ultrasound to estimate about how big she is... if she is planning on being a biggie, they may schedule an early induction. She said, though, that chances are just as good that the growth will slow down and even out in the coming weeks, so as of right now we're not too worried. Matt was almost 10lbs. and when I mentioned this little factoid to Dr. Grouse, she assured me she would not let Kat get that big before intervening and getting her more motivated to come out... thank goodness!

Supposedly, from what the doctor can feel, Kat is already in head-down position. So that means that all this pressing against my ribcage is from feet and/or knees. Everyday she makes her presence known by stretching out those legs and making my right side- just below my ribcage- look and feel as though it might burst open... what are you doing in there, baby!?

Likewise, my lung capacity is getting smaller and smaller each week. The only relief I can get is to lift my arms over my head to create some space to take a deep breath. Other than that, this third trimester has brought some sciatica, heartburn and a return of the exhaustion I experienced in the first trimester. As I sit here, I feel like I could fall asleep on my desk at any moment... that is, if my belly weren't preventing me from slumping over and laying my face on the desk! Picking things up off the floor is starting to look quite silly... when there is a baby that stops your ribcage from flexing and bending like it normally does, it takes some gymnastics to pick stuff up off the floor. Very nice.

Well, things are going well over all... my shower is this weekend and should be lots of fun. Baby stuff is starting to collect and it is pretty crazy (everytime I see the stoller and carseat in the garage I have to think, "No way!!"). Classes at the hospital start this week... Baby Saver is on Friday and Saturday is our Childbirth class from 9am-4pm (yikes!). Should be interesting... Matt is praying for no videos of live births. He won't watch and he'll make me tell him when it's over, hehe. That is it for now... updates to come!

Kathryn Elizabeth!

So we finally nailed down a middle name and are now happily announcing our little girl's name to the world! Kathryn was my grandma's name (and yes, she did spell it that way) and we just kind of liked the flow of the middle name Elizabeth... very traditional, very Biblical... we like! It also happened to be Matt's grandmother's middle name- so there you go! Our little Kat is well on her way!

On Friday, we had a 3d ultrasound! Matt scheduled it for us as a surprise and I am so glad we did it! It was amazing! She was moving, yawning and even gave us a smile at one point! Matt thinks she looks like me in my baby pictures... I can see some resemblance, and there is definitely some Matt in there, too! It is so neat... at 29 weeks, she really looks like a baby now!

On Saturday, the students from my youth group threw us a surprise shower! It was so neat! I was shocked! Matt was in on it and had me convinced we were going to a BBQ at a co-worker's place. Then, one of the youth group moms, Velda Pagel, called and said they had some baby stuff we should stop by and look at. She just happened to be in the same area as the BBQ, so we decided to stop by and look. When all the kids jumped out and yelled "SURPRISE!" I was in complete shock! I had no clue! We played some games, ate some food and opened gifts- I can't believe how generous everyone was- Kat is going to be so spoiled :) It was such a blessing!

I had my doctor's appointment today (we're down to every three weeks right now- soon it will be every two weeks) and was told everything looks great. The only thing that raised Dr. Grouse's eyebrow was how quickly Kat is growing... the past three appointments I have been measuring ahead and this time was no exception. We could have a big baby girl on our hands! She said if it continues this way, we'll do an ultrasound in about 5-6 weeks to see if we will need to induce early/ plan a c-section. When she found out Matt was a 10lb. baby, she said "A-ha!" and agreed that we needed to keep an eye on her growth. Other than that, she is already head down and has a perfect pulse! So we shall see... will we have a monster baby? Time will tell...

We have a baby!

Ok, well, Matt and I don't yet, but Matt's sister, Amy, had her second beautiful daughter on Saturday! It was pretty incredible. I was at the hospital with her most of the day... she was being induced, so we weren't sure what time to expect Sydney's arrival. At 6:15pm, after hardly any pushing, Sydney was born! Mike was able to be on the phone from Iraq when she was born- amazing! Amy's mom and I were allowed back in to start taking pictures... I couldn't believe how incredible she was! She seemed so small (6 lbs. 5 oz. I think) and fragile, but definitely has a strong set of lungs on her! We all got to hold her and swoon over her for a while... it was too cool.

Unfortunately, I got very little sleep on Saturday night. I kept replaying the events of the day through my head and panicking a bit. The reality has finally struck me- that in 3 months, this baby is coming out of me and I am going to be responsible for her care and wellness... AHHH! I realized how scared I really am and how incapable I feel. What do I know about caring for a newborn? What do I know about being a parent?! NOTHING! I know it will be a learning process and things will be ok... but it is becoming so real.

We have 3 more months to go... 90 days from today is our due date. I'm officially in my third trimester. Holy smokes. This is going fast! We have her furniture all set up in her room, just waiting for her arrival. So crazy. Every time I walk by that room and see a crib, I have to catch my breath a bit. It is surreal.

