Weekend Success

My weekend in Columbia was alot of fun - and productive! I got in much needed visits with friends and family. There were quite a few comments on my girth, which I take in stride. I was able to get a first hand narrative of all that happened on Katie's field trip this past week. She is becoming quite the older girl - complete with purse and earrings. No more little Katie Cake!! I also got to see David before he headed off for the summer. Other events from the weekend included lunch at Grouchos (with Mom, Bob, and Katie), a long walk around the neighborhood (with Dad, Kathy, and Ginger), a visit with Kathy's friend Lucy that included all things baby, Sam Caskey's BBQ, and the church-Texas Roadhouse combo. There may have also been a trip to Baskin Robbins.

Our trip to Babies R Us was VERY successful. Robyn is a life-saver! I think that I have figured out most of the things that we will ~need~ to have when the baby arrives. It is still hard for me to register for some items knowing that the baby will only use them a few times and that you can find them at a fraction of the cost on Ebay, Craigslist, or at consignment sales.

During our stroll through BRU, I spotted some bedding that looked adorable in a white crib. We then discovered that the bedding was being discontinued (they are no longer even selling it on their website). With some encouragement, I decided to take the plunge and get the bedding (thanks Kathy!!). Here is a photo of the collection of items (Amy Coe Zoo Baby):

I wish that I could share the expression that was on Greg's face when I mentioned to him that I was leaning towards pale pink walls. He is not really a pink man. He really liked the green and brown theme that I previously mentioned, but those colors do not work with this bedding. Here is a crude example of what the pink would look like with the bedding:

Mable felt left out in the picture taking this time:

She is not too sure about all of this "baby" stuff. Up until now, the only toys in the house were hers.

We had a surprise delivery yesterday from Greg's Mom. A swing!! We were so excited that Greg sat on the floor and immediately put it together. It is really cute and easy to use (so far). Thanks Karen!! Greg has already figured out that he can sit on the couch and use his foot to make it swing.

Mable had to check this out also.

The most popular question of the weekend was "have you thought of a name yet?". The answer is no. We have discussed several options, but want to keep those to ourselves for now. We will let everyone know as soon as we do, but be prepared - it will be quite a while before we decide.

Greg got to see my belly jump for the first time on Sunday night. The baby was doing some kickboxing on my insides. It is amazing to me that we can actually SEE movement and I love the fact that Greg can now share in the experience.

21 Weeks

It's starting to happen....

My normal clothes are really not fitting me anymore. I find myself spending more and more time standing in the closet every morning trying to find something that fits. Alot of the maternity clothes I have are still a little loose and make me look like a whale (but, sadly, some are actually starting to fit me quite well). My normal clothes are too tight and look a bit trashy. My wardrobe has dwindled to only a few items that I re-use every few days.

I went in and pre-registered at the hospital yesterday. They like for you to do this sometime between 20 and 24 weeks. It was quick and easy, but a little surreal. I had to fill out forms as a parent for my child. We will sign up for our parenting classes in June. Much to Greg's delight, we are planning to take 3 classes - childbirth, new infant care, and breastfeeding. The classes are quite long and are either held several nights a week or over a couple of weekends. Hopefully they will be worth it - we need the help!

We are starting to talk more about our plans for the nursery. Hopefully we will begin to get the room ready in June and order the furniture. We are planning to replace the carpet, install a ceiling fan (to prevent SIDS), and paint the walls and trim. We still have plenty of time, so there is no rush - yet! I am leaning towards chocolate brown and green for the colors, but I have not picked out any specific bedding.

I am headed to Columbia today for a visit. I am hijacking my dear friend, Robyn, for a trip to Babies R Us on Saturday. She now has two kids (ages 3 and 8 months) and is my fountain of advice. I am hoping that the store will not seem so overwhelming with her there to help. I don't know what I would do without her.

I am also going to get to see my brother, David, this weekend. He is finishing up his time at Camp Thunderbird on Friday. He will start graduate school for teaching at the University of South Carolina in August - he finally gets to be a true gamecock! In the meantime, he is going to spend this summer working at his home away from home, Camp Greenville. I am very proud of him and I know that he will make a great teacher!

20 Weeks

I have reached the halfway point! I can't say that time has flown by - it seems to go by very slowly instead.

This was a very exciting week for us. We now know that Greg's blood pressure is going to get higher rather than lower. He claims that he will have to do all of the disciplining, but we will see how he does with a little girl looking up at him with tears in her eyes. It's going to be an adventure.

We have talked about some names and have a few in mind. I think that we may narrow the list down a little more before we start discussing it with others.

Greg was able to feel the baby kick on Wednesday night. I felt the lower part of my stomach tighten up a little followed by some pretty heavy jabs. I put Greg's hand in the right spot and he felt it right away.

I started wearing some of my maternity clothes this week. I have to say - the pants are super comfortable! I think that Greg is terrified that I will never go back to regular pants.

