I love being pregnant. I love waking up every morning and staring at my growing belly...even those bastard stretch marks are starting to grow on me (literally). It has been an adjustment though. My clothes no longer fit, my shirts are all too short and my belly shows. My pants haven't been buttoned since March but now they are barely able to make it over my hips, so I have started wearing skirts and dresses but even that wont last long. Sleeping a straight hours is impossible as I wake up to pee at 2, 5, and 7 am. It is all a joy. However, the one thing I cant forgive is a weak bladder.
Last week Dale and I were hiking with the dog. She was sniffing gopher holes a hundred yards away as we walked up the trail. We called her name and she looked up and booked it up the trail...the wrong way! Maybe she has poor eye site maybe she forgot where we were, whatever it was we just watched her book it around the corner. All of sudden she stops, turns around, sees us and comes running towards us with her tongue hanging out of her mouth. What a dummy!!! I laughed so hard I peed my pants. I am 23 years old and I peed my pants. Thanks baby. Happy belated mother's day.
Dale laughed so hard. He sat there grinning at the edge of trail making fun of my potty dance. He jokingly suggested we carry extra undies or get Depends.
What's worse, is that we were in the kitchen talking when all of a sudden I sneezed. Tinkle, tinkle. I couldn't hide that one as I was already parading around in my underwear. Now every time we leave the house Dale asks if I packed my spare undies.
This has me further convinced that we are having a boy. Certainly, no lady of mine would ever let it just fly out anywhere. We already know boys pee when you least expect it, anywhere and everywhere, even on the video camera (thanks Sam!).
We had no luck finding out the sex yet. This last appointment was full of blood tests, screening for genetic disorders and gestational diabetes. We are not worried but will nonetheless get the results in a few weeks. We have an appointment June 11 and hopefully then our baby will reveal itself. Until then, I guess I will be anxiously wandering around town with spare undies in my purse.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Stretchmarks and Floods
I am 15 weeks and so far have been very lucky with my pregnancy. I had no morning sickness, my hair looks great, and even my former bitten, raw fingernails are long and healthy. Today, I was getting ready for work and I happened to notice some stretchmarks, right by my belly button. Seriously, STRETCH MARKS! I freaked out and called Dale into the room to confirm my suspicion. They weren't there yesterday. They erupted somewhere between last night and this morning. I have great skin, I was hoping to avoid these little ruptures. I guess its karma for bragging about no morning sickness.
So I am off to the store to by cocoa butter to lather these SOB's in. I love that I am showing so early (being short) but the downside is I have popped so fast that my skin cant keep up. Pretty soon my belly is going to resemble the US Highway map!
Aside from the stretch marks, things appear normal and great. The heartburn has pretty much disappeared but my appetite remains strong. FYI: Don't get between a pregnant woman and her dinner. Last week I made cream of lemon chicken soup (my favorite) and I was enjoying the last of my bowl. I was about to get a second helping when Dale walked in the with the rest in a bowl for himself. I just sat there, salivating, watching him enjoy every precious bite of soup and felt steam rising through my ears. My face was hot and all I could think about was grabbing the bowl from him and running away. Of course I didn't say anything until a few days later. Now Dale is afraid to touch anything I make for fear that the very angry pregnant woman may attack.
In other news, one of Dale's co-workers has given his two weeks notice which means that there is a possibility of Dale going full-time and maybe even getting a day shift or two which would be wonderful! Dale loves his job at the Good Food Store and it seems that his co-workers and customers appreciate his charming and well mannered attitude. Keep your fingers crossed.
Last year, we went to Alaska for two weeks with a friend of ours, Jarred. We spent a couple days at Jarred's family cabin in Eagle, AK. Eagle is 14 hours from Anchorage and sits on the Canadian-Yukon and Alaska border, separated only by the Yukon river. We had planned to canoe the Yukon but with last years high-river we played it safe and instead spent a few nights camping near the Yukon and historic Fort Egbert. It was relaxing and beautiful and yet mysterious.