My basketball sized belly is pretty cute and I am feeling pretty good overall. I've got to get out and run some errands, so that is it for now.

Only 3 More Months Left!

Holy smokes! I cannot believe that 6 months of this pregnancy is already over! We only have 3 months left until our little girl is here! Things are starting to get finished... the crib and dresser arrived today and are sitting in our garage just calling to me to come open them! Unfortunately, they are shrink wrapped and set on a palette, so it would be unwise for me to try to tackle it myself! Eeek! We already have her bookshelf all set up... it is coming together in there!

This morning I took my Gestational Diabetes 1-hour test. I drank my orange drink at 8:05am and drove up to Irvine to get my blood drawn- you have to have it drawn within an hour. The lab was packed! There was a 45 minute wait and I only had 10 minutes left before my hour would be up (the doctor told me to get there 15 minutes early). I told the guy behind the counter that I only had 10 minutes, so they took me in before everyone else... I could tell some people were upset that they had been waiting way longer than me, but it had to be done... otherwise I would have had to do this all over again- yuck!

We've picked out our daughter's name, but not a middle name yet. We're waiting for a while to tell... maybe we'll wait until she is born to tell... not sure yet. I want to at least wait until we know what her middle name will be.

She moves a ton now... we looked down the other night and my belly was pointy on the left side! It looked like she was poking her head up just to the left of my belly button... very strange, but very fun! I love feeling her move- it is an amazing feeling!

Well... that is it for now. 3 more months of fun pregnant lady stuff to come!

Swallowed a Soccer Ball

"Your Pregnancy Week by Week" says that this week my uterus is the size of a soccer ball. That sounds about right... my belly is pleasantly rounder these days. Last night when we went to The Simpsons movie, one side of my belly was really hard, like she was leaning up against the right side. So weird! It is cool that now we can start kind of knowing where she is and how she is positioned.

Things are going great so far... I can't believe it is already August! Only 3 more months until she is here! We ordered our furniture this past week and hopefully it will arrive in plenty of time! I am such a worry wart, though, and I keep having visions of giving birth without having anything ready for her when we bring her home! I know I am just having crazy pregnant woman fears, but nonetheless, it is still in the back of my mind.

I've been so lucky with this pregnancy and have felt pretty good the whole time. The only complaint I have is being tired pretty much all the time. Now that it is so hot outside, I definitely get tired faster. The heat is yucky, but at least by the time I am hugely pregnant, the worst of the heat will be over and we'll be heading into the cooler fall season.

Next month all the preparation begins- childbirth classes, showers, etc. It is so unreal that all those things are already coming up! These past few months have been speeding by and it feels like just yesterday I was standing in front of the bathroom mirror in complete shock at the little plus-sign on the pregnancy test.

Well, there isn't much new stuff to report, so I will leave it at that... things are going well and I am excited to see all the changes that are to come in the next weeks!!

Practicing Tae Kwon Do already?

What are you doing in there, baby?! Well, we're almost to week 24 and there is no mistaking the kicks now! Matt can feel her all the time and we often get a good laugh out of watching my belly bounce around from whatever acrobatics she is performing in there. You can even poke in certain spots and feel her push back... pretty crazy. Though it sounds gross, I couldn't help but think of the scene in Space Balls where the alien pops out of the guy's belly and dances to "Hello, My Baby" on the counter. Honestly... sounds gross, but it is a bizarre feeling to have this critter moving inside of you!

We made it through houseboats safe and sound- what a great trip! I stayed well hydrated and didn't have any of those fun Braxton Hicks that I experienced somewhere around week 21... eek! Apparently dehydration can bring on the Braxton Hicks contractions... at 3:30am it is kind of scary to wonder what the heck is going on and if everything is ok! My stomach was rock hard and crampy, but if I got up and walked around I would feel fine. I figured it was just BH, but was still nervous. But, doctor says all is well and I am measuring right on schedule.

I've finally gained some weight... I was afraid of that. All through the 1st trimester I didn't gain anything. Slowly but surely, though, the scale moves upwards each time I go in to visit my doctor. I know it is normal and nothing to panic about... I just don't want to go overboard.

I think pretty soon I get to experience the "Gestational Diabetes" test. That sounds fun. Not. They have you drink this orange-sugar drink in the morning before you eat anything else, then they give you a blood test to determine if your body is doing what it is supposed to with the sugar. That is supposed to be somewhere around 24 weeks, so I assume that at my next appointment on August 7th we will chat about that.

Time is going by so fast... I can't believe I'm less than a month away from the 3rd trimester! Where is time going? We still need to pick out furniture, bedding and all kinds of baby stuff. I don't know if I am having any showers... guess we'll see! I think I am going to go through the closet in the guest room tonight and see what I can get rid of, sell, etc.

