Baby Showers & Baby Names

On Tuesday I met up with Lauren, who is planning my baby shower with Hayley. We decided on July, specific date still to be decided. We will have Audrey in town at the beginning of the month, and I think it would be fun for her to get to celebrate her new baby brother or sister with me and my family. I definitely want her to feel included, and I think she'd have a lot of fun. Thoughts?

So far I haven't had many name suggestions (maybe because I'm picky and no one feels like getting shot down). Mom suggested Francis for a baby name (reasoning: it's good for a boy or a girl, and who doesn't like a kid named Franki?). I had to say no! Chris thinks I shouldn't have been so quick to reject it, but I can't do it. I worked with a horrible woman named Frances at the massage school, and that name will forever remind me of her. Sorry mom! She also mentioned naming the baby (if it's a boy) after my dad, Robert, if he's born on October 7th (his birthday). I like the idea, but I'm not sure I want to tie it to a specific date. I think it would be a great name regardless of the date, so it's been added to our list.

I was thinking about waiting until the baby is born to share the name we decide on with everyone. That way, I won't have to deal with any potential negative comments from anyone. I feel like once the name is tied to my outside baby, people are less likely to tell me how they really feel. When the baby is still in my belly, no one is afraid to say "that name sucks" because it's not really official yet. That being said, we all know how patient I am, so we better pick a really good name! There's no way I won't let it slip before September.

13 weeks, goodbye 1st trimester

Hello 2nd trimester, nice to finally meet you. I hope that we can get along, I hear that you're pretty good to pregnant women. I would really appreciate any extra energy you may have for me because I'm tired of going to bed at 8:30 every night. Also, Kristen is about to join us here and I'd like you to be nice to her as well. I think we're going to be good friends.

Last weekend I went to a baby shower with Cindy, Chris' step-mom. I was a little hesitant to go at first because she was the only person I knew there, but decided it would be fun to have some bonding time with her. It was great! I loved her family, she has four sisters (!) and they were all really sweet. I met Nana, who told me that when she had children, they didn't have ultrasounds and the doctor had to guess gender based on heartbeat. She said that he got it wrong 4 times out of 5, haha. I guess I just looked kind of fat because no one knew I was pregnant, aside from a few people that Cindy had told. When Cindy introduced me, Nana leaned over and very sweetly said "she's expecting." Nana knows everything!

The big news of this week was the sonogram I had on Tuesday! Chris got stuck at work, so I invited my mom to come with me. I'm glad she got to go, it was so neat seeing baby wiggle around in there. He did a lot of stretching and kicked his legs around. Baby's mouth did not stop moving! Guess that comes from me, haha. The tech zoomed in on the heart and I could see the heartbeat. That was amazing, it still looks strong! She showed me both sides of the brain, which I thought was pretty neat. I wish Chris had been able to see it, but I brought pictures home for him and he'll be at the ultrasound next month.

I'm looking forward to this weekend! We may go camping, and I'm trying to decide between a friend's baby shower (at 6pm) and my little sister's state color guard competition (at 6:45). I already said I'd be at the shower, but state competition is pretty big and I'd get to hang out with cousin Becca who is in town for the weekend. Decisions, decisions.

Here's me in the bathroom at work yesterday, I looked in the mirror and went "whoa!" so I had to take a picture.

Here's me this morning (excuse the tired face, it was 6am)

It's exciting to finally have a bump! I'm already afraid that I'm going to be super huge by the end, so I'll enjoy the little one while I've got it. Last night Chris said I should be happy I'm showing already because it makes everything more real for the both of us. I'm glad he likes it :)

12 weeks, maternity clothes

I made it to 12 weeks! Some people consider this the end of the first trimester, but technically it's 13 weeks and 3 days. I'm going to say 13 weeks.Time is still flying by, and a lot is happening in the next couple of months. I have my first trimester screening next Tuesday, where they will measure the baby and do a few tests. The best part is that Chris and I get to see the baby for a while when they do the ultrasound. I hope I get some good pictures to share with everyone.

