There Will Be No Weigh In This Week

I'm boycotting this weeks weigh in due to the holidays. I refuse to upset myself over it, I am sure I gained more weight than I should have this week with 3 days of non-stop unhealthy eating.

Bah-Humbug!

More Things Nobody Tells You

Since becoming pregnant I have discovered many things that nobody tells you about, it is some sort of unspoken code of pregnancy. Maybe women think that if they tell you these things you would never have children or maybe women who have had children suddenly forget about all the uncomfortable, icky things that happen to their bodies during pregnancy because they see that beautiful baby and the memories leave their heads. Either way, here is my list of discoveries in no particular order (I'm sure I'll have more by the time this is all over):

1. Peeing: according to all my pregnancy books the frequent urination was supposed to get better in like the 4th or 5th month, total LIE, damn liars!!!!!! I pee all the time, although it could be because my baby is still very low and pushing on my bladder. I can look at it this way though, at least I might not experience that "drop" women talk about that causes their bladders to go into overdrive or I'll exprience that "drop" and have to wear Depends. Should I start cutting coupons for them??

2. Leaky Boobs: Serioiusly??? Is this preperation for what will be a breastfeeding nightmare?? I cried when I discovered this the other day and my husband cracked up laughing. He found this so funny. I on the other hand do not find it funny.

3. Constipation: I could write a chapter on this subject. When you go from being able to go every single day to strugging to go even once a week it can drive you to insanity. I even consume the same amount of Fiber One or All Bran cereal that I did pre-pregnancy and nothing!!! Today though I'm going on a search for something, anything that will help, prune juice, prunes, metamucil, bring it on!

4. Strugging to get out of bed: Since I pee so much and my nights, when I'm supposed to be sleeping are spent getting up 4 times a night to pee, I have noticed I have to roll out of bed. Yes, I'm rolling out of bed now. It is hot. Call me Shamu.

5. Getting off the couch: I used to love our furniture, big, soft, comfy, it is the kind of furniture you just sink into. Well, this kind of furniture is a pregnancy nightmare. I was considering telling Jeff we needed new furniture, that is how bad it is. At least Jeff helps me up when he is here. When he isn't here it is a complete riot to see me get off the couch, the dog is probably laughing inside at me as she witnesses this ridiculous event.

6. Shaving: Let me just say one thing, bending over is difficult, therefore I have been shaving my legs once every 3 weeks. I look like sasquatch. BUT, after an impromptu internal exam at the OB office this week due to spotting I have vowed to shave once a week now, no matter how hard it is, because you never know when an exam like this could pop up again. I'm sure my doctor has seen worse and she probably wasn't even looking at my legs but from the moment the nurse said undress from the waist down I wanted to run out of there in search for a razor.

7. Sleeping: Good luck because you won't get a good nights sleep, EVER! Between the peeing and being totally uncomfortable I can't sleep. I'm putting the Christmas gift from my MIL to good use today and buying a body pillow, among some other fun stuff for the baby at Kohls today with my gift card. This is why I was up at 4:45 a.m. on a Sunday, I just couldn't get comfortable so I said F it and got up.

8. Baby movement: I love feeling my baby move, it is awesome, but sometimes it feels like the movie Alien. I'm not lying, it does. I've been woke up by this alien like movement many times and let me tell you about it, F-R-E-A-K-Y. I swear the baby is trying to claw it's way out my side. Oh and don't forget that the baby will find itself perched on your bladder and make you feel like you have to pee but you really don't, it is just the baby using your bladder as a trampoline.

9. Husbands have no sympathy at times: I say, my back hurts, he says "I was so busy at work I'm too tired to rub your back." Don't get me wrong, I love Jeff, he is fabulous, but sometimes men just don't understand. I'd like to see an actual man go through a pregnancy. And I'm not talking about the she/he that just gave birth. I mean a real man, you know the kind of man that thinks he is dying if he has a tiny little head cold. Could you see a man 7 months pregnant doing half the stuff we do?? I mean I still cook every night, clean, do all the laundry, work all day, workout 4-5 times a week, etc... No wonder my back hurts all the time.

Despite all of these issues I have encountered I'd still get pregnant again because the end result will make it all worth it in the end. I'll probably go back to my blog in 3 or 4 months after the baby is here and go what was I talking about because seeing my baby will probably make me forget all of the crazy things that happen during a pregnancy.

Nobody Told Me About This One

My boobs are leaking something clear. This must be one of those unspoken joys of pregnancy. I noticed it yesterday but brushed it off as leftover water from the shower I had taken. It happened several more times today, I looked at Jeff and started crying over it. He laughed and told me to get some band aids.

Holy 3rd Trimester (almost) Batman!

I just realized that next Thursday I will officially be in the 3rd trimester. I'm just so surprised at how fast everything has gone by. Before I know it I'll be in the hospital in a sexy hospital gown showing my goods to random doctors and nurses, while trying to push out a baby the size of a turkey.

When I think back on the day I found out I was pregnant it seems like it was yesterday and now here I am 3 months away from meeting my little one. Amazing! I hope daddy starts working in your room again so you have somewhere to sleep, otherwise Maizy has offered you her dog bed for a while. Oh and she even says you can use one of her toys as a pillow, right now she is offering you Mr. Lobster but she claims that may change in 3 months, check back with her on your birthday.

Crazy Baby!!

I have a wild one in there!! Baby moves all the time. I can now see my belly move through a sweatshirt!! Here is my list of things that provoke the baby:

1. The band on my maternity jeans
2. Sugar of any kind
3. My morning coffee and afternoon Diet Sunkist (yeah, I totally listened on that no caffeine thing)
4. When mommy finally settles down to go to sleep
5. When it is time for mommy to wake up (your like my personal built in alarm clock telling me to get my butt out of bed and go to the gym)

Baby also likes pushing on my bladder, which is oh so fun, nothing like a swift kick in the bladder to make you run a marathon to the first toilet you can find.