The belly is coming along nicely... strangers have started asking me when I am due, so I guess that means I finally look pregnant and not just chubby! Woohoo! My belly button is getting shallower and my scar from my appendectomy is becoming more visible (usually hidden in the crease in my belly button). Crazy stuff!

Well, I think that is all the new stuff for now. I'll try to keep this more updated!

It's Alive!!!!!

Woo! Feeling that little girl moving around in there is a crazy, crazy thing! I'm not sure that I ever could have imagined what it would feel like. There isn't really a way to describe it. At first, around 17 weeks, it was kind of like popcorn popping in there. Very light, and not too often.

Now at 20 weeks, I can feel her everyday- mostly at night. I have been able to feel her from the outside only a few times, but it isn't common yet. Matt *might* have felt her last night, but he wasn't sure. He said he couldn't tell whether it was her or if it was his own heartbeat in his hand. Hehe. Soon enough it will be pretty obvious!

My head is constantly swimming with thoughts of how to decorate her nursery, what her name will be, what she will look like... I am so in love with her already! There is so much cute baby stuff out there- and the little girl stuff is so precious! Right now most of the clothes are summer outfits, so I have managed to keep it together... but woo! When those fall outfits start hitting stores, we're done for!

The belly is rounding out nicely... though I'm still not sure that strangers can tell I'm preggo and not just chubby. However, I am rubbing my belly or putting my hands on my belly so often that I guess one would deduce that I am with child. Who knows.

We're half-way to having our little girl! 20 weeks seemed soooooo far away when I first found out I was pregnant, but looking back it has flown by! I am enjoying it while it lasts... November is just around the corner and our little girl will be making her debut before we know it!

It's a Girl!!!

Our ultrasound yesterday was great! After a stressful week and lots of frustration and irritation, we got to sit back, relax and watch our little one on the u/s screen for a while!

The tech started off doing measurements and looking at all the growth... baby looks great! We could see the spine and all the little vertebrae... it was incredible! Baby was all stretched out, just chillin' in there, happy as could be! We saw the little hands, arms, legs and feet... it is an out of this world experience to see a little person growing inside of you!

Then Matt asked if she had any ideas on the gender yet... I could tell he was getting antsy! She said, well, I'm going to get a better look, but I'm saying you're having a GIRL! I was shocked!!! I was convinced we were going to have a boy! Matt asked how sure she was... she said she would never say 100%, but she is going with 95%! He said, "I'll take those odds!" :) She showed us "the money shot", so to speak, and she had her little legs wide open showing us the "three lines" that indicate a girl! We're going to have a daughter!! Let the shopping begin!

Everything was measuring perfectly and she is looking healthy... they gave us a CD with some pictures, which is very cool! I'm still in a bit of shock... it is just too cool knowing what we're having! I don't regret our decision to find out before birth at all! I love knowing we're having a girl and I feel closer to her somehow.

We have some ideas for names, but aren't 100% on any of them yet. We're not going to tell until we know for sure. Ahhh- so exciting!

Well, I am going to try and post some of the ultrasound pictures on this blog... but I'm not sure how to, so it could be quite an adventure :) Hopefully you'll see them on here, soon! That is all for now... more to come!

What a craptastic day I had...

Ay, ay, ay. This day couldn't possibly have been any longer. Combined with the stress of my grandpa going into the hospital yesterday for shockingly low blood sugar (40... 30 can mean a diabetic coma), some of the pressures of my job cracked me like a brittle egg shell today. Holy schmoly. Well... it must have been time for a good cry because I got one today. Yuck. My stomach is still all in knots. Though some of that I think I can attribute to heartburn.

Here's hoping tomorrow is better! It is already time for our big ultrasound!!! I can't believe how fast it has gone already! I am praying for a healthy baby, whether its a boy or a girl!

A Pat on the Back

I was proud of myself today. I went to the grocery store, after a little nap, to pick up some goods for dinner. All I planned on buying was the following:
Italian sausage
Broccoli
Paper towels
Everything else would be unnecessary purchases. Now, usually when I make a trip to the grocery store I come home with an abundance of things that are not so good for me. Yikes. Like Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream, for instance. Yum. Double yum.

But today, folks, the only extras I picked up were things that are good for me and Nacho (and Matt, too). Grapes, peaches, strawberries, salad greens. What the heck?! How did I manage that? I think I may be moving into a new "craving" phase because all I can think about at work is fresh fruit. Today I've had an orange, a banana, an apple, grapes and some raspberries in my cereal this morning. Let's be honest- I would have eaten a peach, but they're not ripe yet. Way to go me... choosing the healthy stuff! Okay, well... I might have eaten the last few bites of the aforementioned ice cream, too... but I didn't buy anymore, so ha!

