Leaving 2012

Happy end of 2012!

What a year this has been - the year of changes, maybe? The year of craziness? The year that was at the same time never-ending and a whirlwind that flew by?

For Stephanie - it was definitely an insane year. The first four months were a challenge, with working 70-80 hour work-weeks (including commuting all over Utah!!). Then getting pregnant VERY quickly! And then FEELING pregnant very quickly. Preparing to leave behind the career that has been greatly invested in over the past 5 1/2 years. Preparing for the next big adventure - MOMMYHOOD!

For Luke - What a wild year! Working full-time and going to school. Getting into grad school! Graduating from UVU! Putting up with a sick and cranky wife for MONTHS!! Starting business school at BYU (more time-consuming than working and going to school ever was...and more rewarding). Surviving the first semester (and getting good grades too!)!! Getting ready to become a DADDY!

As the year draws to a close, Stephanie is feeling "great with child." Thankfully, Luke continues to tell her she "looks great" with child ;)

Here's to a brighter, more adventurous new year in 2013!

Dear Baby Boy

Dear Baby Boy,

I don't know If I'm ready for this whole birth thing (not to mention, parenthood), but I'm ready for this stage to end.

I am feeling so frustrated by my limited capabilities. I'm tired all the time. Breathless. Unable to hold myself upright. My muscles are constantly feeling stretched out, sore, aching. I'm having more tailbone pain. And hip pain. Still suffering through feeling nauseated every day or two (still doped up on zofran, unisom and B6 all the time too!). Thankfully the leg cramps have not been as bad - they were waking me up at least once a night. I have to pee every hour, or more. When I'm in bed, I  have to switch sides just as often too, because my hips go numb and ache, and send pain down my legs. I've had the worst pain I've felt over the past 2 days. It's like a low stomping on my cervix, almost like cramps. It takes my breath away, and brings tears to my eyes. If you keep this up, its going to be a long month...

Okay, enough complaining. Life isn't ALL misery. There are some good things too, I promise!

I like to guess what part of you is where, based on the kicks, jabs and bumps I'm feeling almost constantly. I also like to assume what you like and don't like, depending on your activity. "Someone likes this chocolate," or "Someone is not a fan of... (whatever it is I'm doing or something Luke says)."

My favorite thing right now - Kitty curling up to my belly. You seem to like kicking her when she does this. I've had to train her to not sit on my belly anymore, but she does love to cuddle. Either you like it too, or you're getting a head start on torturing her.

My favorite place right now is the pool at BYU! You seem to enjoy it as well. I'm not very fast, but it feels good to take some of the weight off my body. I alternate between swimming breaststroke and walking the laps. Best idea ever!

Like I said, you are almost always on the move these days. However, you tend to be very busy in the early afternoons and around bedtime. Also, you generally move a lot right after I eat.

I'm getting really stoked to be done working - it feels like a lot more work, even though I've been doing less, and working less hours the past few months. I'm also really excited for Luke's 3 week winter break!

I can't believe the year is almost over, and at the same time, I want to fast forward the next month!! I'm getting so excited to hold you in my arms!

Love,
Mommy

Dear Baby Boy

Dear Baby Boy,

I think you are definitely going to be an athlete. You are always moving around in there! I'm pretty sure you've learned how to use my hip bone as a diving board, because I feel you pressing up against it, and then I feel you on the other side of my body, as if you used it to push off of! You have also started exploring my ribcage. That's fun.

The girls at work are always asking to feel you kicking. The other day Whitney grabbed my belly and jiggled it around a bit, which I think woke you up. I'd imagine you were not happy about it, because you got very violent for a few minutes. I'll try and keep the belly shaking to a minimum from now on ;)

Your dad and I were talking the other night, wondering what you look like right now. I hope you're growing and staying healthy! I found this video yesterday, which made me cry. It's of a baby that was born at 30 weeks. He's so tiny. What a miracle that he was able to survive! Please stay in as long as you need to! At least...until we hit 41 weeks. Then I might start getting impatient to see you.