-8 Degree Wind Chill and No Weight Gain

We have a -8 degree wind chill today, yipee!!! Don't you just love good old Northwest Ohio??? Jeff is taking me to the grocery store this morning because I shop at Aldi and I want some help bagging the groceries, last week it was a major event for me when I went alone. We are also supposed to pick our crib up, but it is -8 degrees and Jeff isn't in the mood. I'm going to call Babies R'Us to find out if there is a delivery option. The crib is so large it will not even fit in our full sized SUV and we don't know anyone with a pickup truck so he was going to rent the Lowe's truck for $25. I figure at this point it is worth it to pay someone else to bring it over, that is if the evil empire has that option.

I also have no weight gain to report this week, weird. I was expecting to have hit that number I've never seen before. I think it might have something to do with the fact that all the junk food was gone at work this week so I couldn't walk by the big counter and grab truffles at will.

Level Pregnant Snow/Ice Emergency

We started getting ice around 3:30 a.m. today. I got up at 5:15 a.m. to go to the gym, I opened my front door and went, oooh, ice. I decided to not go to the gym and start working on cleaning my car off for work. I knew it would be bad and to get myself to work today I'd have needed to leave by at least 7 a.m. After a lot of thought and knowing that this storm is just like the one we had when I got in a bad accident a few years ago when I attended Owens I decided to pull the "I'm Pregnant Card" at work and call myself in a snow day. It just isn't worth it to me to drive all the way out there and be beyond stressed the entire way in and most likely the entire way home tonight. And besides what are they going to do, fire me?? I already quit! LOL

I hope everyone else is safe out there today because it is nasty. Please be careful if you have to go anywhere.

Bending Over

Bending over has become quite the challenge. I didn't realize how much stuff you accomplish in a day by just bending over.

Here is my list of things I struggle to do now:

1. Taking laundry out of the basket
2. Putting laundry in and taking it out of the dryer
3. Putting on my shoes
4. Getting things out of cabinets that are down low
5. Taking things off of shelves that are lower in stores
6. Putting pants on
7. Putting socks on
8. Putting underwear on
9. Cleaning off the dogs paws
10. Putting things in the oven
11. Shaving my legs (poor Jeff)

Jeff's latest thing to say to me is "You look like your struggling" Grrrrrrr, of course I am, I'm out of breath just trying to put shoes on!! He had to help me yesterday, it was cute.

I May Hit the 150 Mark This Week

I have a feeling I'm going to either hit the 150 mark on the scale or come really close to it this week. I only made it to the gym one day and did yoga one day and my work holiday party was Thursday. I ate so much yummy, yet not healthy food at the holiday party. It was worth it though, I love a good steak!

I also broke 2 pregnancy food rules, hehe. I had my steak done medium and I ate Brie cheese, shame on me!!!

3D Ultrasound

Jeff and I are considering jumping on the creepy 3D ultrasound bandwagon. I called the ultrasound place in town and they suggested waiting until I'm somewhere between 30 and 32 weeks to do one. We can get a package for $75 which includes 15 minutes of ultrasound time and 8 pictures. I don't have to decide right now, the woman I talked to told me I could call a week or two before I hit the 30 week mark to schedule one. This would be our Christmas gift to each other.

Before Pictures of the Baby Room

Here are the before pictures of the baby room. I took these last weekend when we cleaned the room out. I'm not even sure what this room was supposed to be, I guess an office since there was a desk in it, but honestly it was a junk room. If we weren't sure where to put something we'd just say, "Oh put it in the room with the blue carpet." I think we threw away 75% of the stuff we found in this room, why we saved any of the junk is beyond me. Although Jeff's awesome softball trophy that you see in one picture did end up being displayed on his dresser in the bedroom all last week, it has since disappeared, let's hope it went into the trash.

I have no idea when the room will be done. Our goal is before the baby shower on January 25, but I suspect it will before then, we don't have much to do now that it is cleaned out. Jeff is going to install laminate flooring, put a chair rail up around the room and replace the floor moulding. As soon as it is done though I'll post the after pictures.

Baby Loot

I have bought a few things for the baby, received a few gifts for the baby and my mom gave me a blanket for the baby. I wanted to share all the fun baby loot I've received up to this point. Enjoy!


These are my first two cloth diapers, I bought them last week online. They are BumGenius 3.0 One Size All In One Diapers. They are a diaper and cover all in one, they get stuffed with the inserts you see that are next to the two diapers. They also grow with the baby so I won't have to buy new ones when the baby gets larger. These are very user friendly compared to a prefold diaper. I plan on using mostly prefolds, but these are nice for people who are used to disposables and will be great for traveling.


Several months ago, we are talking when I first found out I was pregnant, I purchased this adorable little baby outfit, the blanket and the bib. Notice I'm sticking with my puppy theme. And no just because two of the items are blue that doesn't mean I'm having a boy, like I said these were purchased well before we could even found out the sex.


The awesome travel agent I use for work crocheted this gorgeous blanket for me. She had it delivered via courier to the office last week, I was ecstatic! I can't wait to wrap our little girl or boy up in it.


This is a blanket my mom had been saving for me in her cedar chest. It was given to her by a client when she was pregnant with me back in her hairstylist days. The woman that gave it to her cross stiched the adorable animals onto the blanket. When I found out I was pregnant my mom washed the blanket and brought it over to me. It will make a perfect addition to the baby room.


My fabulous cousin Amy has sent me lots of fun baby stuff. She had this t-shirt made for her baby dog Simone when she found out she was pregnant, so when I told her I was pregnant she sent it to me all the way from Texas. Maizy isn't very excited about it, which is why I don't have a picture of it in her yet and I just didn't have it in me to hog tie the dog today. I'll get a picture soon though.


I told you Amy was fabulous, she sent me enough onesies to get me through our baby's first year. I also received a few pairs of baby socks, they crack me up because I can't believe how tiny they are! They were worn by her little cutie, Milo, but he has since grown out of them so she shipped them off to me. I currently store them in this bag, but soon they will get folded all nice and neat and put in the baby's dresser.