We had a fun weekend. Matt was doing some work in Walnut Creek, so I tagged along for a couple of days. We arrived on Sunday and walked around downtown Walnut Creek a bit. We ate at a place called The Creamery- delicious ice cream... the mac n' cheese wasn't as good as I'd hoped, but not too bad.

Monday we took BART into the city and walked around, did some people watching (always amazing in San Francisco) and did a bit of shopping (found a cute dress in the Gap maternity section). That evening we drove into Sunnyvale and went to Matt's friend's place. He and his girlfriend made us a phenominal dinner and we got to visit for a while.

Tuesday Matt had to be a working stiff, so I met up with him and a co-worker for lunch in downtown Walnut Creek and then went off on my own to do some shopping. Don't worry- all I came back with were a book and a couple of magazines. I did look in a trendy little baby shop, and giggled as I walked out pondering why anyone would spend $900 on a stroller. $900! Nacho doesn't need any European designed fashion stroller. Good ol' Graco will suit him/her just fine. That night we drove in to Danville, visited with Doug & Cath Fry for a bit, then went to dinner at Pete's with Steph, which is always a good time!

I came home yesterday (Wednesday) and now I am all alone waiting for Matt to return from his week of work tomorrow.

We've got 12 days before the big ultrasound and I am so excited! Matt is so good to me right now and I know he is going to be a stellar dad. Father's day is a just a few days after our ultrasound, so it will be neat to know if it is a girl or a boy before that :) Here is a view of the belly right now... making progress at 17 weeks:


Anywho, I am feeling well and am ready for bed! Until next time...

15 weeks and all is well...

Our last appointment went great- the NP, Carmen, put the doppler on my belly and we could hear Nacho's little heartbeat loud and clear! She looked very pleased and said, "That is a very strong heartbeat! Perfect!" Needless to say I was quite pleased as well! After the last appointment and barely being able to hear anything, it was great to lay there and listen to that little whooshwhooshwhoosh for a few minutes.

Carmen pointed out the different sounds and what they were... we could hear a little clicking sound which she said was the actual closing of the valves (she was impressed we could hear all that- Nacho placed him/herself perfectly to hear everything)! Too cool!

We scheduled our big ultrasound for June 13th!!! So in less than 3 weeks now we should know whether Nacho is a boy or a girl! I am so excited... words cannot describe! I see the appeal in waiting until birth to hear the doctor announce "It's a _____!" However, the lack of gender neutral baby things on the market just affirms our decision to find out at our ultrasound. Plus... why wait?! We can start picking a name (which I know we will need all the time we can get... Matt and I probably talked about boy names for 30 minutes last night and came to no agreement...), picking out furniture and bedding, looking at room decor... yep. I am excited to know!

In the beginning, I was totally convinced that we were having a boy. Now... I'm not really sure. I don't know why I was so convinced... just intuition... but the past few weeks I have been wavering and I know that there are no sure bets. So we'll see in a few weeks!!! Here is my belly (from last week- 14 weeks)... see the baby bump?!!?


I'm feeling pretty well... taking a new pre-natal vitamin that makes my burps taste like I ate fish tacos for lunch (yeah, gross, I know). I'm not a big fan, but supposedly the DHA is really good for fetal brain development, and that makes it worth it to me.

That is all for now... updates soon to come!

Mother's Day!

Yesterday was Mother's Day, and though I am not technically a mother yet, I am a mother-to-be and that is just as exciting when the second Sunday in May rolls around!

Matt is the best. I have the best husband ever... you can't even dispute it. Not only did he get an adorable little aligator onesie (that says CHOMP! don't know why I love it, but I do!) and a little Angels outfit for our little baseball fan, but I am also set up for a mom-to-be massage at the St. Regis (Amy, Matt's sister, got one from her hubby, too- score!). I would have been happy with a kiss and a "Happy Mom's Day" wish... but this was fairly fantastic as well!

Today Matt had the ol' gallbladder removed... came home tonight with one less pointless organ. I'm grateful all went well and he is home in bed, rather than overnight at the hospital getting awakened every 30 minutes by the blood pressure cuff or something random like that. He is a trooper- I was so whiny after I had my appendix out, but he is up and about with no problems! Amazing! What a stud.

A hospital employee asked me how far along I am when I was in the elevator today. I was a little surprised, as it really isn't that obvious yet... maybe he is a L&D nurse or something. The funny ticker I have on my myspace right now reads, "Just plump or pregnant? Other people are noticing and are deciding whether to ask my Mommy this risky question!" How appropriate for my experience today! Oh well... I'm excited for my belly!

Friday is my next appointment- time to hear Nacho's heartbeat again! Oh, you didn't know? The new nickname he/she has been dubbed with is Nacho. Why? I don't know... but it makes me happy!

