My Dog is a Houdini...

Among many other things.

I am surprised I haven't posted more about my dog.
I'm going to tell a little story about her.

My dog is Darby. She is almost 3 years old. She is a Rhodesian Ridgeback. She is a very special member of our little family.

We've had our fair share of adventures with her. When we first got her, she barfed every time she was in the car. We even had a system. A very disgusting system of watching the signs: she stands up, starts licking her chops, gets a creepy smile thing going, and her stomach starts heaving. I enter the scene with trash bag, or other "catching" device. She pukes in bag. Success!

Then there was the time where she grabbed a near empty container of hummus off an end table. I saw her do it, didn't think it was a big deal, after all, It's just hummus. Apparently, our dog should not have hummus, as she had an extreme allergic reaction to it, and I thought she was going to die. She didn't. She's very sturdy.



Our biggest scare was last February when after several vet visits, we discovered she had a blockage in her intestines and stomach. This did not come as a major surprise to us, as she's always been a big time chewer. Although we keep a good eye on her, she is stealthy. After a pretty major surgery, the dr. found shreds of a rope toy all tangled up in her innards.

Once again, she was very resilient, and recovered beautifully from her surgery.



Fast forward to today. Darbs has had a couple of bumps removed in the last few months. The first two were removed in October, said to be harmless, but if she gets more, let them know. She had a couple more pop up and we decided to have them removed and sent in for analysis. So now we wait. But while we wait, we deal with a very tricky dog. We've tried just about everything to keep her away from her stitches (on her back leg). She removed them all together on Sunday. We had to call the on-call vet to have her stitched back up. It was ugly! So we took her home, put the giant cone of shame on her head, kept her bandaged, and put a pair of boxer shorts on her.

On Monday, we discovered that she squirmed out of her cone of shame and chewed out more stitches. We brought her back in, where the stapled, stitched and wrapped her up as best as they could.

Today, I got her a new cone (e-collar), that fit her much better, no way could she get out! I bandaged her up again, replaced the boxer briefs so they were nice and snug, kept her in her e-collar, and put her in her crate, where there isn't enough room to move with the cone on.

Seriously. Short of locking her head and front paws in stocks, she was secure!

I got home just after 5pm. Her e-collar was still on! Success! Although...somehow....it had teeth marks. And somehow, her boxers and bandaid were off. And somehow, her boxers and bandaid were completely missing. As in, she ate them. The stitches look okay.



W.T.F.



She hasn't been this happy in days.



I can't believe that her stomach feels so good, and she has some pretty nasty gas.



Dr. won't prescribe a sedative, but reccommends that we board her there for the day, where she can be watched.



NAUGHTY!!!!



I love her so much. I would do anything for her. Some people say this will change after the baby arrives. I can see why they'd say this. Baby is close to arriving, and I admit that I don't worry about her like I used to. Some of that is perspective, and some of it is distraction.



I just hope she is getting this out of her system, because in a matter of days, I won't be able to cater to her every strange demand.

Poor, pathetic hound. I love you!! :)

...

Merry Christmas!

Hello Friends!
Merry Christmas to you all!
I must admit that I haven't been feeling all that festive this season. I attempted to boost the holiday spirit by playing Christmas music and baking cookies (which was basically a disaster).
But once Christmas Eve arrived, I started to feel a little more jolly. I got out of work a little early, finished wrapping some gifts (see? I wasn't in the mood before!), and put green sparkly earrings in.

We got together with Marcus' side of the family on Christmas Eve, following tradition. It's always a really fun time filled with good food and drink and a ridulous amount of gift giving. We even take intermission. I received a couple of sets of pjs, slippers, a robe, a blanket, socks....makes me look very lazy.

This morning, Marcus and I slept in until 8, made homemade waffles and bacon (not homemade bacon...), drank french press coffee in our new coffee mugs, and exchanged gifts with one another. I knew I didn't give a lot of gift ideas for Christmas this year. I totally love the idea of spending Christmas with family, enjoying each other's company, understanding the real meaning behind Christmas (presents!!!) (JUST KIDDING!) so in a way, I really don't like giving lists for what I "want" for Christmas! But regardless of all of this, we do spoil each other a bit every year.

After exchanging gifts, Marcus mentioned that he had one more for me, and it was up in the baby's room, and I'll have to search for it. Hmm...I asked if it was baby-related, and he said it was. So I went upstairs and was kind of peeking around, but nothing really caught my eye. I noticed that the blinds were open, and noticed there was a car in the driveway. Initally, it looked like Marcus' Explorer, and I realized that didn't make sense that it was parked outside. Then I noticed the big white bow on it.....I was surprised by a new mini van!! BIGGEST surprise ever! I could go on and on about how I never expected this, but I'll just say that I LOVE it. I am still in shock!! These sorts of things only happen in movies and commercials...oh and on My Super Sweet 16, but they usually don't get vans...