Amy also sent me these super cute puppy burp clothes, a bib and a little white blanket. She also sent me some hilarious, super tiny baby shoes, but they are put away somewhere. I do have them, but with the mess the baby room has become they have been misplaced for the time being. Thank You Amy, David, Milo and Simone, we appreciate everything you have sent us!


Here is a picture of Maizy posing with her new toy. Jeff took her to the groomer yesterday morning and because he is a sucker for a sad dog he bought her this new toy and surprised her with it when we picked her up.


Another picture of my spoiled puppy dog.

Another 2.5 Pounds!!!!!

I'm not sure why that bothers me so much. I haven't gained that much weight and I'm on track as far as the guidelines go, but it still freaks me out. I've never seen the numbers 150 on a scale and I'm getting closer to it. I can tell my belly has had a huge growth spurt over the last 2-3 weeks though so let's just say the extra weight came from the expansion of my uterus which is now allowing the baby to kick up by my belly button rather than kick into my bladder. I will say I'm thankful for that :o)

I'm Afraid

I'm afraid of my weekly weigh in this week. After the 2.5 lb jump last week I'm afraid of another big one. I'm not really sure why I'm afraid because I am pregnant, it is just weird to see the scale go up I guess. It is hard to explain.

One, Two, Three, Four, Nothing Fits Me Anymore

I have given in to the fact that not many of my pre-pregnancy clothes will be worn again until after the baby, so I cleaned out my closets and dresser. Everything is packed nicely into Rubbermaid storage containers until they fit again. It was a sad day, I even found some of my "bar tramp" clothes (at least that is what Jeff calls them). It was sad to see them go, I'm not even keeping those little camisoles and strapless tops, they are going to the resale shop tomorrow, some young girl will be thrilled to get them. I have a load of clothing that will be going to the Goodwill and about 80 pairs of underwear that I haven't worn in years that will be going into the trash.

We also started cleaning out the baby room. What a project. I'll post pictures later. I wish we hadn't junked it up so much, oh well, it will be clean soon.

Pregnancy Comments and Questions

Since becoming pregnant I've noticed some people think they need to ask you dumb questions or give dumb advice. Maybe they think they are being helpful, but really they are not, they are just annoying or maybe I'm just sick of hearing the same crap over and over again from different people. Here is my basic list of things I've heard about 1000 times:

1 - What are you craving?

2 - Wow, you don't look like you have gained much, you need to gain more. (NEWSFLASH, my weight gain is right on track)

3 - How are you feeling? (I realize this is harmless, but when you hear the question like 50 times a week it gets old)

4 - Should I be saving all my pink stuff for you?? (wink, wink) This is a sneaky question from others trying to trip me up to tell what I'm having.

5 - You HAVE to get drugs during labor. I had every drug they offered me and it was wonderful, I didn't even know I had a baby. (sure it was because you were high as a kite!, ok really I'm allergic to a lot of the pain meds given during childbirth so honestly I'm not sure what I can or want to take, I really don't want to break out in a rash, itch or feel like I just had 5 margaritas from El Camino while in labor)

6 - Are you going to breastfeed?? (seriously, this is kind of personal and the sad thing is I've been asked it like 100 times by people who really shouldn't be asking me that aka MEN! yeah, I know, weird)

7 - How many people are you going to have in the delivery room? (Hmmmm, let me think, myself, Jeff and whatever hospital staff needs to be there) I then get a perplexed look as though I'm crazy for not wanting to expose my crotch and ass to people who shouldn't be looking. I think I'll start telling people well, as long as I get to attend the next Pap test of whoever attends, feel free to watch. I'm just picturing some of these people with a grandstand of family members awaiting the arrival of the baby. I realize that grandmothers to be are very excited, but it is also my birth and my body and I'm very private, therefore I don't want visitors until AFTER the baby gets here.

8 - So, if you are not telling anyone the sex what am I supposed to buy you?? (hmmmm, I don't know, I didn't realize that babies needed an extensive wardrobe, maybe buy me a few bottles!)

22 Week Baby Bump!!

I haven't posted a baby bump picture since 17 weeks!!! I'm such a slacker. I promise to be better about this and at least post a new one every 2 weeks from now on.

I'm loving my designer matenity jeans, they don't even look like maternity jeans, do they???? I paid $115 for them at Mimi, but they were worth it. I ended up having them hemmed because I'm short and I swear every single pair of maternity jeans are meant for someone 5 inches taller than me.

Baby says: HAPPY TURKEY DAY!!!

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble!!!

We just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Turkey Day!! Enjoy all the yummy food!! Baby can't wait to try some of mommy's chocolate swirl cheesecake with an Oreo crust.

Weight Gain Log

I'm always curious as to how much women gain during pregnancy so I have decided to add to my blog a weight gain log. Enjoy!

Week in Review

This last week was a big week for us. We had the big ultrasound on Wednesday and yes we found out the sex and no we are not telling anyone. Neener, neener, neener! It will be revealed at the shower though, so hold your pants for another 2 months, you will find out January 25.

Everything looked great, the baby was measuring on the big side and the ultrasound tech told me the machine was giving her a due date a week earlier than what was originally thought. The doctor said that was not a reason to move the due date though because everyone is different and every baby grows at different rates. There are general guidelines as far as weight goes for what week you are in your pregnancy and they are meant as guides only. She said if my due date was anymore than 3 weeks off then it might be changed. So I've come to the conclusion the baby will either come earlier than expected or come late and be gigantic!

The baby was moving all over the place, he/she had it's hands in it's mouth, it was kicking up a storm, doing flips and it even turned it's head and looked at us!! I'm in love already :o) Jeff was ecstatic that he actually saw the baby for longer than 2 seconds since he was 30 minutes late to the 12 week scan. The tech spent about 30 minutes checking everything out and taking measurments so it was very cool we had that much time to look at the baby. I won't see the baby again until he/she is born though.

My weight gain as of 21 weeks is a whopping 9.5 lbs!!!! Not too shabby!! I really am hoping to keep the total weight gain to 20-25 lbs, but we will see. I workout 5 mornings a week and try my hardest to eat healthy, but sometimes I have to cave into those ice cream cravings.