Cat is out of the bag!

Here is a little recap of the weekend:

Saturday, May 5th- Telling the friends...
We had our Cinco de Mayo party and ushered people into the guest room to give their opinions on the "new furniture" we're looking into. I think there was some shock and disbelief... "Whaaaaa?!" "Are you... pregnant?!" "Umm... that is a crib." These were some of my favorite responses.

Everyone was so excited for us... though, I think it is a little unreal for everyone still. Let's be honest, it is still pretty unreal for me sometimes, too! It was so fun to finally tell them, though! Keeping something so exciting a secret for 13 weeks is brutal! I think Scott was the most surprised that we waited to tell for so long... hehehe, they all kept thinking about times that we had hung out in the last three months and that I was pregnant during random times... "I was going to buy you a beer at the baseball game!" "You lied at broomball!" "You just smiled when we joked you were pregnant!!"

I love it!

Sunday, May 6th- Telling the youth group...
Well... I was planning on telling them during high school Sunday school. The Tveit's were leaving early, so I decided to sneak the information to them before they left. Well... when Lynsey heard she immediately began screaming, hugging me and doing the happy dance. Needless to say, that attracted attention and within 2 minutes my entire youth group was aware of the situation! We went in and did our Sunday school lesson (I was impressed they were able to focus!). Because they had permission to tell people, it didn't take long for everyone to hear our news... word spreads fast when 10 teenagers know their youth director is pregnant.

So, we got lots of congrats, advice and shocked looks... people are excited and that is fun! I think I should probably get a a t-shirt that says:
"November 11th."
"I'm feeling pretty good."
"Yes, we're planning on finding out the sex."
I think that would pretty much sum up the three most asked questions we've heard so far! Maybe that would be too much though... until then I will keep answering.

So it was a fun weekend, all in all. I'm starting to get my energy back, I think, which is nice. My cravings for hard boiled eggs seem to be passing. One family, the Pagels, bought me a jar of pickles and a gift card for Golden Spoon. Too funny!

Well... I should get back to work... just wanted to do this before my pregnancy brain ate this information in a black hole, never to be remembered again. Until next time...

T-minus 2 hours!

The friends are coming in two hours and soon they will know we're having a baby!!! I'm so stinking excited... today has been sooooo loooooong waiting for 7:00pm to come!

We cut out pictures of baby furniture and taped them up on the walls in the guest room. When everyone is here, we'll tell them we're looking at some new furniture for the guest room and that we need their opinions... then they'll go in and say, "Whaaaa?!"

I can't wait!!!!!!!!

Bummer on no margaritas for Alison tonight, though :(

2 more days 'till lift-off!

I am so excited to tell our friends. I am itching to spill it!

Last night as I walked by Matt he looked at me and said, "I think it's a good thing we're telling everyone this weekend. People are going to start noticing." At first I panicked and was afraid I just looked like Fattie Fatterson, but as it turns out it's my lovely baby bump (check it out...).

Last night was unpleasant. I tried to go to bed at 11:00pm and couldn't. I felt sick and couldn't sleep, so I got up and sat at the computer for an hour or so. Tried to go back to bed at 12:15ish and ended up getting up again and going out to the couch to watch TV for a while. I ate some crackers, drank some milk and finally ended up going back to bed about 1:30am... I propped myself up with a bunch of pillows and must have managed to fall asleep sometime after 2:00am. Oh well... I keep telling myself it could be so much worse. It isn't all that bad.

Well, I have distracted myself from working for long enough... I will get back on task.

2nd Trimester, here we come!

Well, from what I have read your 2nd trimester begins anywhere from 12 weeks, to 13 weeks 3 days to 14 weeks 4 days... so whatever. I'm pretty much out of the 1st trimester which is an exciting milestone! Chances of miscarriage drop significantly now, only 1% or something. Not that I have been too worried since the ultrasound, but still- it sounds good!

This past weekend we had our high school youth group All Nighter! We saw a movie, then headed to broomball. This was tricky... I couldn't risk falling, because of my love bug, so I had to make up some excuse not to play. "I pulled something in my back". I lied. But to be fair, my back does tend to hurt these days. I lived through the night and am still catching up on my sleep, though I think I am finally human again. Maybe.

On Saturday our friends will be coming to our house for a Cinco de Mayo party... little do they know that we'll be telling them some big exciting news! I can't wait to tell them... it has been so hard keeping it from everyone. I hope they are excited for us!

I've been feeling pretty good... tired, but good. I feel a little sickly tonight. I'm sure it will pass though. My belly is starting to stick out a wee bit. When I suck in my gut, it won't go in below my belly button :) It is quite cute. Unfortunately, to the untrained eye, I just look like a fatty right now. This morning I had to hold my pants together with a hair tie... through the button hole and wrapped around the button. Very classy. Too poochy to button up, to small to sport any maternity clothes (which I am ok with because they really aren't attractive). I have to get up to pee in the middle of the night every night now. That isn't so enjoyable, but oh well.