Who am I kidding? I'm already impatient to see you!!!

Love,
Mommy

Dear Baby Boy

Dear Baby Boy,

We're getting so big! I've gained 5 lbs in the past 3 weeks, and my belly is now getting wider, as well as more protrusive. I keep running into things w/ it, like the edge of the kitchen counter and doors. It's hard to gauge how much space I need now, and I've got quite a few years under my belt at being the size I used to be. Tough habit to break ;)

I often wonder what you are doing in there. I feel bad that I can't make more room for you to be comfy. I feel you stretching and bumping around, and I'm sure you're starting to get annoyed by how crammed things are. Sorry! Only about 10 more weeks, and you can come out! I'm getting so excited! Although everyone tells me I need to enjoy the peace and quiet of you being nicely contained. I am. My favorite thing to do is just sit and watch you squirm around in my belly. I can see and feel you moving in multiple places at once now. It's quite a show!

I can't wait to hold you in my arms. Keep growing and getting fat in there! My phone app says you're just about as long as you're going to get (17ish inches), and you weigh almost 3 lbs. So you've got some weight to put on. I hope you're long and lean, like your dad. I love you so much.

Love,
Mommy

P.S. We voted today. Here's a picture your dad took:

Baby registry/What we need

So, I've been working on getting my registry up to speed. Who knew shopping for a baby could be so much work!

I've set up registries at both Babies R Us and Amazon.com. Both have some great gear - Amazon seems to have a lot of the same things at a bit of a lower price. That's why there are a few duplicates on both lists.

Call, email or facebook message me if you have any questions about my registry!


Stephanie and Luke's Amazon Baby Registry: http://www.amazon.com/registry/baby/123Z7F3PGPLY0

Sorry, I don't see a direct share link on Babies R Us, so just go here, and search using my name and location: http://www.toysrus.com/registry/index.jsp?ab=BRU_Header:Utility2:Baby-Registry:Registry



We've had a lot of people ask for what we still need. So, here's what we have, and basically, we need everything else:

• Crib (we don't have a mattress for it, but I've got that on my registry)
• Changing table (got a killer deal on a used one, it's very nice, just don't have the changing pad or baskets)
• Rocking chair (one for me, and one for baby - which is absolutely adorable!)
• Clothes - we acquired quite a few items for baby's first year, thanks to BYU's Gifts of the Heart Exchange. We still need some onesies, little accessories (socks, hats, etc.)...and everything else a baby needs his first year
• Oh yeah, and my in-laws have hinted that they know the stroller/car seat combo I want (I'm assuming Luke told them), so I'm pretty sure that's being taken care of

Thank you so much to everyone who is helping us! We are so grateful to have such loving, giving family and friends!! We, and our precious little boy, definitely appreciate you all <3 p="p">

Growing that baby!

Here's a sneak peek at my maternity pics. I think this one might just be my favorite! I've got some other projects I'm working on, but I can't wait to get the rest of these edited and shared!!

Passing the Test

The gestational diabetes glucose tolerance test, that is. And yes, I did pass! Hooray!

The night before was pretty rough. I was sick, and nervous, and rhythm stressed because I was sick and nervous. Needless to say, I slept pretty poorly, even by my standards of late.

At least it's gluten free...

Got up bright and early, determined to just get it over with. I headed to the lab (I was the first one there, so no waiting). The phlebotomists were really nice, and did a great job. Drinking the glucose was difficult for me, I really thought I was going to be sick before I even got it down. But I persevered, and managed to drink the whole thing. Then came the hardest part - the first hour of waiting. As soon as I sat down in the waiting room, I busted out the hypnosis tracks, and tried to focus on staying calm and relaxed, rather than feeling what my body was putting me through. It was difficult, but I managed to keep myself mostly there. When the first hour blood draw came up, I came out of hypnosis, and felt the full force of how reallllly sick I was. Almost threw up there :( Spent a few minutes in the bathroom calming down, washing my face and neck with cold water, and focusing on my breathing. Then I went to wait some more. Got back into hypnosis, and stayed there for another half hour or so.