With this year's quick warm up the Yukon flooded, sending water and sheets of ice through the town of Eagle, decimating almost every structure. Jarred doesn't know the status of his cabin but it is most likely underwater along with the rest of Eagle's historic downtown. I attached some pictures of the flooding as well as the link to the article. http://www.newsminer.com/news/2009/may/05/yukon-river-flood-destroys-buildings-eagle/
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Gender Predictions
I am on an online baby board (babycenter.com, guilty as charged!) and I must confess that I waste several hours each day scrolling this board. Mostly, I am curious as to how other women are handling their pregnancies. Sometimes, when I think "is that normal" I rush to my baby board and see if other women are experiencing the same. The rest of the time, I peruse useless blogs and posts that somehow make my 8-hour workday disappear into Internet oblivion.
Long story short, several women have been experimenting with gender predicting old wives tales. At first, I tried to ignore all the superstition but my impatience has got the best of me and Dale came home last night to find me boiling cabbage....
From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I knew it was a boy. I just had that feeling. Yet, I cant seem to bring myself to look at boy clothing or boy names, so perhaps I am wrong. I started researching old wives tales and have interesting results.
1.) Chinese Calendar Gender Predictor- Boy
This test is based on the age of mother and month of conception.
2.) Red Cabbage Test- Boy/Girl
Boil red cabbage for ten minutes and then add first-morning urine to the cabbage water. If the pee turns bluish/purple, its a girl. If it turns redish/pinkish, its a boy. I did this test five times, changing the temperature of the cabbage water each time. When it was hot, it was boy. When it was warm, it was boy. When it was cold, it was girl. Who knows?
3.) Cravings- Boy
If you crave salty/spicy foods - you're having a boy. If you crave sweet foods - you're having a girl. I am hungry for pickles and cheesy appetizers. My sweet tooth disappeared and two pints of chocolate ice cream remain untouched in my freezer.
4.) Where do you carry your weight?- Boy
If you carry your weight around the middle - girl.
If you carry your weight in front (you can't tell you're pg from behind) - boy.
5.) Heart Rate- Girl
The theory states that if your baby's heart rate was 140 beats per minute and above, you would be having a girl. If the heart rate was under 140 beats per minute, then you would be having a boy. Our heart rate was 159.
6.) Husband Weight Gain- Boy
Another old wives' tale uses your husband's weight gain to predict your baby's gender. If your husband gains weight, you will be having a girl. If he doesn't gain weight, you'll be having a boy.
7.) Hungry?- Boy
Some women pregnant with boys eat like a teenage boy. If you are starving all the time, its a boy. If your appetite is unchanged, its a girl. I am famished 24/7. I once woke up at 4 am and made Dale get me food.
8.) Morning Sickness- Boy
Its thought that women pregnant with girls have more morning sickness because of all the extra hormones. If you are sick as a dog, its a girl. If you are lucky and had none, its a boy!
9.) Great hair and nails? - Boy
Midwives believed if your hair and nails are growing fast and looking great, its a boy. If your hair is stringy and nails slow to grow, its a girl. I was a notorius nail biter and now, I cant keep up! The nails are growing fast and strong as well as my hair!
10.) Dreams- Girl
If you dream of labor & delivery and the doctor says, its a ____. Then it will be whatever you dreamed. I had a dream that the doctor said, "its a girl" and we named her Ella. No boy dreams though.
11.) Drano Prediction-????
I haven't done this yet, but lots of women swear by it. Simply add urine to 2tbls of Crystal Drano. If the mixture darkens to a brownish color within the first 10 seconds - It is a boy.If there is no darkening or color change after 10 - 15 seconds - It is a girl.
As you can see there are many mixed results. For the most part, it looks like its a boy. We are eager to find out hopefully this month but it may be next month. My brother has $20 bucks on us that its a girl, but everyone else thinks boy. I am determined to get that $20 so I am still guessing boy!
Long story short, several women have been experimenting with gender predicting old wives tales. At first, I tried to ignore all the superstition but my impatience has got the best of me and Dale came home last night to find me boiling cabbage....
From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I knew it was a boy. I just had that feeling. Yet, I cant seem to bring myself to look at boy clothing or boy names, so perhaps I am wrong. I started researching old wives tales and have interesting results.
1.) Chinese Calendar Gender Predictor- Boy
This test is based on the age of mother and month of conception.