What Are You Doing in There Baby?

Here is what I think you are doing when I feel you move if you are a boy:

1. Playing soccer
2. Hitting a baseball
3. Practicing passes with the football

Here is what I think you are doing when I feel you move if you are a girl:

1. Playing barbie
2. Styling your hair
3. Applying makeup

The other night Maizy was laying on my belly and you kicked her in the head, was that your way of saying watch out doggie because I'm taking over this house when I bust outta here.

Wednesday is my big ultrasound and we will be able to see you again, hopefully you are moving all around. We are hoping to find out if you are a boy or a girl but if we don't that is OK too. I should also let all my blog readers know that the sex will be kept a secret until the shower, if you come to my shower and I have blue cupcakes you will know the baby is a boy and if we have pink cupcakes that obviously means girl. If the cupcakes are some other color then you will know the baby didn't cooperate and we will be surprised at the delivery.

Non Baby Related Post

Next time I have to fly I'm having a t-shirt made that says:

"JUST PAY THE FUCKING BAGGAGE FEE FUCKOS!!!"

Seriously!!!!!! I'm so tired of flying and having all the idiots carry on bags that they know full well should be checked just to avoid the baggage fee. Then they all wonder why there is no overhead storage space anymore and can't figure out why the flight attendant is getting frustrated with them trying to shove a large suitcase into the overhead. Traffic getting on to the plane gets all backed up because of these idiots. Yes, it sucks that every single airline charges for bags now, but really when it comes down to it is $15 to check one bag really horrible. Is it worth causing all the problems you cause by trying to carry on bags too large??

Today I saw a couple that had 3 large bags they carried on. I have no idea how they got away with it either. She had a suitcase the size of the one I checked, he had a suitcase the size of the one I checked and they had a large duffel bag. They carried all of this on and you should have seen them trying to stuff it all into the overhead.

I realize that these unnecessary charges the airlines are imposing are completely ridiculous and maybe in some cases people just don't want to pay the extra fee to prove a point, but when you really look at it is $10 or $15 to check a bag too much to ask?? I know that plane tickets are expensive, but in the grand scheme of things the few extra dollars to check a bag cuts down on the problems this is causing. Hopefully the airlines wake up and realize how dumb it was of them to start these baggage fees. Why can't they just add a few bucks to each ticket, I doubt it will stop anyone from traveling.

Have You Not Read the Dear Non-Pregnant Person Letter??

We have employees that live elsewhere in the U.S. and I saw one of them for the first time since becoming pregnant yesterday. He looked at me and said "Are you having twins??" Gah!!!!! I'm not that big!!!!! I should have printed that letter for him.

Pregnancy Weight Gain

I decided to brave the scale Sunday morning. I was still only 9 lbs. up from my pre-pregnancy weight, so that means my weight hasn't change since my last appointment almost 4 weeks ago. I was happy with that. Jeff thought it wasn't enough weight gain, so I informed him that 1/2 lb. per week was the recommended weight gain and according to that I'm right on track. I'm not sure how much weight he thinks I should gain, is it possible he wants me to look like an Orca Whale????

Last Out of Town Trip for Work!!!

This is semi-baby related since I'm quitting my job to be a stay at home mom. I left this morning for Bow, New Hampshire and will return Friday. This is my last out of town trip for work. It is sort of bittersweet. I love New Hampshire, this has always been my favorite place to visit for work, it is gorgeous here and my favorite restaurant is here too. I'll miss that food, but being home with my little one will be better than that food. I have approximately 4 months left at my job and I secretly can't wait to be done. I've tentatively set my last day for March 13, but that may change as I get later into the pregnancy.

I had a follow up to my recent UTI with the OB yesterday, I just peed in a cup to make sure it was gone. I had two UTIs in a row and was paranoid so I asked for a urinalysis. Well, it is gone!!!! I did get to hear the heartbeat, it was 149, the doctor stated again that it was a boy heartbeat. She must be into the old wives tales.

Need a Good Laugh

Check out what our baby will look like, I was laughing so hard I nearly peed myself. He even has Jeff's receding hairline. The pictures I used were from our wedding, I was drinking champagne straight from the bottle and Jeff had my garter around his head. Maybe the baby looks drunk because we were.

Dear Non-Pregnant Person

Dear Non-Pregnant Person,

I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm.

If you are thinking, surely she doesn't mean me, then you should probably read this twice.

1) The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is "Congratulations!" with enthusiasm.

Any other response makes you an ass!

2) Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father, not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase "my baby".

3) On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in #2, the pregnancy, birth and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it. The same goes for the name of the baby.

4) The body of a pregnant women should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus,cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.

5) Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight, ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is "You look fabulous!".

6) By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don't need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes.

7) There is a reason that tickets to the labor & delivery floor of the hospital are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents. Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital and the parents home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to "help out". If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.

8) If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should cleanup the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.

9) The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less. I hope this helps, it sure makes us feel better.

Signed,

All Pregnant Women

Must.Stop.Craving.Cake Batter.Ice Cream

Seriously, Jeff will think I've lost my mind if I ask for $10 ice cream again tonight. I'm sensing a run to Kroger though for a $3 half gallon of something though. Or maybe a pint of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia. Someone please talk me down from the ledge.

Follow Up to My Craving

We went to Coldstone and I got my usual, cake batter ice cream with M&Ms mixed in and a chocolate coated waffle cone bowl. It was pure heaven and I think the baby enjoyed it as well.

My First Real Craving

I'm having a major craving for ice cream tonight even though I'm freezing cold right now. Jeff has agreed to take me to Coldstone for some ice cream, but only if we can stop at Target on the way home so he can shop. I agreed, of course.

Does Gas Kick??

Sunday night Maizy (the dog) and I are curled up in bed watching our favorite show, Desperate Housewives. We were casually chatting about the drama of the show (just kidding, dogs don't talk). Anyways, I felt this weird kicking/bubbly feeling in my lower abdomen. I thought eh, just gas. Well, it happened again a few minutes later, then again, then again. So I put my hand down there and put a little pressure on the area and Holy Crap, whatever it was pushed back about three times. I'm still not totally convinced it was the baby even though the doctor told me I'd feel movement any day now, but then again I don't think gas kicks back or does it???