I have another appointment (that should be less eventful) 2 weeks after the ultrasound, and I'm going to schedule my BIG GENDER REVEALING ULTRASOUND (can you tell I'm excited?) 2-3 weeks after that. Every time I think about the moment when we find out if we're having a boy or a girl, I cry. Like right now, I just can't help it. It makes me so happy, it's like the next step in meeting Baby T. We can start picking out a name and my family and I can finally commence the world's biggest baby shopping spree.

To clear things up, I am not waiting to find out the gender so I know if I need pink or blue clothes, I'm not really into the whole pink and blue thing. I'm sure that some things will skew in that direction, but I prefer more neutral designs. This being said, I just feel like I'll have a better idea of what I like when I know for sure. I'm also VERY excited about decorating the nursery. My grandma has graciously offered to make the bedset herself, all I have to do is pick out some fabrics that I like. I love everything my grandma makes and means so much to me for her to make something for the baby. Chris wants to help me pick out baby things, I just hope I don't completely overwhelm him.

Update on maternity clothes- Chris took me to Old Navy last Saturday and I finally bought some! Why didn't I do this earlier? I bought some low rise jeans (with a stretchy band around the waist), a couple of really cute skirts that Chris insisted that I needed (and I love them), and a few shirts. I've never been more comfortable in my life. They're like pajama jeans, it's amazing. I was going to wait a few weeks to get a few more things, but my friend Heather (who has the most adorable 8 month old you've ever seen, and also has a pretty good blog) sent me a coupon to oldnavy.com... Good thing I got paid today! I'm picking up a pair of capris, a pair of skinny maternity jeans (don't worry, I tried them on at the store and they work) and some more shirts. I'm in maternity clothing heaven today.

Lastly, I don't know that I've quite "popped," but I feel like I'm 5 times bigger than I was last week. What do you think?

My First Fun Pregnant Weekend

A good friend of mine invited me to her girls' wine and game night this past Saturday. I was a little hesitant about going at first, I was afraid I wouldn't know anyone but the hostess, I'd be the awkward pregnant woman, no one would like me and I'd have to sit there drinking water. Chris told me I was overreacting and that I'd have a good time (plus he got a guilt free guys' night since I was out). I went, and I'm glad I did.

Lauren, our hostess, bought me a bottle of "alcohol removed" white zinfandel, which is basically like the "near beer" of wine, but tastier than beer. It had .5% alcohol, but a glass of regular wine here and there is safe so I wasn't worried, and I'm not quite ready to try regular wine at the moment. It didn't taste like juice, it actually tasted just like wine. I was pretty impressed, and it made me feel like part of the group. Everyone there was super friendly, a few asked about the baby, and it wasn't awkward at all. My friend Hayley was there to talk to, so it helped break the tension a little. I felt like I had a slight advantage playing the games since I wasn't drinking, but everyone claimed that it was because I had two brains working together now, haha. I thought Chris was spending the night out camping, so I had the nice surprise of him coming home (early!) that night.

We spent Sunday afternoon at the Zilker Kite Festival with John and Kristen. We had cheese and crackers and some other snacks, laid out on a blanket under a tree and watched the kites. Kristen brought a pretty sweet $1 Buzz Lightyear kite and the boys took turns flying it, it was pretty cute. John mentioned that at this time next year, we'd be sitting here again with our 6 month olds! I thought that was so sweet, and it made me even more excited about Baby T's arrival!

11 weeks (3/10/10)

Most of the moms I've talked to have told me how slow time goes by when you're pregnant, but it is flying by! Didn't I just find out I was pregnant last week? Now I'm nearing the end of my first trimester! Life is definitely changing quickly.

First off, maternity clothes? I feel like I'm not big enough for them yet, but I have definitely outgrown every pair of pants I own. Like, can't even zip them. I have only gained a few pounds, but it looks and feels like more! I feel like I'm showing, but I know it's just my organs being pushed up by my little kumquat baby (who is currently nesting a couple of inches below my belly button). I've gotten to the point of wearing leggings and a dress every day because it's all that fits, and geez it's comfortable. I've only told a few people at work, I wonder if anyone else has noticed yet? I doubt it, just looking at me you'd think I've been eating a bit too much. When you combine that with me, well, eating constantly, I can see how people may get that impression.