Luke showed up just before my second hour draw, which was great. He really helped keep me calm. After they took my blood that time, I was actually feeling okay - as in, not like I was going to puke. Mainly I just felt exhausted. Like my body had given up fighting the sugar. I just had no energy. So I sat there, with Luke holding my hand as he studied, and rested. I tried to sleep, but it didn't work. I couldn't read (still too sick for that). So I just sat there. By that fourth draw, I was just relieved to be able to go home. I really wanted to sleep. But I forced myself to eat some breakfast - eggs, bacon and GF toast. Then I got sick all over again. So I laid down, and slept for a bit.

But! I managed to get through the day without throwing up! We survived! The little guy was super active the whole day. I'm pretty sure he loves sugar as much as his dad ;)


I'm really glad I was able to use my hypnosis to get through the hardest parts. I think it was a good exercise for what is to come. I feel pretty great about the next three months.

Now I want to celebrate! Milkshake maybe? Too bad I kind of killed my appetite for my favorite Jamba Juice after my initial test last week :P

Drank this for the initial screening test. It was so good, and so hard!

The Final Trimester Begins

Third trimester already?! I can hardly believe it! This all still feels so surreal at times. But my boy is still happily bouncing around in there, so I have enough moments of it feeling real. I'm getting so excited for our little coffee bean to be here!
Technically, according to my husband, my third trimester began several days ago (by dividing 40 weeks equally in three means that there are 13.33 weeks per trimester, so my second trimester ended after about 26 weeks and 5 days - so, like, Thurs, Oct. 11th?). I suppose it doesn't matter too much. I'm not on a deadline, just waiting for this little guy to be done cookin' in there :)

Guess I started things off on the wrong foot, because on Thursday, I failed my initial glucose screening! So, I get to go suffer through the the hour glucose tolerance test. I remember doing that when I was a kid, and they were diagnosing my hypoglycemia. Not a fan. Add morning sickness to the mix (yes, I'm still not over that!), and it's sure to be a fun adventure.


We had fun over the weekend - Took my maternity pictures down at The Grotto on Saturday. I think there are some really cute ones! Post coming soon! Then we got to talk w/ Millie and Ruben in Holland on Sunday via Skype. Ira is getting so big, and he is such a happy baby! Thanks for all the advice guys!

We're still sick, going on 2 weeks now :( Hopefully we can shake this soon. I really don't want to be sick the rest of my pregnancy, which is what I hear happens about the third trimester if you get sick...time to up the tea consumption!

Happy Anniversary!

Best nine years of my life!

Things I love...

I love that I can feel my little baby moving all the time now! He is so incredibly active! It's visible from the outside too. The girls at work are amused by it. So am I.

I love to just sit and watch my belly jump and twitch. It's a little creepy...but mostly awesome! Unless he's got his foot pressed up against my strained muscle. That hurts a bit. But I still love him.

I can't wait for him to be here! 15 weeks and counting (give or take...).

So ready to do this with my own baby! I borrowed this cute girl from a coworker.
She didn't mind, and neither did I ;)

Tuning Out Negativity

This article is awesome. It is a great reminder to me especially, as I am dealing with many things I can choose to see negatively, or not.

http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/08/09/colleagues-complaining-why-you-need-to-tune-it-out/

Adventures in Baby Growing

Life has been pretty crazy these days. Here's the reader's digest version of what we've been up to these days.

The Hiccups: 

Luke started business school at BYU last month. It has been non-stop for the past 4 weeks! Literally. There is so much going on! He is insanely busy, completely overwhelmed, but man, this is going to be an awesome experience! He's learned a ton already! I just hope I get to see him sometime soon ;)

Constipation. Not a pleasant side effect of pregnancy. Even worse when my anti-nausea medication compounds it. I've had a couple of pretty horrific experiences, of which I will spare you the details.