So if that was the baby it was being crazy, probably because I'd just eaten a slice of cake. I also can't wait to feel it again!!!!

17 Week Baby Bump and New Bra

Here is my belly at 17 weeks:



I would also like to add how cute my outfit was in this picture, I had brown leggings and my favorite brown Ugg boots on.

I noticed this week I was spilling out of my 34Cs, so I bought a new bra today, a 34D. Jeff says this is the best boob job he has ever paid for.

17 Week Appointment

I had my 17 week appointment yesterday with my new OB. I love her!!!! Making the switch was the best thing I could have done. She is very friendly and seems genuinely interested in ME rather than just coming in talking for 5 minutes and leaving so she can move on to the next pregnant lady (which is how I felt at the old OB office). She does all of her deliveries, unless of course she is on vacation or something like that so that made my day. I love the fact that the doctor that I am seeing for the entire pregnancy will most likely deliver my baby rather than whoever happens to be on call that day. The hospital I'm delivering at is literally 2 minutes from my house and has huge birthing suites that I will be in from the time I arrive until the time I leave.

Here are the stats:

Weight Gain so far: 9 lbs.
Baby's Heartbeat: 153 beats per minute

I also have another UTI, I had one 2 weeks ago and my old doctor totally blew it off. I had called her when I thought I had one and she told me on the phone that it wasn't one (without even seeing me!!!) and that I was justing peeing a lot because I'm pregnant. So that evening I was going pee about every 10 minutes and ended up at the ER where the doctor said you have UTI and prescribed me 7 days of Macrobid. I called my old OB the next day to tell her and she still blew me off like I didn't have one. That on top of her lack of personality made me wake up and say to myself, SWITCH DOCTORS NOW. I'm still mad about the ordeal.

The BIG ultrasound was also scheduled for November 19. This is the one where we can find out the sex if we choose. I am already convinced it is a girl, but Jeff swears it is a boy. We will see. If Jeff and I do find out we are keeping it between ourselves and the dog until I reveal it in my fun little game at the baby shower!!

On another note I'm sitting here sipping a Pumpkin Spice Latte (bad, bad, bad Jill - baby doesn't like caffeine).

Baby Gear

With all of my Babies R'Us talk I figured I'd post some pictures of some of the items mentioned in my previous post! Enjoy!

Amy Coe Boppy Pillow in Chocolate Swirl

Graco SafeSeat Infant Carseat in French Roast

Graco SnugRider Infant Carseat Frame

Combi Cosmo EX Stroller in Wasabi

Chicco Polly Highchair in Discovery

Fischer Price My Little Lamb Swing

Oh Babies R'Us

Jeff and I took a trip over to the warehouse of everything baby, also known as Babies R'Us. Since I am a smart shopper I had already purchased and read Baby Bargains, this book tells you everything you need to know about baby gear and it grades every single brand and style of gear. We already know we are getting the Graco Saferide in French Roast, this infant car seat is rated #1, it even beats out those super expensive car seats that will cost you twice as much just because they have a cool name and are made in France. I will not be getting the travel system which is the car seat/stroller combo as all the reviews I've read complain about the stroller being way too heavy, instead I will be getting the Graco Snap N'Go stroller frame which weighs much less. The stroller I have chosen for when the baby can sit up is the Combi Ex in Wasabi. I'm still torn between the Graco Contempo highchair and the Chicco Polly highchair, both don't have the best ratings, but baby bargains did give the Chicco a better review than the Graco. Believe it or not Baby Bargains rates Fischer Price highchairs with the highest rating, but they are ugly and yes I am vain, so we will not be getting the Fischer Price highchair that clashes with my decor. I also plan on getting a Graco Pack n'Play, but have not settled on the style yet, they range in price from $60-$230 depending on which options you want. The ones I've been looking at are in the $130 price range, I just have to narrow down the pattern. Our last item we know for sure we want is the Fischer Price My Little Lamb swing, Jeff is obsessed with baby swings because a friend of his has one and swears by the thing. Let's hope he is right because that little ditty is $150. So, that is what we are getting as far as big stuff is concerned as for the rest of the stuff my mom will be going back with me to complete the final registry. The world of baby bottles, breast pumps, etc... is quite overwhelming. If you have any suggestions on anything else you think I might need PLEASE leave me a comment!!!

One more thing, apparently Jeff thought baby gear was cheap, like he thinks an infant seat should cost $25, not $140. He went into minor sticker shock when we started looking at stuff, I said, what did you think this shit was free!

16 Week Belly Picture!!! And a New OB!

Here is my 16 week belly picture!! You can see a difference between 14 weeks and 16 weeks. Please excuse the blurriness of the picture though, Jeff took it.



On another note I have changed OB practices. I was going to a large practice with I think about 10-12 doctors. I didn't like the idea of having just anyone there that happens to be on call deliver my baby and I knew I didn't like that idea from the moment I became pregnant but was honestly too lazy to do something about it. So this week I woke up and said to myself if you are unhappy you need to do the switch now before it is too late. I found a fabulous female OB that delivers at the hospital that I really want to deliver at. She has another partner in her practice, another female and I couldn't be happier with my decision. The office is also about 2 minutes from my house and so is the hospital I'll deliver at. Gotta love that!!! I have my very first official appointment with her next Friday, October 24th. I have a feeling we will be scheduling the big ultrasound at that appointment. Jeff and I can't wait to see our baby again and I would imagine that will be in about 2-4 weeks.

14 Week Baby Bump

Here it is, the 14 week baby bump I'm sporting. I love it!!! I really started showing like this over the weekend. At first I thought I'd just had one to many slices of pizza, but the bump has stayed and gotten rounder as the week has gone on.

Must Have During Pregnancy

If you are pregnant or have been pregnant you will totally understand why I am saying this is something you must have. If you are not pregnant yet, you will soon understand why I am saying this is something you must have.

PANTY LINERS!