Please excuse the lack of hair styling and makeup!!

Ha! There I am. Pregnant. Pajamas & slippers. In a cookie-cutter neighborhood. Holding keys to a minivan. What would the 19 year old me even think?! SUCH a dork. Would I have been as excited for Stow-n-go then as I am now? Probably not.

Anyway.

This is my last week of work before I take off for maternity leave. For a long time I really thought the baby was going to come early, judging by my constant contractions. Now I am not so sure, but I do know that I can manage feeling exhausted, enormous and achy for just a couple of more weeks. Must...keep....going. I can't WAIT to introduce her to you! :)

I hope everyone has a safe and meaningful Christmas. I feel very blessed to have a wonderful family as I do. I hope you can feel some warm fuzzies today as well.

xo,

Emily

Not to beat a dead horse...

But REALLY?!

I had a terrible day today. Way too many contractions causing discomfort.
Alright people. I've been to the doctor. Thanks for all your "help", but there's not a lot to do at this point. Until the contractions get more frequent and stronger, I just need to deal with it. If I do go into labor, they won't stop it, because I am almost 35 weeks.

Here are some of the helpful words people shared with me today:

(after overhearing me laugh about how large I looked while bending over to clean a spill)
Person I barely know, who also has not been pregnant: Hate to break it to you, but it's just going to get worse.
me: eh, not really.

(While relaxing on my lunch break with my feet up)
Person: You do realize you still have over a month to go...
Me: yes, that's not that long.
Person: You don't think so???? hm.

(While relaxing on my lunch break, I also was in the only free chair, that also happened to be in at the table filled with a giant sheet cake)
Person: hahahahhahahhaha, you're sitting by that whole cake!!
me:......................................................................................................


Person: You better not have that baby early, or you're never going to get any sleep.
me: Hm, I'm kind of under the impression I'm not going to get too much sleep either way.

Okay, okay, I realize I may have lost my sense of humor. But where is the encouragement in all of this? I had a couple of very, very sweet women help me out today when I started to have a bit of a melt down. So, thank you, ladies, You're very appreciated!


Last night I woke up twice due to some really strong contractions, but they didn't continue. Today I had a few that I couldn't walk or talk through, but they also didn't continue. But it was strange, because once I got to my chair, my nose started bleeding like crazy!! I got super super hot, my nose was bleeding down my face like a faucet (can you imagine the sight?!) and started to sweat. So I went home to relax. But my naughty dog whined for TWO HOURS because she wanted to play outside. Last time she "played" by herself, she ran after a rabbit and I had to drive around to find her. I didn't feel like dealing with that.

So. Here's hoping tomorrow is a better day!!! Cheers!

34 Weeks

Hi Everyone!
I am so excited to feel that this pregnancy is nearing an end. It's not that I hated pregnancy, it's just that the whole reason we got ourselves in this situation is going to be here so soon! Sometimes I feel a little nervous, but I really am more excited than anything else. It's sort of strange how obvious it is that my body is preparing for this.

Here's what's going on:

Baby's size? She is just under 5 lbs and 18 inches long! I think they say they gain about a half a pound a week or something at this point. So really, that would get us a 7.5 lbs baby or so. Sounds great to me!

Weight Gain? Well, I still think this is nosy. The numbers are getting up there, but at this point, I don't have a whole lot of control.

Stretch marks? ahhhh!!!! Yes. I just noticed some last weekend. I had a freak out. They aren't too bad, really. And it's not like I ever had this incredible body and would prance about in my skivvies. Oh wait...I think I change my mind. Looking back, that's exactly what I used to do. Haha, oh well!

Belly button in or out? It's pretty flat. Some days you can see a little dot thru my shirt. My belly is so strange looking.

Sleep? Getting more and more difficult. Preparation...

Foods I am loving? I think sweets. I normally do not have a major sweet tooth, but I find myself snagging Culver's frozen custard from work (they bring it over every month!!) at 9:30 in the morning. WHAT?!

Foods I am hating? I can't say I'm hating anything out of the ordinary, but I do need be choosier as heartburn has made it's debut on a regular basis.


Best moment this week? It may have only lasted for 24 hours or so, but I think the baby moved into a different position because I had GREAT relief from the hip and back pain I had been experiencing. I sort of thought it was normal to not be able to get into a standing position without wincing, and I sort of thought it was normal for me to not be able to take a single step without feeling absolutely miserable. Then, BAM! All of the sudden and get in and out of a chair, I was walking briskly, I felt like going for a jog!! But VERY quickly realized that would be a terrible idea. The discomfort has settled in again, but hey, that's life.


Movement? She's slowing down and I compare her to a manatee. Very slow but strong movements. My belly will kind of stretch and morph where she's hanging out. I've been able to feel individual parts a little more now. It's a little creepy, but absolutely amazing. I feel like I'm holding her already.