2.) Red Cabbage Test- Boy/Girl
Boil red cabbage for ten minutes and then add first-morning urine to the cabbage water. If the pee turns bluish/purple, its a girl. If it turns redish/pinkish, its a boy. I did this test five times, changing the temperature of the cabbage water each time. When it was hot, it was boy. When it was warm, it was boy. When it was cold, it was girl. Who knows?
3.) Cravings- Boy
If you crave salty/spicy foods - you're having a boy. If you crave sweet foods - you're having a girl. I am hungry for pickles and cheesy appetizers. My sweet tooth disappeared and two pints of chocolate ice cream remain untouched in my freezer.
4.) Where do you carry your weight?- Boy
If you carry your weight around the middle - girl.
If you carry your weight in front (you can't tell you're pg from behind) - boy.
5.) Heart Rate- Girl
The theory states that if your baby's heart rate was 140 beats per minute and above, you would be having a girl. If the heart rate was under 140 beats per minute, then you would be having a boy. Our heart rate was 159.
6.) Husband Weight Gain- Boy
Another old wives' tale uses your husband's weight gain to predict your baby's gender. If your husband gains weight, you will be having a girl. If he doesn't gain weight, you'll be having a boy.
7.) Hungry?- Boy
Some women pregnant with boys eat like a teenage boy. If you are starving all the time, its a boy. If your appetite is unchanged, its a girl. I am famished 24/7. I once woke up at 4 am and made Dale get me food.
8.) Morning Sickness- Boy
Its thought that women pregnant with girls have more morning sickness because of all the extra hormones. If you are sick as a dog, its a girl. If you are lucky and had none, its a boy!
9.) Great hair and nails? - Boy
Midwives believed if your hair and nails are growing fast and looking great, its a boy. If your hair is stringy and nails slow to grow, its a girl. I was a notorius nail biter and now, I cant keep up! The nails are growing fast and strong as well as my hair!
10.) Dreams- Girl
If you dream of labor & delivery and the doctor says, its a ____. Then it will be whatever you dreamed. I had a dream that the doctor said, "its a girl" and we named her Ella. No boy dreams though.
11.) Drano Prediction-????
I haven't done this yet, but lots of women swear by it. Simply add urine to 2tbls of Crystal Drano. If the mixture darkens to a brownish color within the first 10 seconds - It is a boy.If there is no darkening or color change after 10 - 15 seconds - It is a girl.
As you can see there are many mixed results. For the most part, it looks like its a boy. We are eager to find out hopefully this month but it may be next month. My brother has $20 bucks on us that its a girl, but everyone else thinks boy. I am determined to get that $20 so I am still guessing boy!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Some Lovely Photos
I finally posted photos of my belly and also included some random shots ie...new haircuts, dog, BrewFest. Please check the rest of our photos on my picasa website (link is on the left side). The first picture is me lying on my back with the eiffel tower statue on my belly, Dale thought it was funny...I just felt as big as the world...Thanks honey!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Smell of Summer
I am not a warm-weather person. I love a 45 degree climate when all you need is a light jacket, jeans and sweater to go outside. However, I do love the smell of summer, it makes me giddy like a 13-year old flirt. I love when I open my door and take a step outside and there is a sweetness that fills the air. I don't know if its cut grass, flowers, or the sun radiating off the hills. Either way, that smell drives me wild. On Saturday, I had to be up early for a service project and upon opening the door my knees weakened. It smelled like summer.
Summer is almost here and while we still have some cold days I am starting to think about our summer plans. I picked up a hiking Montana book to scour out some nice trails in the Missoula area and immediately, I was circling the map, checking driving distances, and already thinking about what to pack. We love camping and backpacking and no longer living in Seattle means we can do this things almost effortlessly.
Being pregnant, of course, I have to limit myself to the easier hikes. So I kept my eyes out for 10-mile overnight hikes and was surprised to find so many of them within 100-miles of us. Living in Montana I have taken for granted the wide range of beauty that is in our state. Whether you want densely forested pine trees, mountains, or ancient cedars, lakes, and waterfalls, or high dessert its all here, it just depends what direction you drive. The trick is figuring out where you want to go first.