Well... that is all the happenings I can think of right now. More to come soon!

Lemons & Hardboiled Eggs.

What? Yep. I cut up a lemon to put in my water today and now I can't stop. It is so bad for my teeth to suck on lemons but DANG it tastes good! I've always liked lemons though, so I guess I can't call it a pregnancy craving...

However, I was watching Good Eats today and Alton Brown was making spinach salad. On this salad, he put hardboiled egg. OH! When I saw that, I needed it! I went to the store and got some groceries- eggs included. I've pleaded with Matt to make me some hardboiled eggs so I can take them to work this week. Yay!

Week 10- I want to tell EVERYONE!

So per my little "pregnancy ticker" I am 10 weeks and 5 days pregnant.


Last night was probably the worst nausea I have experienced yet. I felt pretty yucky all day, but I think the combination of heartburn and nausea really made me miserable. I got out of bed around 11:40pm and took a couple of tums. Then I wandered around on the internet trying not to think about the lump in my throat. Eventually, somewhere around 12:45am, I wandered back into bed and slept through the night. Relief.

I had my second doctor's appointment on Tuesday afternoon. I met the actual OB this time (I have only met the nurse practitioner thus far)- she was great! I am comfortable with her and that is a very good thing. She felt my uterus and said it feels just like it should for 10 weeks. Then she used the 'doppler' to listen for the heartbeat! She'd move it around, find it, say "Hear it?!" and then the little stinker would move! Must be an active little one! She said it sounds like the heartrate is in the 150's, which is great. Phew! All good news!

They did find some kind of irregular measurement of my red blood cells. It could be indicative of a condition called Thalassaemia. It is most common in Asian and Mediterranean backgrounds... well, count me out of those, but nonetheless they did another blood test to check again. I guess it affects how your body absorbs iron and folic acid- both intensely important things during pregnancy. She didn't make it sound like a big deal though, so I am not worrying about it.

I am so excited to tell everyone. It is hard keeping it a secret. We're telling our friends at the Cinco de Mayo party we're having at our place and I can't wait! It's only a couple of weeks away, but it feels like forever!

Speaking of feeling like forever... my next appointment is May 18th. They'll just do the basic stuff... measure my uterus and listen for the HB again. Then we'll schedule my BIG APPOINTMENT. By BIG, I mean the ultrasound that will tell us the burning question: girl or boy? I am so excited! We won't know until probably the end of June, but it is very exciting to think about! Going on intuition, I have a feeling it's a boy... I don't know why I think that, but I just have a feeling. I have since the beginning, but who knows!

People ask which I "want" and I can be totally honest in saying that I don't care. Everyone assumes I want a girl, but honestly, for our first baby I just want a happy and healthy little Conrad- I truely don't care if it is a boy or a girl!

Well, that is all I have to update on right now... at least I think so. If I think of anything else, I may post it... I may not. Hopefully tonight will be a good night will no nastiness! Blah! It is all worth it, though!

The Week 8 Blahs...

Yesterday was not pretty. I popped out of bed in the morning, as usual, to make some toast before our walk around the lake. I got into the bathroom and ohhhhhhhh nelly... the nausea hit. Hard. I walked into the kitchen and had some OJ... didn't help. I crawled back in bed and informed Matt that our walk for the morning was ruined. I slept for another hour and felt a bit better when I got up to go to work, but the whole day was kind of icky.

I feel better today... but very tired. Went home for lunch and took a nap... and now I don't want to work.

I told the pastor (my boss) on Friday... he was so excited for us! I wanted to give him fair warning that I wouldn't be going backpacking this year. The doctor ok'ed houseboats, but it was a "no way" as far as backpacking!

Well... not much new right now. Our next appointment isn't until April 17th. We'll get to hear the little love's heartbeat again! The last time it was 156bpm... we'll see if it gets any faster. The old wives' tale says that if the heartbeat is above 140bpm, then the baby is a girl... we'll see!

Ladies and Gentlemen: We have a heartbeat!

We had our first ultrasound today! It was the most amazing thing ever!!! We saw our little love and its heart was beating away! It was just a little flicker, but it was so cool. Lovebug is measuring right on schedule at 7 weeks and 3 days. That makes my due date November13th!

The coolest part of the appointment, besides seeing the baby, was hearing the heartbeat. Everything I have read says you can't hear the hb until 10-12 weeks. But sure enough, the ultrasound tech turned up the volume and we could hear it- whooshwhooshwhoosh... so amazing.

Believe it or not, I cried. I know, I know- hard to believe, right? But I did.