Miss. Mable had her teeth cleaned at the vet this week. They had to knock her out for the procedure, but she seems to be recovering nicely. No extractions! She suddenly stopped eating her dry dog food several weeks ago. I thought that something may have been wrong with her teeth because she would gobble up wet food with no problem. As it turns out, she is just picky and prefers the wet food. She now greets us at the door after work and sticks to me like glue until I feed her. I guess that at 11 years old, she deserves some of the good stuff.

Not the best photo - she was being camera shy!

We are headed to Crystal River today for the maiden voyage. Wish us luck!

It's a ......

We had a great time at TPC yesterday, but it was crazy hot! Even in the shade, it must have been over 90 degrees. We had close encounters with Mickleson, Na, Poulter, Singh, Weir, Villegas, Cabrerra, Perry, Malinger, etc. I fell asleep before 9:00 last night.

This morning started a little rough for me. I got up, as usual, and ate breakfast. When I started getting ready, I began to feel breathless and a little weak. I had to sit down three times because of dizzy spells. Then it happened - my first time getting sick. Almost 20 weeks pregnant and I get my first morning sickness! Who knows, it could have just been nerves or exhaustion.

A good omen - we saw the momma and her baby duck walk past the entrance to the doctor's office when we arrived:

Before I get to the juicy part, I want to point out that EVERYONE we spoke to thought that we were going to have a boy (except Meia who works with us and is a mother of a boy and a girl). This EVERYONE includes my mother and my husband. I will say that Greg wanted to change his vote after he heard that EVERYONE else also thought it was a boy.

The ultrasound went wonderful (minus the seemingly endless amount of waiting). The baby looks perfect and is measuring 19w5d, which is only a day off of the original estimate of 19w4d. The baby now weighs 11 ounces. All of the organs and appendages look healthy.

Now the good part - the technician checked three times and she was pretty darn certain that it is a GIRL! After the shock wore off, Greg immediately began his plans for purchasing a length of chain and a used radiator. We are both thrilled. I can now go and purchase one of those adorable orange and blue polka-dot dresses that I have been eyeing! Let the naming game begin!

Below is from the dvd we received from the ultrasound. It is about 3 and 1/2 minutes long.

Job Security

Sadly, it is occurrences like this that keep business booming for us:

http://www.baynews9.com/VideoPlayer/?Sinkhole_Folo_57

Out with the Old, In with the New

In preparation for our expanding family, Greg decided that he needed a boat that would be better suited for children. After much research (I am pretty sure that he is now an expert on the subject), he decided which kind of boat he wanted. He listed his old boat on Craiglist:

After less than 24 hours and much interest, he was able to sell the boat for slightly more than he paid for it 2 years ago.

Greg has now fallen in love and I am not even angry at him for cheating on me! Tuesday night, he pulled into the driveway with this baby:

It is much roomier and more suited to my sunbathing and reading a book while he fishes. Unfortunately, Greg is now having to make some adjustments to the gate into the backyard and the concrete slab because the new boat is quite a bit wider (and heavier) than the old one. I know that he is in love because he has not complained one single time about the work involved in moving the fence and pouring concrete.

We had planned the maiden voyage for this Sunday. He wanted to finish the work on the fence and install the trolling motor on Saturday. Fate is messing with him because we were able to score VIP tickets to TPC at Sawgrass on Sunday. You can't really turn these down, so the voyage will be put off for another week. Now that he HAS complained about!

18 Weeks (a little late)

I have now reached the 18 week mark. Things still seem to be changing slowly. I am definitely more round than before I became pregnant, but it is happening very gradually. I am still wearing my regular pants - only I have to unbutton them when I am sitting for extended periods. It's a little embracing when I forget to button up when I stand up! I have used the Bella Band twice now and quite like it. It has gotten more difficult to bend over - I can't imagine what it will be like in a few months. I hope someone invents spray-on lotion soon because my legs seem more difficult to reach everyday.

Saturday gave me my fist scare. I woke up having a pulling/twitching sensation in my stomach/abdominal area. I tried not to be too concerned at first, but it continued to happen fairly often all morning. By about 10:00, I was worried. I had a suspicion that it was Braxton Hicks contractions, but I thought 18 weeks was a little early to have these. After some nervous waiting, I was reassured by those with more experience that it was, in fact, Braxton Hicks. My mom said that she started getting them early and often. I feel better now and I have not had any since Saturday.

In other news, little Bilbo is kicking much harder now (soccer player?). I can feel little jabs every now and then when I am sitting. The location seems to change fairly often, so I guess he/she is doing some flips also. Based on my width, I am guessing that the baby is laying sideways. I seem to be growing side to side rather than front to back. Awesome!

The ultrasound is now less than a week away. We are both very excited. They are going to give us a dvd of the whole thing, so be prepared. We will probably make EVERYONE we know watch it! We have ramped up the name discussion a little, but are still no where near a decision. I want to wait and see what the little bugger looks like!3