I will spare the details of why it is a must have, but it is just is.

I Promise!

I promise to start taking weekly belly pictures starting this weekend. I said I was going to post one every Saturday or Sunday, but haven't done so since week 10!!! Call me a slacker!

Get Off My Bladder!!!!

I am convinced that my baby enjoys sleeping on my bladder at night. I was up 5 times last night from 10 p.m. until I woke up today at 6:30 a.m. peeing. I'm going to have to have a talk with the Jelly Bean and tell him or her to find something else to sleep on, like maybe my liver. I get my 8 glasses of H2O in before 4 p.m. every day in hopes to pee it all out before bedtime, but it never fails I'm still up peeing. And I know that it isn't a UTI because I have no pain and I peed a lot pre-pregnancy so I kind of figured I would be worse pregnant, but I didn't imagine not sleeping over it. I heard that the baby will move eventually and not be so close to the bladder, but I imagine once the baby grows even bigger it will be kind of hard to avoid the bladder. Don't be surprised if I beg for a catheter and a pee bag soon, LOL.

2nd Trimester Here I Come!!!! and Watch Out ER!!

I'm officially in the 2nd trimester of my pregnancy!!! I can't believe it has already been 3 months, before I know it I'll be holding my baby. So much has happened since the last time I posted. Last week Jeff and I spent 5 days in Orlando, FL. He had a softball tournament, so we spent time going to games and spent time doing other things. We went to Disney's Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, did a little outlet shopping and some swimming in the hotel pool. When we got back Sunday I noticed some pain in my chest on the left side, nothing new, I get this every so often and it normally would go away in a day or two. Well, come Tuesday it has intensified A LOT and I can barely sit at my desk by Tuesday afternoon. My family doctor moved out of town over the summer and I never bothered to find a new one. I called the practice she had been at though to see if I could get an appointment with another doctor, sure they said, next Monday! I was like ummmm, I can't wait that long this is really bad. So the receptionist said, well maybe we can squeeze you in tomorrow afternoon, please hold. I get pissed and hung up. I called Jeff in tears and he said just leave work please I know how much pain you are in and you can't sit there until 5 p.m. like this. He begged me to leave and he said he'd take me to the ER. I told him NO WAY, I had already been off work for 4 days to go to Orlando and I couldn't leave early. Well, a half hour later the pain got more intense and I left. We ended up at the ER, they thought it was a possible blood clot due to the pregnancy and recent flight. I had an EKG which turned out fine, bloodwork which also turned out fine and an ultrasound of my legs for blood clots which also turned out fine. I'm still in the worst pain of my life and have no answers. I get sent home. About an hour later the pain gets worse and we are back. They decided to give me a shot of Nubain for pain and yes Nubain is OK for pregnant women. I of course am allergic to almost every singe narcotic pain killer, so why wouldn't I be allergic to Nubain. I break out in a rash and start itching within 10 minutes. I am then given Benadryl which makes me super tired. I was so not with it, but at least it took the edge of the pain. I'm then sent home again, still with no answers about why I have the pain or what it is from. I'm very frustrated at this point, but so drugged that I don't really care. I wake up the next day still in the same amount of pain and my mom called her family doctor and got me an appointment for that afternoon. I explained my symptoms to the doctor, she pushed around on my chest and says "I'm pretty sure you have Costochondritis". Finally, an answer!! I had told her I'd had the pain before off and on for the last year, but never this intense. She told me I had a condition called Costochondritis, it happens to a lot of people, mostly women and it is when the cartilage between your sternum and ribs starts seperating and becomes inflammed. Any kind of lifting or strange movement can make it worse and with my being pregnant and things stretching out anyways it made the pain that much more intense for me. I'm still in pain, but at least I have answers and can take better care of myself to avoid this happening again. I can only sleep sitting up in our loveseat which isn't so horrible, but it isn't the bed. I'm not allowed any pain mediction except for Tylenol, I was given Tylenol with Codeine but that is only for night time to help me sleep. I just hope the pain subsides soon and I can feel like myself again.

Maternity Clothes Review

I have spent numerous hours trying to find fashionable, good fitting maternity jeans. I know I'm only 11 weeks along, but regular jeans no longer fit me, it is really weird considering I've only gained 1 lb. So, I'm going to list the stores I visited in no particular order and review their selection of maternity wear. My opinion on the following stores may also differ from yours, so please take no offense if you had good luck at one of the stores I didn't have good luck at.

1. Mimi/Motherhood Maternity - this is by far the BEST store I've been to, not only do they have a wide variety of all types of maternity clothing, they also sell DESIGNER maternity jeans. I'm very, very picky when it comes to my jeans and think nothing of spending $80-$100 on a pair of regular jeans. I'd rather have one or two great pairs of expensive jeans than five pairs of crappy fitting inexpensive jeans. So, I found a pair of IT brand jeans at Mimi that fit like a glove, they are FABULOUS! They did cost $108, but feeling good about myself is worth the price. I will be back to this store again, hopefully I'll hit some good sales because the Mimi side is very expensive, but the Motherhood side is a little less expensive so that is a plus.

2. Old Navy - I'm not even sure what to say about Old Navy except for the store by me sucked. There was NO selection, there was like half of a corner dedicated to the maternity clothing at my local store. I was very, very disappointed. I will not be back. I might order a few tops online, but I would never order jeans from Old Navy online. I know how ill-fitting their regular clothes can be and imagine the maternity line is the same way.

3. JCPenney - Another big thumbs down here. I'm not even going to review it except that I'll say don't waste your time.

4. Burlington Coat Factory - Another loser in my eyes. Yeah, the clothes are cheap, but they also look cheap. I tried on a pair of "boot cut" jeans that were $16.99 and they were dorky looking peg legs. I will not go back.

5. Target - Target is OK, I tried some jeans on here, they fit funny, but then again I'm a tough fit for jeans. They have some cute tops, but everyone must be the same size as me because the only sizes left were XL. They don't have a huge selection, I think about 4 racks of maternity, but what they did have was cute. Target has more maternity available online and I'd for sure consider ordering some tops online.