I feel a million times better than I did last week! I still have my moments, but finally hearing the baby's heartbeat this week put everything into perspective. Knowing that I've got a healthy little one growing outweighs everything else.

Speaking of the heartbeat, I had a crazy trip to the doctor this week. Chris and I went on Monday afternoon. When we got there, the nurse warned us, saying not to be worried if she couldn't find the heartbeat because it's pretty early still. As soon as she put the doppler on my belly it came through loud and clear! She said "strong heartbeat... it's a boy." Haha. Of course she was joking, but now Chris has even more reason to believe it's a boy! I'll be thrilled whether it's a boy or a girl, and I know he will too.

After the heartbeat, I had some blood drawn. I told the nurse I'm a little wary of needles and would prefer not to see the needle or any blood. Then I jokingly promised that I wouldn't pass out. About 4 vials in, I started to feel really dizzy. Like, really really intoxicatingly dizzy. Next thing I know, Chris is holding my head telling me to breathe and someone is putting a cold towel on my neck. Apparently I said "I'm dizzy" and then just fell over in my chair. The nurse ran out of the room to get a towel and left poor Chris standing there to deal with me all by himself! He handled it well, and it helped having him there when I came to. When we left, the nurse said "don't be a hero and try to walk out of here on your own, hold onto him," haha. It wasn't that bad! Next time I just need to remember to breathe and I think I'll be okay.

The doctor scheduled me for a 1st trimester screening ultrasound in 2 weeks. We'll get to see the baby! I'm excited because we'll be looking at a little person and not just a squirmy blob like last time. I'm not too worried about the tests, I know that they aren't 100% accurate and just tell you how likely your baby is to have any problems. I'm sure the baby will be completely healthy, but we'll love him (or her!) no matter what.

We also just found out that Chris' little girl is coming to stay with us for a month this summer! A MONTH! I'm so excited, we're getting her "very own pink room" put together. We've got a bunk bed that she's going to love, I can't wait to see her again!

10 weeks (3/4/10)

Today marks the day that I've completed 25% of my pregnancy! Hooray! Now, why can't I be happier about this?

For the past couple of weeks I've just been bummed, and I can't always explain it. I feel fat. I know that gaining weight is a part of pregnancy, but I feel constantly judged by everyone around me. This morning, I told Chris that I officially can't button any of my jeans when I sit down because of my gut. He said it's because my butt is getting bigger. Am I just being sensitive, or was there no reason for that? I said no, it's because of my gut. He says, it is your butt, it's storing things for the baby. Um, no, that's not how it works. The baby is up front, and I told him thank you for ruining my day and making me feel like a fatass.

I started to feel better (and hungry) when I was driving to work, so I stopped at the grocery store to get breakfast and some snacks. Well, I came out with poptarts, rice krispy treats, beef jerky, peach rings and lean pockets. I made a comment on fb about how I'm glad I got the lean kind, otherwise I'd feel guilty. I got a comment (from a pregnant friend) saying yeah, because that's how nutrition works. The bad part is I know she wasn't making fun of me, she was playing along (come on, Jess, she's pregnant, she understands) but I got so upset that I deleted the entire post and stopped eating my poptart. I actually considered throwing everything away and going out to buy carrots and salad, but I just can't stomach rabbit food these days.

I'm moody, constantly arguing with Chris, and even when I start the argument I expect him to understand that I'm pregnant and hormonal and to try to comfort me instead of making me feel like I'm crazy. Is that unrealistic? He always comes around pretty quickly, but in the moments of arguing I feel my worst. I can see how ridiculous I look crying over nothing (like when we had to leave Target because I got so overwhelmed by baby furniture I couldn't hold myself together!) but I can't stop! I tell him constantly not to take it personally, but I feel like he takes offense every time I get upset with him. Poor guy, I'm sure I'm stressing him out.