Symptoms? Heartburn. Back pain. Leg cramps. Braxton Hicks. Swelling. Pregnancy Brain.
Hair growing EXTREMELY fast, fingernails are growing faster than I can bite them, so I've tried to cut back on that, and they almost look "nice" now. Chapped lips. Anyone else get that?? It's miserable! My lips bleed! I am constantly applying lip balm and drink tons and tons of water. Nothing is helping.


Gender? A girl. If she decided to change half way through though...sorry dude. You are gonna be girly.


What I miss? Hmm...I have gotten used to some of the things I miss, so I won't really say I miss them right now, I'll just say I look forward to experiencing them again soon. I look forward to get my old body back (yes, I know, this may never happen), I look forward to having a couple of glasses of wine, I look forward to putting on socks without feeling like I'm gonna puke.

What I'm looking forward to? Oops! I didn't read ahead. I am also looking forward to moving through the holiday season and having this little munchkin!!


Weekly Wisdom: "Enjoy it while you can" just kidding!! I had some strange woman say that to me as I was waiting in line at Harry & David fanning myself because it was about 90 degrees in there. I gave her a dirty look, put my merchandise back on the shelves and walked out. IN YOUR FACE, strange lady! What does she even mean by that??

Milestone: I can say I'm having my baby next month!

Emotions: In general, feeling very positive. Besides the irrational behavior brought on by chick hormones, I feel like I've been doing pretty well the last couple of weeks.

And now I'll leave you with a few photos taken over the last few weeks:

November 4, our 4 year anniversary--before dinner



November 17, at the shower that my friends had for me!


My doggie and me, November 27

Christmas Cards!

Last year was the first year I've ever sent out a photo Christmas card. I decided since I love receiving them so much, maybe there are other people who'd like to get one from us, as well!

I plan on picking out a photo from our maternity shoot with Brooke. I would have loved to get a good one with our dog too, but she had stitches on her head, and I wasn't really feeling the whole hat-on-a-dog thing... So I am thinking I'll do a dual-photo card this year. I've been browsing the shutterfly website and found lots of cute cards, I just have to decide which one I like best.

Check out all these cute cards! www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery

Oh Christmas season, I love you! This 60+ degree weather isn't doing much to get me in the festive mood though! I've been listening to a little Christmas music here and there while organizing the baby room, but it's just not doing it for me yet.

Any suggestions to help get me in the holiday spirit?? Has my pregnancy taken up all the extra warm fuzzies?

Keep an eye on your mailbox...maybe this is the year you receive a family photo card from yours truly! :)

Woah! Busy!!

Oh my word! I have been so busy!
Sorry for abandoning my blog.
I have had 4 showers in the last 10 days. It has been soo wonderful, and a little overwhelming. I have one more in another week, and then we'll be set to go!!
I feel so ready to meet this little girl. The nursery is almost set, I have the important gear, and enough contractions to ship her out express. I go to the dr. again tomorrow, and he says each time that "it's normal." So, I suppose it is.

I finished my sewing class! I honestly do not know if I've learned all that much. Fortunately, all of the projects I'm interested in are pretty simple. Someday I'll have to show you some of the things I've made or am working on! I just picked up my first sewing machine today! Hopefully I'll have some time soon to sit down and learn all about it. Most of my time the last couple of weeks has been cleaning out cabinets and declutterizing (that's a word, right?) to make room for baby.

This is oficially a boring post, but I felt guilty for not updating.
I'll leave you with a sample of photos that my friend Brooke took for us... :)




This one aboslutely cracks me up! This was a "bare belly" shot, and a van just pulled in, and I felt sort of awkward... :)

peace out!

30 weeks, say whaa?

I cannot believe I'm in the home stretch already. Here's the update!


Baby's size? Almost 16 inches long and over 3 lbs! Still tiny, but just a tiny version of what she'll be like in a few weeks. It's not like she still has to grow arms or something.

Weight Gain? Well, this is nosy. This is the question that only skinny people ask. The ones who gained 10 lbs their entire pregnancy. Let's just say I'm well within the healthy guidelines and continue to grow... :)

Stretch marks? None that I have noticed yet. But I also try not to examine things too closely.

Belly button in or out? It depends on how funny you are. When I laugh, it pops out. It really depends on the day. But for the most part it's made it's way out. It's funny looking.

Sleep? Sleeping fairly well. If I wake up, I'm done for. There is no falling back asleep. My mind is just super active or something. So it's best if I can just stay asleep.


Foods I am loving? Uhh everything. Fortunately, I fill up much quicker than before, so I find I end up eating a little less. I'm really into cake or cupcakes...or things with frosting. Normally I'm not a sweets person, but I've found myself craving desserts. At any time of day.



Foods I am hating? I can't say I'm hating anything out of the ordinary, but I do need be choosier as heartburn has made it's debut on a regular basis.