They sent us home with huge smiles on our faces and two pictures of the bug. Right now all we can really see is a bit of a blob- but its a beautiful blob if you ask me!

Yay!

1st Appointment with the Doctor

Actually, it was with the Nurse Practitioner. I don't meet the doctor until my next appointment on April 17th.

Today was fairly uneventful... she just asked all about our family history, let me ask all the questions I had and put in an order to draw blood (which I just love... insert sarcasm here, please). She gave me all kinds of information on all the different tests we can elect to have or not have in the course of my pregnancy, which was a little overwhelming. Something to read later, I suppose.

She also gave me about 5 different types of pre-natal vitamins to try... how I will ever tell the difference between them all, who knows. Target brand has been ok for now! So ok'ed me going on houseboats- not so much backpacking. That is to be expected though... houseboats = relaxing; backpacking = strenuous and no food for baby!

Then she asked if I wanted to try and get an ultrasound soon! I was not expecting that! I have to call and find out if my insurance will cover that, but if they do I am so getting one! It would put my mind at ease to know that everything was going ok in there and to see the little heartbeat flickering away! I am going to make the call on Monday... I can't really do it at work today (since I don't want anyone to overhear that I am knocked up), and I assume the insurance company is closed over the weekend.

So far so good... no puking yet. Matt's sister, Amy, wants to know as soon as I start puking, so she can feel better about her own yucky morning sickness. I'm still tired a lot. I went to lunch with Scott and Chris the other day and Scott asked what Matt and I have been doing on the weekends (since we haven't all hung out in so long). I told him "nap"... if only he knew it wasn't a joke.

I'm getting antsy to tell our friends, but we both think it is better to wait and make sure all is well before we go spreading the news. We're hoping to have a Cinco de Mayo party at our house and announce the news to everyone there... that will be a fun way to do it! We'll be just about 13 weeks pregnant at that point.

Well... thats about it for this week. Today I am 6 weeks and 5 days pregnant. Just in case you were wondering.

Wednesday, March 21st, 2007: Week 6 = Yuck!

So far I have felt pretty darn good. I've been tired... usually falling asleep on the couch around 9:30pm. I'm hungry a lot, but nothing really sounds good. But starting these past few days, the nausea has crept up on me. Not so much in the "morning" as one would expect from the ever popular term "morning sickness". It's more like late afternoon through middle of the night sickness. I haven't thrown up- thank goodness- but have just felt queasy.

Whoa to any tangerine that falls into my line of sight these days! Maybe it is a pregnancy craving... I bought a cup of mandarin oranges at Wendy's the other night with my dinner (because a plain hamburger was all the sounded half way appealing) and could have eaten 6 more cups of them! Then my beloved husband (who we will get to in a minute) brought home a bag of tangerines from Trader Joes and I have thus been hooked. I know I have to be careful of getting too much Vitamin C, so I have to limit myself. Sigh.

Let's talk a bit about this man I like to call "my Baby Daddy".
As it turns out, pregnancy has turned me into someone who cries at United Way commercials and who makes her husband stop what he is doing, however important, to give me a long hug. This poor (wonderful) man has to endure the next 8 months of a certifiably crazy wife. And from what I read in the pregnancy books, it doesn't get much better in the coming weeks. I know that soon he will be asking, "Who are you, and what have you done with Alison?!" As much as I will want to remind him that this is "all his fault," I am trying to remain as normal as possible for his sake. But if you see him, or if you give him a call, don't be surprised if he tells you that I've lost my mind. He would be right.

All that said, he is going to be a great dad and I feel very well taken care of. Only two more days until my first doctor's appointment! I think Matt is going to join me... just in case I melt into a puddle of tears- then he can answer all the questions!

We'll start from the beginning

Since I decided to start this just now, I will go back a little bit to help you better understand my first week of pregnancy.

Monday. March 5th, 2007: Peeing on a stick
Buying a home pregnancy test is one of the more embarassing things I have ever done. But because of the last week of bloatedness, gassiness (you're welcome), falling asleep at 8:30 on the couch, sore boobies and I am pretty sure bigger boobies (Matt even said "You're looking more busty than usual..."), I decide there is a slight chance I could be knocked up.

I make sure to go to Albertson's, where I can use the "self checkout" so no one will know what is going on. I slip into the aisle full of feminine products and condoms and spot the pregnancy tests. Embarassing. Which do I buy? $10?! Crap. There are two in a pack... ok. Fair enough. I grab one off the shelf before the old lady coming into my aisle (crap- should have checked what else was in the aisle... she needs her Metamucil) can see what I'm buying. Go through the self checkout stealthily and its back home. You would have thought I was a 14 year old or something. I'm 24 with a husband. Buying a pregnancy test shouldn't be such a process. Oy.