Yesterday as I bent over to fix my shoe, I got this horrible pain in my belly. Six hours later, the pain had not subsided, and I was crying on the phone to my doctor, who was thankfully on-call at 12:30 AM. I was terrified that my placenta had abrupted, or that my bowels were obstructed, or that something was terribly wrong. The pain was so excruciating that I could barely breathe. Movement made it worse, but even lying in bed didn't ease much of it.  After going through all my symptoms and non-symptoms, my doc determined that I had probably pulled a muscle in my abdomen. I went into her office this morning, and was checked out. She reaffirmed that I'm probably dealing with a strain to a ligament, which attaches right next to my belly button. Baby's heart rate was perfect, and he kept kicking the Doppler, so she said all is well there. Told me to continue taking Tylenol as needed, and rest more. Don't have to tell me twice!

The Good Stuff:

I think I am officially over morning sickness. I have a couple days a week where I have some nausea when I wake up, but nothing Zofran can't help me deal with. Most days I'm feeling pretty good by 9:30 or 10, which is great! I'm able to do more, work more, and I'm also less tired.

I feel the little Coffee Bean moving a lot! It's still really soft, like little flutters, or what I call tickles. But I'm learning to distinguish his poking and prodding from my usual gastrointestinal feelings. It always puts a smile on my face, and I say hi to him when I feel him "waving" at me. Luke's even felt it a time or two, even though the movements aren't very frequent or consistent. Except when I eat chocolate. He seems to like that :)

We finally got to go to Seven Peaks water park this summer! I actually wish I had taken advantage of more opportunities earlier on, because the water in the lazy river felt so great! I'm excited though, because as the wife of a BYU student, I have access to all the campus facilities, including the pools. I think I will soon be spending a lot of time in water!

I'm starting to grow! Thanks to not being sick all the time, I can actually keep some food in my belly, and I'm  putting on about a pound a week now. Yay!

We've acquired some good baby stuff. Thanks to the MBA Spouses Association (MBASA), I've been able to snag a few cute used baby items and some maternity clothes for free. We also found an awesome changing table for really cheap! It even matches the office furniture. Hooray!

I am loving my HypnoBabies birthing classes! They are getting me so excited about birth! I will post about them very soon.

Hmm, that's about it for now. I will post some pictures soon, I promise :)

Childbirth Without Fear

I read the most amazing book. I heard several people who I have talked to, or whose blogs I have read, say that this was such a monumental book to them. I am starting to understand why. Forget about the typical ”What To Expect” books! THIS is the book I wish I had read when I first got pregnant, or even before. "Childbirth Without Fear" has helped me to completely rethink my attitude about my pregnancy, symptoms and suffering. Not to mention my baby's birth.

I really wish this book was more widely available. It is an old book, originally written in the 1940's, and revised and re-released in the 1950's. I was unable to find it at any of the libraries in Utah county (I checked with three). So, it's been on my amazon to buy list since I first got pregnant, but I continued to postpone shelling out $20 for it.

I just so happened upon a copy at my first Hypnobabies class last week (more on that in another post!). Thrilled, I checked it out of the ”library” and brought it home.

I devoured this book.

It is a little thick though. Grantly Dick Read was a British obstetrician in the early 1900's. Thus, there is some thick, old-fashioned wording involved, and some doctor-speak, if you will. But if you can slug through the slow parts, you will find the gems within.

The basic idea is that childbirth is a natural thing. Women have been successfully bearing children for ages. And if you look back in history, or even travel outside of our modern western civilization, childbirth is viewed as something other than what our society treats it as today - a disease. People here are afraid of giving birth. There are negative connotations to the processes of being pregnant and bringing a child into the world. This is continually reinforced by our society.

The problem with that is, it actually causes a lot more problems! Dr. Read discusses in his book the "Fear-Tension-Pain" cycle, which is what the body and mind of the average modern-day woman goes through when preparing for, and giving birth. When you are afraid - in general - what does your body do? Tense up. All those muscles, which are ready to spring into action, whether it be fight-or-flight. This is a normal physical response, and it saved many lives when our ancestors faced predators and mortal danger. But what happens to a woman who is in labor, who is anticipating all the horrible things she was raised to believe she is going to experience, and whose muscles are trying to do two separate things (push a baby out, and tense up every muscle in her body so that she can fight or run away)? It causes pain. It can also slow down the birth process. Ever watched an animal giving birth? We had horses and cats growing up. They always waited until they were able to retreat to a safe, secure place before their bodies would allow their offspring to be born. We humans aren't all that different, biologically speaking.