Best moment this week? This week? I had a crappy week. I was very hormonal. I can say that the best moment(s) may not have directly been related to baby, but my husband who somehow manages to calm me down and get me through the afternoon. We also celebrated our 4 year anniversary and had a fabulous dinner out and quality time together.


Movement? Yes. She is a mini ninja. I also must admit that I called my dr. about something that I normally wouldn't call about. It's happened a few times, so I decided to call. My belly started shaking. like pow pow pow pow pow! big time wobble for like 5 seconds. No baby can move that fast. The internet provided no answers, so I called my drs office...they assured me that it's fine. (Although...what was it then?) And I kind of laughed it off.

Symptoms? Heartburn. Back pain. Leg cramps. Braxton Hicks. Swelling. Pregnancy Brain.
It's awesome. I feel like such a lady.

Gender? A girl. If she decided to change half way through though...sorry dude. You are gonna be girly.


What I miss? "I miss the old me" is what I said while sobbing to Marcus earlier this week on the phone. I miss the patience I once had. I miss the energy, muscle tone, the ability to lie down and be comfortable anywhere. I could go ahead and say that "I love everything about carrying around a miracle in my uterus". But that's annoying. So I'll just tell the truth. :)



What I'm looking forward to? I've always loved this time of year. Not so much the cold temperatures, but I always look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas. I love our families and I love food. Combine the two with some festive music, I've got a good time waiting! But on top of all that, I have FIVE baby showers! Definitely looking forward to getting the nursery stocked up, spending time with friends, and seriously, I can't wait to meet this little girl!



Weekly Wisdom: Recognize that you're not completely psychotic and that hormones are REAL! Once you "come down" you'll have a better perspective.


Milestone: Less than 10 weeks to go. (hopefully!!)

Emotions: In general, feeling very positive. Besides the irrational behavior brought on by chick hormones, I feel like I've been doing pretty well the last couple of weeks.


I have a couple of pictures to add this week...stay tuned. :)

Opinions Schmopinions

Let me start by saying that I am absolutely fired up!!
Not in a good way, not in a bad way, I've just got the gumption of a mother to be.

I am thrilled to be a part of what I feel is a not-so-secret club. I have encountered many helpful women. Whether they are new moms, veteran moms, nurses or grandmas, many of them have been great! I've even come across a few dudes that have been encouraging and thoughtful. So I want to say THANK YOU!! to you.

However, what in the blankety blank is wrong with people who offer their unsolicted advice and opinions?! I'm not even talking about "stay at home moms are better than working moms" or "breast feeding is better than formula." I am talking about the "good luck losing the baby weight, the more you gain, the harder it is to take off" and the "You think you're going to breast feed more than 12 weeks? DOUBT IT!"

I have not mentioned to one person that I'm worried about getting the weight off after baby comes. In fact, I just recently started to think about it. I will concern myself with that when the time comes!
The one that really gets me though is the second one. How dare you??! Are you suggesting that I won't be able to handle it? That I am not strong enough? Do you for whatever creepy reason think that I won't be able to provide enough for my offspring?
All I hear when it is suggested that I won't nurse my child after 12 weeks is "You, as a mother and caregiver, are either not able or not willing to successfully raise a child."
The kicker on this one is that the person saying it is a DUDE.
When this man said this to me, all I could say was "oh my gosh." As in, I am speechless, mind your own business, I might go bananas on you.
But, excuse me, Dude? Here is what I would like to say: ARE YOU FREAKING OUT OF YOUR MIND?! I do not care what you think my boobs are capable of. You are a creep for even uttering (clever pun not intended) a thought about my choice as a breast feeding mother. I do not know if I will continue to nurse past one minute. But I do know that I will try my very hardest to do what I feel is best for my child. And that, Dude, has nothing to do with what you think!
Ever heard of bees wax? Get your own, and mind it.

Oh, blogosphere. Thank you for being a friend.

I would hate to leave with such a bitter ending.
So I just need to add one more time, a warm and fuzzy "thank you" to all of you encouraging people out there. Thank you to those of you who know it's hard work, but continue to only tell me how great motherhood is. Thank you to the honest ones, who have embarrassing stories to show that no one is perfect. Thank you to those who know that guilt is always present and it's okay to suppress it. And of course the ones that tell me to "snap out of it, woman!! It's not that big of a deal which bottle you choose!!!! Weirdo!"
I love you all.

I feel so much better now.

xo
emily

plugging along

Not too much has changed in the last few weeks. I suppose that's why I haven't posted anything in a litle while.

I've discovered that I've been having lots of braxton hicks contractions, or "practice contractions" as my dr. called them. For the most part, they don't bother me, but if I have a particularly busy day, they can cause a lot of discomfort. Yesterday was a pretty rough day, but after 10 hours (yes 10!) of sleep, I'm feeling quite a bit better today.

I've had big plans to get the baby room painted, but it is sometimes hard to find the time to get it prepped. I keep telling myself it's better to do it now, because I'm not gaining energy at this point. Had I really understood that, I would have gotten this started 6 weeks ago. We do have the paint and supplies, so now we just need to do it already!! I am SO excited to have it start coming together.