6. Kohls - I love Kohls, but the maternity selection was just OK. I won't buy jeans from them, but I'd buy some tops if I found a few cute ones.

7. The GAP - The Gap has a bigger selection online than the store, but they still had some cute stuff in store. I tried on every single pair of jeans they sell and not one pair passed my test, of course Gap jeans always looked terrible on me pre-pregnancy, so why would their maternity jeans look good, right? I will go back, but for tops only.

The choice in maternity wear available has really depressed me. I can't believe that major department stores like Dillards and Macy's don't carry maternity. Oh well, at least I'm only pregnant for 6 more months. Another plus is the style right now in regular clothing is flowy/babydoll, so I can probably get away with tops purchased at regular clothing stores for a while. My other saving grace is that I work in a super casual office and can wear sweats to work.

My Only Craving

I haven't been craving pickles and ice cream, but I have been craving orange juice, orange popsicles, etc... What is it with me and orange. I've just conviced Jeff to take me down to Timbo's (soft serve place around the corner) to see if they have an orange slush. Now, I've got my little heart set on an orange slush and so does the baby, THEY BETTER HAVE ONE!!!!! And if they don't they might have one hostile pregnant woman to deal with.

My Eye Twitch and Almost Teary Eyed Morning

About three weeks after finding out I was pregnant I noticed that my right eye would twitch a few to several times per day on the lower lid. I had my yearly eye checkup today and asked my eye doctor about it. She said it is related to pregnancy, most likely due to hormones, lack of sleep and stress. She said I can take something like Benedryl to help it out, as long as my OB gives it the A-OK or I can try to become less stressed and get more sleep. Jill trying to become less stressed is going to be a challenge. I'm going to try it though. I do have more energy now that I'm nearing the end of the 1st trimester and have been able to get back into my daily workout routine. Hopefully that helps out, I really don't want to resort to taking drugs.

It has been about 3 weeks since I've worn my regular jeans, I've basically been wearing dresses and stretchy style pants to work and on the weekends. I thought I'd wear something fun to work today and put on a pair of jeans. They were a no-go, but they were a little tight before I was pregnant anyways. I go to another pair of jeans that fit me perfectly pre-pregnancy, also a no go. Now I've not gained but 3 lbs. and my damn pants didn't fit!!!!!! I almost cried and had to talk myself down from the ledge by reminding myself that I'm pregnant, things are changing, shifting, etc... I do have one pair of very expensive maternity jeans, but didn't really want to wear those to work today because those are my bar hopping jeans (just kidding). I've decided to take a trip to Target and Old Navy tomorrow to check out their maternity wear so I can find something decent and inexpensive for work. I'll blog about my shopping trip tomorrow.

The Baby Room!!!

I have decided to decorate the baby room in cloud blue and chocolate brown. The theme will be puppies and since we have a doggie (2nd generation labradoodle to be exact!) that I'm totally in love with, I figured I'd include her in the decor somehow. I won't be going overboard with the puppies, but I will tell you that a few pictures of my Maizy will be hung up in the room. My bedding and accessories will be purchased from Restoration Hardware Baby & Child. They have some fabulous stuff and after looking at lots of baby room stuff online nothing else suited my style but the stuff available from this company. It is a little pricier than what you'd pay at say Target or Babies R'Us but still not as outrageously expensive as the baby stuff at Pottery Barn Kids. We plan on getting white baby furniture and will be putting a white chair rail around the entire room. The upper half of the room will be painted cloud blue and the lower half will be painted chocolate brown. And no, I'm not having a boy!!! I chose the blue and brown because they are my two favorite colors. This blue is light enough to be gender neutral, so it will last through two babies whether we have a boy and girl, or two girls or two boys. Let me know what you think.

Babymoon Here We Come!!!!

As almost everyone knows my husband loves to play sports (he was a 3 sport athlete in high school: baseball, basketball and track). He was invited by a rival softball team to play with them at the upcoming World Softball Tournament being played at Disney's Wide World of Sports in Orlando, FL. We will be leaving in the late afternoon on September 16 and return September 21. I can't wait!! We are even going a day early so we can go to Disney's Animal Kingdom (I've been wanting to go for 3 years). We figured with a baby on the way these little impromptu trips will be few and far between so we might as well do it now while we can take advantage of it.

I'll post pictures when we return.

Pregnancy Topics

I'm going to be blogging soon about a few pregnancy/baby topics, which are as follows:

1. My desires to have a natural/med-free birth and my reasons why.

2. My plans to cloth diaper my baby (don't get scared, you wouldn't believe what is out there, you just have to do your homework to find it).

3. My use of a doula at my birth.

Look for my full coverage on them soon!

10 Week Belly Shot

I know it may not look like much is there, but to me it is a definate little bump that appeared in the last week. I will be updating my blog with a weekly belly shot that I will take each Saturday night and post Sunday.

New Due Date!!!! and Ikea!

I saw my doctor for my first appoinment and to hear the heartbeat. A hearbeat was not picked up on the doppler and she assured me this was normal that sometimes even at 11 weeks it is hard to pick up. She thought I was 11 weeks and 2 days along. Well, between 12 weeks and 13 weeks 6 days there is a special scan you can have done. I plan on having this scan and they were scheduling it for next week. Well, as the ultrasound tech is scheduling it I mentioned to her I was afraid my due date was off and that my insurance wouldn't cover a second scan if the first one ended up being a bust. She decided that I should have an ultrasound to date the pregnancy. Sure enough I was completely right and I was only 7 weeks and 4 days along. My new due date is April 4, 2009!!

It was so amazing seeing our little jelly bean! It looks like me! I really feel like it is for real now that I have seen it. I also saw and heard the heartbeat! The heart rate of our little jelly bean was 150 beats per minute.

On another note I'm out of town for work today and tomorrow. Nobody at work knows I'm pregnant yet and I'm keeping it that way for about 4 more weeks until I'm out of the 1st Trimester. Anyways, Ikea had so many cute baby things and I had to refrain from purchasing anything because nobody at work knows. I called Jeff an told him he would be taking me to Ikea in Michigan sometime to check out the fun baby stuff.