The main theory Dr. Read has is that if you eliminate the fear of what you are going to be going through, your muscles will be relaxed, and given a normal birth setting without complications, they will pretty much just do their thing...push out a baby. It doesn't have to be scary. It doesn't even have to be painful. And it certainly doesn't have to require medical intervention, drugs, or other modern-day "tools," which can actually cause more problems or harm to mom or baby.

And that's what I like about this whole concept. I am a wimp. I seriously dislike pain. And signing up for pushing a baby out of this body was something I was raised by society to believe was going to be a terrible ordeal. But I've learned so much. I am no longer afraid. My body was designed to do this...without all the medical intervention people nowadays seem to believe is necessary for EVERY birth. I agree that there is a time and a place for the amazing, life-saving technology we have at our fingertips today. This stuff can save lives! What incredible tools we have at our disposal that our ancestors would have coveted dearly! But at the same time, a pregnant woman is not sick. Why must she be treated as such? 5% of low-risk mothers experience complications in birth. 2% of low-risk babies experience complications in birth. The chances of something going wrong when all the cards are lined up is pretty slim.

Nonetheless. I am not toting this as THE way to have a baby. Only as a way to look at the whole picture. To educate oneself. To understand what options are available. To rely on medical intervention when medically necessary. And to otherwise trust the body to do what it was designed to do smoothly and painlessly.

My husband laughs at me when I say this, but I say it sincerely. I am excited to give birth! Truly excited to be able to experience the miraculous event of bringing my baby into this world.

I owe so much of that to this fantastic book! I wish every girl and woman in the world could read this book, to help change the way our society views the beautiful process of childbirth.

Twenty Weeks!!

These pics blow my mind.

I guess this really is getting real!

10 Weeks!

20 Weeks!

Oh BOY oh BOY!!

That's right! We went to our 16-week ultrasound, and Mr. Coffee Bean was very cooperative for HIS first photo shoot!

Needless to say, we're thrilled! Now I have a valid excuse to blame this all on Luke ;)

We're so happy to finally put a HE to our little baby-to-be.

Another Random Pregnancy Survey

Not sure why, but I've really enjoyed thinking about all these questions. So here's another little survey.

1. What name did you and your spouse call your baby before you knew the gender?

We started out calling the baby “It” which we both disliked, so we changed it to “Coffee Bean” around week 6.

2. When did "Oh-my-gosh-we're-having-a-baby" really sink it?

Probably when we heard the heartbeat for the first time (about 10 weeks). That was pretty incredible. Luke may have freaked out a little bit…but we both agreed it was awesome! I was just excited, because it finally made it feel real.

3. When you think of yourself as a mom, what's the first thing to come to mind?

Holding and snuggling my little baby <3 span="span">

4. Is your nursery complete? What's the theme and what do you have left to complete?

Definitely not. We are trying to convert half of our office into a nursery, and we’re not really going w/ a theme. We’ve got a crib and rocking chair (from when Luke was a baby), just need a dresser and/or changing table, as well as bedding, and some décor. We also have to finish clearing out all the storage and office stuff.

5. List 5 qualities you hope your baby will possess:

Intelligence, a cheery disposition, individuality, determination, fearlessness

6. What's your ideal labor experience?

I want to be able to move around enough to be comfortable, I want the baby to come as quickly and naturally as possible, I want to be able to focus on the experience rather than the discomfort/pain, and most importantly, I want to have a healthy baby and healthy mom!

7. List 5 things that have changed in your relationship with your spouse since you've been pregnant: 

This has been a crazy transition time all around – baby coming, Luke quitting his job and starting grad school, me training a replacement at work while dealing with morning sickness, living on a restricted income.