I am loving the fall weather! I was getting sick of grill-food. I do love me some comfort food! For whatever reason, I get the itch to start baking (which is not necessarily a talent) and making soup, chili, and big pasta meals! No wonder I always pack on a few extra lbs in the fall. At least now I'm supposed to be gaining weight....ha, no problem!
Oh, and I also started my sewing class! Oh my stars. We've had two classes. My neighbor and I go together, and the first class started at 6:30. We got there at 6:30. Everyone was running their machine already. We looked at eachother like, "huh??" Our teacher does not
teach anything! She basically tells us to do something, is sort of surprised when we don't know how to do it, so then she does it for us. This is an adult beginner class. I am not sure what she was expecting. I did successfully complete a pin cushion in the first class, and a very cute tote bag in the second class. However, I am not sure I could repeat it, considering I had a lot of help along the way.
It was during my second class where I realized I do have a hobby! I love to cook! The one problem with this is that while I enjoy doing it, I have all kinds of food as a result. That presents a problem because no household of two should have that much food. I'm going to have to start a little store. :)
I'm not going to give up on sewing. Maybe once I get the hang of it, I'll feel a little better about it.

This is all that's new for now. Not all that interesting. I think I'll take a nap. :)
Happy Sunday!

I need your help, please.

Disclaimer: If you don't care about baby "stuff", you may just want to skip this post. I am asking for some advice, and would appreciate your help!

started my baby registry yesterday. I was less than enthusiastic about it for a few reasons, one of them being that I was overwhelmed! And of course in the first ten minutes I started to cry. HA. What the h is wrong with me?
Technically, I started the route backwards, beginning with all of the "little" things. Strange how the little things could be considered the most important. Had I finished my list over there, perhaps I wouldn't have had my meltdown.
Anyway, I only requested one starter set of bottles, and I chose the Tommee Tippee because they are well rated and well, cute. Some people have suggested that I try a few different types of bottles, while others tell me just decide on one and your baby will learn to like it. So of course, after getting home, I tried to read up on the Tommee Tippee and I saw mixed reviews. But I recognize there isn't any individual product out there that everyone likes!
So question 1: Should I just try to make it work with the ones that I registered for, or should I add a few different types to my registries?

Second topic I'm confused about: if I am nursing, how many bottles do I need? I am going back to work 2 1/2 days per week after 12 weeks. I think I'm more overwhelmed about the "thing that comes naturally" more than anything else. Once again, some people say that if you just work at it, every new mom can breast feed. Others tell me that I'll need to use formula too, and that's just the way it is. Good golly, I need a support group or something.

Topic/question 3: Do you or anyone you know use a cloth/hybrid diaper? Or have you tried it? I am strongly considering taking this route for several reasons. There is a place that actually offers a $25 two week trial with like 6 different styles....I think that sounds like a good idea.

I think I've come up with my main question. What worried/worries you as a mom or mom to be? Do you think I'm getting worked up for no reason?

If you have suggestions and cannot comment on the blog, feel free to email me at emily.ringnalda@gmail.com

Thank you for your help, friends.

Babymoon Recap

It appears I took an accidental break from my bloggie! Sorry about that!

Life is good in Emilyworld.

I have been feeling little baby girl move around a TON! There have been a few times where it's been a little obnoxious, even. Is there any connection between an active fetus and an active baby? I'm curious to see if she'll be a squirmy kid. What was your experience?

The hubs and I also just took a babymoon last week, and it was such a wonderful getaway. Very different from the trips we've taken in the past. A babymoon is something I've been told we really need to do, and I'm glad we were able to take the time to travel.

Our first stop was Ft. Lauderdale. We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Marcus enjoys a good game of blackjack (well who doesn't enjoy a good game?) and I'm a big fan of the fancy new slot machines that have speakers in the seats and shake when good things happen. My personal favorites are the Sex & The City slots, Indiana Jones, and the Amazing Race<--- which might be my all time favorite. We stayed at the Hard Rock for just one evening, and while we were there, we lounged by their resort style pool, won some $$, and mistakenly spent $18 on chips and guacamole. Our server was apparently very good at upselling without our knowing.

Our next destination was Miami! I had been looking forward to this for a long time. We opted to stay downtown Miami vs. South Beach/Miami Beach because, frankly, we were there to be spoiled and to relax, and not party. And boy were we ever spoiled!
We lounged by the pool (when it wasn't raining), ate some amazing food, received massages, took naps & finished books. Just what I needed. The only issue was my baby is sitting pretty low so I have been getting more uncomfortable and it wasn't a rare sight to see me trying to "move" her. There may be no proof, but I think that lying on the floor with my hips and legs up made her "float" up a little bit. Haha...kind of ridiculous.
Unfortunately, our flight was delayed on the way home, causing us to miss our connection, so we stayed another night and kind of a creepy hotel. I quickly realized how spoiled we were!
And now, a couple of pictures!