So I go into the bathroom and the whole time I am going through this strange procedure, I am saying to myself, "I am such an idiot! I am not pregnant. Why did I even go buy this thing? I can't believe I am doing this." Ok. Done. Let the chemical reaction begin.

What? WHAT?! Is that a plus sign? Oh my gosh... did I read the directions right?! Holy smokes... I'm pregnant! I looked at myself in the mirror for about 30 seconds and looked back at the test. "+" Ha!

Now what? Aha! Glad I got a pack of two! I shall drink more water and take the other test, just in case! 45 minutes later I'm peeing on a stick again. "+". Just as quick as last time. Mercy!

So I go up to my parents' house, as I would on any other Monday, and have to act natural all day. I can feel slight cramps and worry a bit. Hmm... probably normal.

On the way home from Torrance I stop by Target and buy a little onesie that says "My Daddy Rocks!" and a bib that says "Daddy's Future Fishing Buddy". I also buy another 2-pack of pregnancy tests and one of those big ones that says "PREGNANT" or "NOT PREGNANT". When I get home, I pee on one of the cheepies and turns out I'm still pregnant. So I stuff the onesie and bib in a Chinese takeout looking gift box and prepare for Matt to return home from his class. Waiting to tell him was probably the longest day of my life!

I hear the garage open. Holy crap. He's home. He comes in, sits down on the couch and we turn on the TV... I, no doubt, am acting like a crazy person, so I decide to just give him the present. He's suspicious. "Why did you get me a present?" Just because. "It's not my birthday yet." Just open the freaking box for crying out loud.

"My Daddy Rocks!" comes out first and he smiles and looks at me... you guessed it, I'm already crying. "Guess what?' I choke out... "I'm pregnant!" We go through the "how do you know?" and "when are we going to tell?" bit and finally cuddle up, watch some TV and go to bed. I couldn't sleep. Excited.

Estimated due date: November 11th, 2007

Tuesday. March 6th, 2007: Go to work
I probably spent half the day on the internet reading about pregnancy, calculating my due date again, lurking around on pregnancy message boards... focusing on youth ministry was not top priority.

Called the doctor today and set up my first and second appointments.
March 23rd- first appointment. Bloodwork. Paper work. Answer questions. Ask questions.
April 17th- second appointment. Hear the heartbeat! Ugh- seems so far away!

Saturday. March 10th, 2007: Telling Mom & Grandpa
We meet at Outback for dinner to celebrate grandpa's upcoming 82nd birthday (March 13th). Matt and I make eye contact and decide it's time.
"We have another birthday gift for you..." Matt starts.
"Oh yeah?" asks grandpa, and a questioning look from mom follows.
"How about (insert choking crying... NOW) a great grandbaby!?" I snort out.
YAAAAAY... so exciting! Mom is crying. Alison is crying. Matt is smiling and grandpa is BEAMING!
"I done knocked 'er up..." blurts Matt. Klassy. But funny and appreciated, nonetheless.
We ate dessert to celebrate.

Wednesday. March 14th, 2007: Bad Poker Face
So I go out to lunch with Matt's sister, Amy, this afternoon. We've been trying to get his parents to go to lunch with us for a few days now, but without Amy there (we weren't going to tell her yet) and she is officially suspicious. She begins asking questions and I try not to make eye contact.
"Are you pregnant?" She looks at me... aaaaaaaaaand my face gives it all away. "A little bit..." I say. She is excited and I am a bit relieved. She is 16 weeks pregnant with her second and I know she'll be a great source of relief when I have questions. Now to tell the other parents.

Thursday. March 15th, 2007: Grandbaby #5, anyone?
With the cat out of the bag to Amy, we're free to announce to Matt's mom and dad. The conversation was somewhat confusing. We were talking about my grandpa's birthday and the reveal came about as follows:
Matt: "Alison's grandpa got another birthday gift."
Barbara" "Oh?"
Matt: "He found out his granddaughter is pregnant."
Ron & Barbara: *Silence* "Which granddaughter... this granddaughter?!"
Alison... smiling and nodding.
YAAAAAAY... everyone's excited. Mike & Amy's second is due in August. Ours in November. 5 grandbabies for the Conrads by Christmas!


So that is where we stand for now. I've been ok so far. A little nauseous here and there, very tired and almost always hungry (though nothing sounds good). I've only had one emotional breakdown so far, and that was yesterday. I came home for lunch and was so tired. I couldn't decide whether to take a nap or to eat lunch. The frustration of this situation sent me bursting into tears. So I took a nap. And took lunch back to the office with me.

I'll keep this updated. Wouldn't want to miss a moment of nausea or constipation, right? Right. All things aside, we are so excited about the little peanut and I don't know if I have ever prayed this much in so little time. We're praying for God's will in our life right now as it is still early in the pregnancy and anything can happen. It is in God's hands and he has an amazing, loving plan for our life. Hooray!