We’ve both been more stressed out, more overwhelmed, more easily irritable.

He’s frustrated b/c I’m so sick and he can’t do anything about it.

At the same time, he’s also been more caring and compassionate, trying to do everything  he can to help.

I’ve been more frustrated at feeling so miserable and helpless.

He doesn’t like that I don’t want to cuddle anymore (thanks to my internal easy bake oven).

We don’t spend as much time together, since I’m sleeping more, or being sick.

I dunno, that’s way more than 5, but I’d say overall our relationship hasn’t gotten worse – we still love each other, and care about each other, and are trying to take care of each other, and we’re excited for all the changes – things have just been a little strained due to all these factors.

8. List 5 things you think will change once your baby arrives:

Goodbye sleep!

We will no longer have side-by-side computer time (Luke’s desk is moving into the bedroom so he can study and baby can sleep uninterrupted).

I will hopefully not be puking and nauseated all the time!

Pretty sure I’ll actually love being cooped up all winter long, which normally makes me stir-crazy! Nothing like a little baby to make you love wherever you’re at!

I get to start driving the Mustang, the more baby-friendly of our two cars.

9. Where do you think you'll be when you go into labor? Why?

I’m sure I’ll be at home, since I plan on finishing up my time at work around Christmas (around 36 weeks).

10. Have you been talking to your baby? Playing music?

Talking to him/her, yes, usually at night when I’m laying in bed. Luke uses every opportunity he can to play rock music really loud, so baby will develop an appreciation for good tunes.

11. In what ways do you hope your baby is like your spouse?

I hope our baby is smart, determined and inquisitive like my husband.

12. In what ways do you hope your baby is like you?

I hope our baby enjoys good food, is easy-going enough to not take life too seriously, and appreciates the beauty in life.

13. How long will you wait for the next baby, or if this is your last one, why/why not?

Depends on what the rest of my pregnancy is like…if I end up being sick through the whole nine months, it will take a miracle to get me to sign up for this again (or at least a live-in babysitter/cook/housekeeper). Ideally, we would like to have two kids, within 2-4 years of each other. I don’t want to wait too long for number two to come along.

14. What kind of grandparents do you think your baby will have? 

This baby is going to be so lucky! All the grandparents are so excited! This will be the first grandchild for my mom, dad, and step-mom. For Luke’s family, it’s the first local grandbaby (they’ve got two grandbabies who live in the Netherlands). I think everyone is going to be very sweet and loving toward our baby.

15. Who will be with you during labor? Who will visit you in the hospital during your recovery? 

Luke is the only one who I definitely plan on having there with me. I hope my mom can make it, but it all depends on when baby decides to come. I would love to have all my family come visit me once he/she arrives though!

16. How much will you tell your baby (child, teenager) about your past? Why/why not?

I think I want my kids to know their parents, before they were parents. I think both Luke and I did a lot of things that helped us to become the people we are today. We may not be proud of everything we did, but we learned and grew from those experiences. I want my kids to understand that even when they make mistakes, life goes on, they can move forward and make better choices, and most especially, that they are still good people. Obviously the details may be condensed, or withheld until applicable, based on my child’s age and maturity level. I don’t think my kids need to know every little detail of my history. Just enough to understand me and see me as more than just “Mom.”

17. Do you have any hopes for your child's activities (sports, academics, school preference, activities, etc.)?

I hope he/she is able to find something to be passionate about, and pursue it. I don’t care what it is, so long as it make him/her happy. I may be a little partial toward reading and art, while Luke is leaning toward athletics and academics. But I’m sure we’ll be happy no matter what.

18. When will you tell your baby about the birds and the bees?

Oh boy. If our child is anything like Luke, I’m sure it’ll happen when they are relatively young. Haha. Not touching that one until I have to!

19. In what ways do you hope you'll parent like your parents did? In what ways do you hope you aren't like them? 

I want to be a loving, nurturing parent, just like my parents were. I want to provide my child with everything he/she needs, and be a comfort and a cheerleader. I want my kids to see their parents as a united front, a team that works together for the good of the family.