Crazy storm coming in while we were visiting Miami Beach. 2 minutes after this picture was taken, it started POURING, and not the typical Florida 10-minute rain, it was a 45 minute downpour. Kind of fun, and we got gelato while we waited it out.

This was SUCH a fun night! We told the concierge that we kind of just wanted pizza for dinner that night. He mentioned that the best place only had take out/delivery, which was fine with us. But they wanted us to have an experience, so they set up a private table with candles and flowers on the lounge balcony, just for us!! There was a man named "B" who was kind of like a little butler who set everything up, and called us Mr. Marcus and Ms. Emily and on this particular night he was playing "his" music and it was all Lady Gaga and dance music and we kept catching him bust out 2 second moves. We told him we'd have a dance party with him later, but we couldn't find him once we were ready. :)






Couldn't resist this one. :)


someone is getting large and in charge...

Well, if you made it through this entry, give yourself a pat on the back!

Time for me to get a move on...it's (finally) baby registering day!!
This is not something I'm looking forward to, blog post to come. :)

Have a good weekend, friends!

23 weeks already?

I can't believe I'm already over half way through this pregnancy!
It's been an adventure.
Here's what's been going on...(as I copy my friends' blogs with my own answers)

How far along? 23 weeks. That means I'm in my 5th month for those of you who dislike those of us who use weeks to measure. :)

Baby's size? I have an ultrasound later this week, maybe I'll find out for sure, but baby should be about 12 inches and 1 lb!! I can distinctly remember how scary it was knowing the size of a baby at like 5 weeks pregnant (when we found out). A sesame seed. Seriously! Obviously 1 pound is still very vulnerable, but she has organs and everything now! A teeny baby!

Weight Gain? This one has been tough to deal with lately. I've been feeling very sorry for myself. Let's just say I'm right on track according to the charts. I say I'm on the fast track to obesity. I know, I'll shut up. One thing I'm not understanding lately is how I may mention that I feel like a cow or something, and the response I get is "at least you have a reason!" Now is not the time to agree with me. mmmmmmmmmKAY?!

Maternity clothes? Yes! Most of my clothes are maternity, a few tops and dresses are regular size, but not fitting as well. I should mention that I recently won $100 to motherhood maternity! I am not completely sure how I won it. I do not care. It said I could spend it at Pea in the Pod as well...which I favor over motherhood. However, the pea in the pod at macy's doesn't count! So I skipped on over to motherhood and still spent it easily! Woohoo!

Stretch marks? Not that anyone should notice. If I am examining myself closely, I could imagine some. I'm doing my best to not pay attention.

Belly button in or out? It's in, but I can tell it's going to make it's outie debut very soon. It's hilarious! What a strange phenomenon.


Sleep? Mmmm sleep! I've been sleeping great ever since I got my crazy boppy pregnancy pillow. I use it whenever I'm reading in bed, and I sleep all night with it. It's miraculous. I also still squeeze in naps whenever possible.


Foods I am loving? uhh, most foods, unfortunately. Which is better than the first 16 weeks...where very few things were acceptable. Arby's sounds good A LOT, I don't have it that often. And if presented with pickles, I'm psyched! I've totally lost it though..what are those little slices called? Chips? Medallions? Discs? Not spears. I love those little zippy crunch buddies.

Foods I am hating? Depends on the moment. Not too picky anymore, but I have my moments.

Best moment this week? This week? How about the last two weeks...Feeling baby move BIG time on the outside! I can see my hand move or my belly shift. It's indescribable. Sometimes I can't help but let out a little squeal when it happens. It's brought tears a couple of times(I know...I'm a softie.) Marcus has gotten to feel it just a couple of times. As excited as I am for him to feel her move, I just look forward to the day where he get's to hold her for real. Oh boy. Hormones. Next question!!


Movement? Oh oops. I didn't read ahead. Um...disregard.

Symptoms? There are lots of funny things that I want to share, but I may need to leave an anonymous post somewhere because if you're not into the whole pregnancy thing and you're reading this, you will not be intrigued. But I can't wait to hear about your pregnancy symptoms! :) One of the new things I've noticed is my feet and lower legs have gotten puffy at the end of the day. Time for some JOBST! Do they make jobst for the face? What can I do for my puffy face? I've also started to get some pretty crazy heartburn. It's rough!

Gender? 85% girl! I hesitate to say 15% boy, because that's totally weird. I guess I should say the dr is 85% certain it's a girl. I am having another ultrasound this week, hopefully they can double check.

What I miss? Do NOT make me feel guilty for this. I miss wine. There. I said it!
I also miss my tough work outs. Had I felt better during the first several weeks, I could have kept up and tapered a little bit, but I didn't. I go for walks and attempt yoga. But I miss weights and punching and jump rope. I can't even imagine jumping rope right now. HA!