Still, throughout all of this I never ever doubt how much I want this baby, and how genuinely happy I am every time I think about holding my little one. I have a human being growing inside of me. What do I have to be upset about? All I can say is I hope the second trimester gives me a small break from the hormonal outbursts, because I'm ready for everyone to see how excited I am!

9 weeks (2/24/10)

For the past couple of weeks, I've felt like I should be blogging or journaling about my baby adventures thus far, but I just hadn't been feeling it yet. Up until this week I wasn't even interested in shopping for the baby. I felt bad about it, because I am SO excited about the baby, I guess it just hasn't completely sunk in yet. 9 weeks seems like a long time, but I've only known for 5 weeks. It's finally feeling real and I'm ready to talk about it (and maybe make a few early purchases while I'm at it!).

Here's what you've missed.

January 19th, 1st BFP (I took the test to work with me and kept checking on it to see if it changed...it didn't!)

January 20th, 2nd and 3rd BFP (I had a little trouble believing the first one!)

January 20th is also the day I told Chris. He had been out of town all week, and I couldn't wait to tell him. As soon as he got home, I freaked out! I didn't know what to say. I gave him a hug and he asked me what was wrong because he could feel my heart beating so fast. I tried to tell him then, but no words came out. It was so strange. I finally told him before bed that night. I asked him what he thought about turning one of the bedrooms into a nursery. A nursery for what? For the baby. What baby? Our baby. What? I'm due in September. Are you serious!? Haha, he was very excited and has been so supportive. I couldn't do this without him.

January 25th, I told my mom. Chris and I had talked about waiting until 8-12 weeks to tell anyone, but he managed to tell his father, mother, grandmother and sister before I could blink! I saw that his sister had mentioned it on facebook (I can't blame her, it made me so happy to see her excited!) that I figured it was probably a good idea to let my family know before they found out through the grapevine. I called my mom on the way home from work. I don't know if I've ever been so nervous in my life. I think she stopped breathing for a minute, but she took it well. It was such a relief to hear her say she was happy (as long as I was happy), and gave her the go ahead to tell everyone and their dog the good news!

January 29th, moving day. We moved from Austin to Blanco, a tiny little town about an hour south of Austin. Chris went to HS there and had nothing but great things to say about it. I'd been commuting to San Antonio for work, and it happens to be halfway between our jobs so it worked out perfectly. After a few small (HUGE) issues with the house, we got settled in. It's quiet, it's close to our families, it's big enough for us, baby, and Chris' 4 year old. I love it.

February 10th, 1st ultrasound. We got to see the baby for a few moments. Honestly, all I could see was a little white blob (baby) inside a black bean (uterus). We could see it moving and the doctor told us it was the heartbeat. I thought I'd cry the first time I saw the baby, but all I said was "aw." I mean, it's a blob, I'm sorry. I was all smiles for the rest of the day, Chris kept making fun of me! It felt so reassuring to know that there's a healthy little one in there, just growing away.

That brings us to the present. As of today, I have yet to suffer from the throwing up part of morning sickness. I feel sick just about every afternoon up until after dinner, but I'm thankful that I'm not hurling every hour like some other women. The worst part for me is being tired. So. Dang. Tired. I just want to sleep all the time! When it's finally time to sleep, I wake up 2-4 times to go to the bathroom, turn down the heat, or just lay there staring at the ceiling. Chris has been really understanding, makes me eat when I'm not feeling well, and has even volunteered to clean the kitchen and cook dinner for me a few times. He still eats all the ice cream, though.

Oh, I almost forgot! My good friend Kristen found out shortly after I did that she's pregnant too! Her due date is 5 or 6 days after mine, and I couldn't be happier! Congrats again, Kristen! I can't wait to share all of the wonderful and horrible moments of our first pregnancies together!

I will be posting belly pictures as soon as I feel like there's something to show aside from the glorious pregnancy bloat I've been sporting for the past month. :)

(update: ok, here it is...)