20. Which childhood memory do you hope your child will have (similar to one you fondly remember)? 

Family vacations camping at the beach, the excitement of Christmas eve, delicious food and laughter at family gatherings, doing yard work and then playing in the pool together, and most importantly, lots of hugs, silly traditions, and love.

21. And finally, Be annoying! What "advice" do you want newly pregnant women to know?

Pregnancy is not something to jump into lightly. I can’t imagine someone doing this for the wrong reasons – to save a relationship, to find meaning in their life. Figure out yourself first. Then bring on the baby.

I guess that was more advice to women looking at getting pregnant. But still good advice, IMO.

Ok, try again…advice for newly pregnant women – stay positive! Everyone is going to give you advice about how to deal with pregnancy. Just do what works for you. Focus on taking care of yourself as best you can, and managing your life at the same time. Supposedly it gets better ;) No, really, it does. Especially when you can see that little baby swimming around inside you!! Try to be as happy as you can, despite your physical circumstances. It really does affect you. You can do it! And you’ll have a beautiful baby in your arms at the end.

Pregnancy Q&A

Fun little pregnancy survey that I came across the other day:

Your name?
Stephanie

Baby's fathers name?
Luke

Are you still with him?
Of course ;)

Were you trying to get pregnant?
Yes…first try! We thought it would take a lot longer lol.

When did you find out?
May 10^th 2012

Where did you find out?
In the downstairs bathroom

How far along were you?
About 4 weeks along (LMP)

What was your reaction?
Giddy! I was pretty sure I was pregnant, as I’d been tracking my cycles, and knew I was off. It was very surreal.

Who was the first person you told?
Luke

How did you tell the father?

He was still asleep. I got back in bed w/ him, and woke him up. I told him I cheated and took the test early (even though I had told him I was going to wait a couple more days). He asked me if I passed, and I said “Definitely!”

What was his reaction?
He was pretty shocked and wanted to check the actual test. I showed it to him. Then we just sat in bed talking and trying not to freak out!

When is your due date?
January 12, 2013

Have you had any morning sickness?
Still do (almost 16 weeks along). It’s been pretty intense :(

What are your fears?
Having a healthy baby, having complications. Taking the diabetes test. Labor.

What are you most happy about?
I am so ready to be a mom!

Do you want a boy or girl?
I think I slightly want a boy more, but a girl would be so fun to accessorize (haha!).

What does the father want – boy or girl?
A boy, of course (but he’s also excited either way!).

Do you know what you’re having?
Not yet...we find out next week.

Do you have a name picked out?
We have been tossing around a few, but haven’t made any decisions.

How much weight have you gained?
2 lbs (still not gaining b/c of morning sickness, but the doc says my uterus is growing at a normal rate. She says I’ll probably catch up in the next few weeks. I am however several inches bigger around the belly and hips).

Have you felt the baby move?
I don’t know…maybe? *wishful thinking*

Do you plan on a natural or medicated birth?
My plan is to go as natural as I can, but I’m not ruling out medications if I feel I need them.

Are you scared about labor?
Trying not to be. I’m anxious to start my birthing classes, which I think will help me overcome the fear.

What do you think will be the worst part of labor?
I really don’t want to have a super long delivery. I don’t want them to tell me my baby is too big to come out of my body (grow, hips, grow!).

Who will be in the delivery room?
My DO, my husband, and probably my mom.

Are you having the birth videotaped?
Probably not. I’d be okay with pics though.

Do you think you will cry when you see the baby for the first time?
I’m sure I will :)

What do you think the fathers reaction to the baby will be?
I think he’ll be very calm and collected, making sure everyone is healthy and taken care of. Then I think he’s gonna be in awe (I’m sure we both will!).

How do you think family and friends will feel?

Excited! They’ve waited a long time for this (9 years!). 

Our Little Coffee Bean

By now, you all know the big news! A baby is in our future!!!

As soon as I'm able to end my very intimate relationship with my toilet, I will hopefully be able to keep everyone posted on our happenings here, so stay tuned...