What I'm looking forward to? Getting the nursery started...we bought a crib today!

Weekly Wisdom: This is for myself, you can use it if you'd like. Do not worry about the scale. This is temporary. There is a lot of vanity involved with being a girl, few people can deny it. Get over yourself and accept your growing body!

Milestone: Feeling baby and not feeling crappy!

Emotions: All over the place! Oh, poor everyone. In general, I'm feeling pretty happy. I've always been pretty moody. (Oh, poor Marcus!!) Mostly I'm bubbling over with joy, but it's still a complicated time. I am having a second ultrasound this week to double check baby's heart. They told me 100 times not to worry. And had they been concerned, I do not think they would have waited 4 weeks to check. This is the first time I've actually mentioned it...and I realize how scared I actually am. So there's one big emotion: fear.

So there's the update, friends!
I'm surprised at how ready I am to meet this little girl, even though technically nothing else is ready, including her! So I will be patient and keep growing her.

Thanks for checking in. :)


edit after re-reading post: I'm not that concerned about food, weight, working out as I made it seem!! Gosh, I sound lame! I think that's today talking. Tomorrow I could have a completely different approach! :)

daydreaming myself (insert awesome personality trait here)

Have you seen Target's "You totally wear hats" commercial?
If not, please watch:



I think that Target really knew what they were doing when they made it. I can't possibly be the only person who visualizes an entire sequence of events occuring based on a purchase or a new skill learned. I recently signed up (finally!!) for a sewing class. I have seen some pretty cool looking doodads and whatchamacallits that people have crafted with their sweet sewing skills. So naturally, I envisioned myself becoming a skilled artist sewing up the cutest and most clever creations. People will ask me, "where on earth did you get that darling satchel?!" and "OMG! That hand made custom jungle inspired leotard makes you look so fit!!" (ha! kidding.)

I try not to let my realistic and practical inner voice have too much of a say in the matter. You know what the voice says? "Hey Emily, do I need to remind you that you can barely fold a piece of paper symmetrically?"
No, voice, you don't need to remind me. I already know. Seriously. I am a terrible folder.

I have a couple of projects in mind that I'll attempt, but I think I'll keep them to myself until I succeed....or comically fail. In either case, I'm sure I'll share it.

Anyway, I'm off to buy a hat. :)

Belly Expansion

Hi Friends!
It's been over a week since my last post...nothing real exciting going on in Emily World.

The family is anxiously awaiting to hear when the newest addition will arrive! My sister in law is due (well, technically overdue) to have her first any day now. First baby on the in-law side! A little boy is on his way, and we can't wait to meet him.

Since I don't have a lot of time at the moment, I leave with you these: A photographic journey of my growing belly (and legs, butt, face, boobs & arms...but let's look at the belly, shall we?)

12 weeks along..showing early. Lots of people asking "Are you sure it's not twins?!?!??!?!?!?! LOL ROTFLMAO OMG"

16 Weeks

18 weeks...I've determined that this dress makes me look large.

21 weeks. Less large looking...strange. I should not eat so much salt.

Okay, obviously do not understand how to format pictures on here yet. Give me time, bloggees.

That's all for now, check back soon. I'm sure I'll have something interesting to whine about in the next day or so.

Peace out, homies.

A Time Like No Other

My plan was not to talk about babies and pregnancy all the time. Since we're in Emily World though, this is what is going on.
Pregnancy is really a time like no other.
In what other phase of life is it completely normal to comment on the way people look on a regular basis?
Okay, I got it.
Infancy.
Infancy and Pregnancy are kind of the same.

To the baby: "How big is Emily?" "Soooooo big!!!!!" "I just wanna squeeze those chubby cheeks!" "Let me see that buddha belly!" "Oops, did you just spit up?"

To the baby mama: "Wow! You're really getting big!" "Imma touch your Buddha belly!" "Have you been throwing up?"

Yes, these are the two times in life where it seems to be perfectly acceptable to do & ask these things.
I will say that I have one rule that should be followed by everyone who is ever in contact with a pregnant woman. COMPLIMENTS ONLY! Now is not the time to verbalize your observations, unless you happen to be observing how absolutely stunning and goddess-like she is.
Things like, "I thought you might be expecting, your face is much fuller." or "Looks like you're taking advantage of 'eating for two'." or "Are you sure you're not having twins??"
Perhaps these aren't actual insults...but don't even bother with something that could come off that way.
COMPLIMENTS ONLY!!
Oh, one last thing. I really don't want to hear "oh, you don't even know what's its like..." (being uncomfortable, going through labor, raising children, having teenagers, etc...) You know what? You're right! But what I do know is what it's like right now. So stop. Unless I ask you what it's like, zip it.
This got mean. I'm sorry. One too many non-compliments may do that to a girl.
:)

Sugar & Spice and Everything Nice

Our little nugget is a SHE!