Pregnancy = Lots of Peeing

If you know me, you know that I pee all the time when I'm not pregnant. Since becoming pregnant I pee twice as much. You are supposed to drink 8 glasses of water per day during pregnancy and I have to get all mine in prior to 4 p.m. because if I don't I will not sleep and be up all night peeing every 30 minutes. Before getting pregnant I'd get up at least 1 time per night to pee, now I'm up like 3 or 4 times per night peeing. Could this be the reason I have a sudden lack of sleep???

I can't imagine what my peeing will be like when I'm 20 weeks pregnant, 30 weeks pregnant or 40 weeks pregnant. I'll probably be begging for a catheter or a bed pan!!

The other thing that scares me is that I read somewhere that for an ultrasound you have to go with a full bladder, I pity the technician because I'll probably pee on her.

78% of Pregnant Women Suffer from Insomnia

I had no idea that 78% of pregnant women suffer from insomnia and of course I would happen to fall into that percentage. I feel as though I'm stuck in my own sleepless/pregnant hell. Now I know that it will probably get worse as the pregnancy goes on and triple as bad after the baby is born. If I could only have a vodka tonic to help me sleep.

I woke up two days ago looking as if I had been on a month long meth binge. My left eye was very puffy, I had a new wrinkle under it and both my eyes were bloodshot. I was the face of complete hotness.

This is yet another thing they do not teach you in sex ed.

First Appointment and an Estimated Due Date

I had my first appointment today. It wasn't with the doctor, just her nurse. It was basically a meet and greet, discuss what to eat and what not to eat, how much excercise to get, different pre-natel testing options I needed to decide if I wanted done or not, etc..... It was a lot of information to take in.

The what to eat and what not to eat part is what got me. I know that I'm a product of the 70's and I'm sure that women were not warned about eating deli meats and contracting listeria back then. My mother probably ate cold deli meat daily and I'm fine, wait, maybe I'm not fine, is this why my toes are crooked. MOM!!!! you ate deli meat and now my toes are crooked. Okay, really I'm sure they HAVE to tell you all the horrible things that can happen, but come on, give up my Subway??? No way Jose!!!!! So, guess what I had for lunch, Oh yeah a big foot long sub from Subway complete with (Gasp) un-heated deli meats. Okay, I'm not that dumb, I will adhere to these rules, but a little un-heated deli meat every so often won't hurt. My other huge thing that I'm not sure I can give up is coffee, I love my coffee in the morning. I was told to limit myself to one cup per day of coffee, hmph! I am really going to attempt to switch to decaf, if I can find my brand (Chock Full O'Nuts) in the decaf version at the store. I did find some I could buy online, so if it comes to that it comes to that. Call me coffee junkie if you will. I'm also to avoid soft cheeses such as bleu cheese, while the nurse is telling me this I sit their giggling to myself about the blue cheese because I had some the night before. I suppose that is now off my list, boy how I love bleu cheese.

I was also informed to hang up the crack pipe (haha).

I know I sound like I'm bitching about not being able to eat this and that and I kind of am bitching, but when it comes down to it is worth giving up for a short period of time to ensure a healthy baby and health pregnancy.

One last comment about this and I'm done. I'm sure some man came up with this shit.

On another note, my estimated due date is March 9, 2009!! Woohoo!!!!

Faint Lines and Digital Errors

It all started Wednesday, July 23, 2008. I woke up to workout and thought well, I might as well take a pregnancy test too. So, with my cheap dollar store test in hand I go to the bathroom, pee in a little cup, use the dropper to drop the pee on the test and I see a very faint, barely there pink line. It can't be a line, so I grab another cheap dollar store test, hmmmm, another faint pink line. I better make sure this is for real so I grab a 3rd one (call me obsessive) and yet another faint line. Okay, I better workout now, so I workout and keep running to the bathroom to check the tests to make sure I'm not crazy. By the time I'm done working out Jeff is awake and I make him check, he tells me he isn't sure about the lines. He is crazy I keep thinking, those are sooooooo lines. That afternoon I go buy a nice $13 digital test at Target. I get home and pee on it. I pee on it wrong, you ask how you do that, well I have no idea how, but leave it to me. It gave me the book, and according to #11 in the test instruction booklet the book means you peed on it wrong, FAIL! So, there is $13 down the toilet. I didn't want to spend more money on a $13 test, but about 7 p.m. Jeff can tell I'm itching to take a test so he sends me to Rite Aid. This time I buy a 2-pack of cheap Rite Aid brand tests and another $13 digital. I get home, pee in a cup this time rather than trying to aim for the stupid stick. I dip the cheap test in and a blue positive line comes up immediately. So I scream, Jeff runs in and says, the line is too light. Men!! So, I say OK, we will try the expensive digital. Well, about 2 minutes later it says PREGNANT. I think for a brief second about this, what is going through my head is: WTF was I thinking. I'm Pregnant??!!!??? Holy crap!!! Maizy is going to have a sister or a brother!!!

So, my next few days are consumed by thoughts of babies and baby stuff and excitement!!! I immediately purchased some stretch mark prevention cream which Jeff claims is worthless. I said how would you know, your not pregnant! I also told him that $19 stretch mark cream is cheaper than $50,000 plastic surgery to remove stretch marks later in life.

I have also noticed by Friday of this same week that my pants are tight. They are cutting my circulation off by noon. I've even lost 2 lbs.! What is going on here?? Evidentially the first few weeks of pregnancy you get bloated, I'm glad we learned about this in sex ed. So, I get online and start researching. I find this fabulous item called a Bella Band. It is a stretchy, yet fashionable band you can wear around your waist to hold up pre-pregnancy pants. You leave the pants unbuttoned and put this band around them. Fabulous invention!! Here is the website: http://www.ingridandisabel.com/ I ordered the black one with lace. Except I bought mine on Ebay, it was brand new and a little cheaper.

I also must add that Maizy is quite excited about being a big sister, even though it will be a human baby and not a squirrel. We can't have it all now can we Maizy.