Yesterday we went to the "big" ultrasound, where they check and measure everything. It was one of the greatest days ever. Just watching my baby in there hanging out was so wonderful. I even thought to myself, "if they can't tell us what the sex is, it's okay! I just want it to be healthy!" That was until he just about gave up on looking. He basically told us that we'll have to come back in a few weeks (there was another area he wanted to double check because he didn't have a great view). I was soo disapointed! I started to tear up a little bit, knowing I was being ridiculous...but when you look forward to something so much and it doesn't work out, it's an automatic response.
I snapped out of my self pity when I realized that all too often, I'm sure, there are far more disapointing things that are discovered during a routine ultrasound. So, I am grateful to find out that there are no (obvious) issues at this point.
Anyway...the dr. gave it one last shot, trying to capture my baby's essence. Not sure when I became such a know-it-all when it comes to ultrasounds (after all, this guy is on the board for american ultrasound blahblahs) but I KNEW it was a girl! He wouldn't say it. It was not how I had envisioned it, but little in life is all that predictable!
So he said "I'm 85% sure it's a girl." And then we pretty much got up and left.

A GIRL! I am so scared! And excited! She is going to be decked out in frills and glitter and butterflies. I love her. I can't wait to see what she looks like. I hope she looks like Marcus. With a little dimple. Oh, sweet little girl. You've already changed my life.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I Love ya, Tomorrow!

So...I'm pretty excited for tomorrow. Not only is it Friday, my most favorite day of the week, but we find out what kind of baby I'm growing! Now, I do not question why some people choose to not find out the sex of their baby, but knowing for me is one of the greatest surprises ever. Yes, it's still a surprise, even if you find out before hand, sillies.

I honestly do not have a strong feeling one way or another. It's changed too many times, so I will be pleased no matter what we find out tomorrow.

In an upcoming post I will have to tell you more about me and my goals and aspirations.
But for now, I leave you with a link to one of the most absurd and time consuming websites I've ever discovered. www.theoatmeal.com. This dude is twisted. Enjoy, my little peanut heads!

Consider this blog to have training wheels.

I decided it's high time I start my own blog instead of just creepin around on yours. So...here is a little background:


Marcus and I got married in November 2006. The past 3 and a half years have gone quickly and wonderfully. We always knew we'd start a family someday, and "5 years" seemed to be the answer we'd give when people would ask when. But 5 years in Emily-talk is different than 5 years in Marcus-talk. When Marcus says he'll be done with a project in 20 minutes, it usually is at least another hour. When Emily gives herself an hour to do something, she'll usually wrap it up in 20 minutes. SO...are you catching on here?

I enjoyed thinking ahead to the days where we'd have a little one, but was loving my time and freedom with my husband. We love taking long weekends away, throwing parties at our place, and being spontaneous in general. But after a few years of wedded bliss, we mutually agreed that 2010 could be our year. We started to make the most out of our time going on vacations and being "selfish". We had it in mind that everything changes when you have a baby, and we may not be able to maintain our current lifestyle. In my mind, I'd get pregnant the moment we'd start trying. Marcus planned on it taking a while...or perhaps he just hoped it would. But after "a few" (5 or 6, depending on who you ask...) months, it happened!! Bun successfully in oven!

People love to ask how I found out. I never realized what a personal question it really is. I mean, really...how do you think I found out? I suppose there are a lot of people who weren't "trying" to get pregnant and end up on TLC's "I didn't know I was pregnant". Wait, no. There really shouldn't be that many people.
Basically, folks, I had been hoping for a few months, didn't want to wait another couple of days to take a home pregnancy test, so I peed on a stick. When all you've ever seen is one pink line every time you've tried a test, it's all you expect to see. On this particular day, Mother's Day '10, I saw two lines. My first thought was "oh well, not this month either...." and then....WAIT, WHAAA?? So I ran downstairs, forgot about any cute way I ever thought about telling Marcus and showed him the test. Since he's not overly familiar with the concept, I pretty much had to explain it to him. We were both THRILLED! Couldn't believe it!

So now, at 19 weeks pregnant, I start this blog. I have had a text book, every-symptom possible pregnancy. You name it, I've probably experienced it. Maybe not worse than anyone else, but I've been there! At almost 5 months pregnant, I am feeling much better, and am feeling far less gross than I did for the first several weeks.
Whoever came up with the pregnant woman glow thing is delusional. Unless "glow" is grease, dark circles and blotchy skin. In which case, yes, thank you, I am glowing.

This Friday, we're having the "big" ultrasound. Our plan is to find out the sex. I can't wait. I have ants in my stretchy waist pants. So if you hang tight, you can find out if it's xx or xy.
Needless to say, I am over the moon for this little baby. I know Marcus is too, but I'll do my best not to speak for him. I am looking forward to documenting the next 20+ weeks right here, and hoping for some good advice and fun stories.

Thanks for visiting! :)