There are several 2-day trips that I would love to take, I think it just depends on the weather. I have a feeling the smell of summer will send me somewhere...just anywhere but indoors!
Summer is almost here and while we still have some cold days I am starting to think about our summer plans. I picked up a hiking Montana book to scour out some nice trails in the Missoula area and immediately, I was circling the map, checking driving distances, and already thinking about what to pack. We love camping and backpacking and no longer living in Seattle means we can do this things almost effortlessly.
Being pregnant, of course, I have to limit myself to the easier hikes. So I kept my eyes out for 10-mile overnight hikes and was surprised to find so many of them within 100-miles of us. Living in Montana I have taken for granted the wide range of beauty that is in our state. Whether you want densely forested pine trees, mountains, or ancient cedars, lakes, and waterfalls, or high dessert its all here, it just depends what direction you drive. The trick is figuring out where you want to go first.
There are several 2-day trips that I would love to take, I think it just depends on the weather. I have a feeling the smell of summer will send me somewhere...just anywhere but indoors!
Baby Registry Bonanza
I have started completing our baby registry at Target, mostly because I needed something to do while Dale is at work in the evenings, but also because I couldn't resist! I am overwhelmed and amazed at how much baby stuff is out there. Completing our wedding registry was a cake walk compared to this.
I spend 30 minutes researching, reading reviews, and consumer product safety reviews before adding a every item. I see something I like and then I read the reviews and my heart is broken because the item is unsafe. And I think to myself, why do people even make this cheap stuff that falls apart!!! As a soon-to-be mom, I only want the safest stuff for my baby but I cant afford to spend hundreds of $$$$$. I am beginning to think that manufacturers are again taking advantage of us lower-income families simply because they know we will buy it because we cant afford anything else.
In addition, how much baby crap do you really need. I have a buying guide at home and so far I have just been going down the list registering for higher quality stuff. Then I get to stuff, like air purifier, and I scratch my head and think "is this really necessary" we live in Montana, the air is purified! Does my baby really need a 3 sets of bath toys? Or a diaper stacker? Or bath water thermometer? What happened to the good old elbow method? Have we convinced ourselves that babies need this much stuff? What happened to good old breastfeeding and papooses that our long ago ancestors used....I want to know where they registered!
All this time spent on my registry is important because every item you buy for your child is like buying a car: it needs to be safe and reliable. We only want the best for our children, if our baby owns more clothes than I do, I guess that's the way it should be. Nonetheless, I will still gripe about it. I just wish someone create the perfect mom's registry for those who want safe, reliable, cute, and functional baby items so I can click "okay" on instead of spending countless hours reading product reviews.
I spend 30 minutes researching, reading reviews, and consumer product safety reviews before adding a every item. I see something I like and then I read the reviews and my heart is broken because the item is unsafe. And I think to myself, why do people even make this cheap stuff that falls apart!!! As a soon-to-be mom, I only want the safest stuff for my baby but I cant afford to spend hundreds of $$$$$. I am beginning to think that manufacturers are again taking advantage of us lower-income families simply because they know we will buy it because we cant afford anything else.
In addition, how much baby crap do you really need. I have a buying guide at home and so far I have just been going down the list registering for higher quality stuff. Then I get to stuff, like air purifier, and I scratch my head and think "is this really necessary" we live in Montana, the air is purified! Does my baby really need a 3 sets of bath toys? Or a diaper stacker? Or bath water thermometer? What happened to the good old elbow method? Have we convinced ourselves that babies need this much stuff? What happened to good old breastfeeding and papooses that our long ago ancestors used....I want to know where they registered!
All this time spent on my registry is important because every item you buy for your child is like buying a car: it needs to be safe and reliable. We only want the best for our children, if our baby owns more clothes than I do, I guess that's the way it should be. Nonetheless, I will still gripe about it. I just wish someone create the perfect mom's registry for those who want safe, reliable, cute, and functional baby items so I can click "okay" on instead of spending countless hours reading product reviews.
Sunburns and Service Days
For the past few weeks I have been spending almost every minute of my free time planning Global Youth Service Day. Funny, that to plan a service project you put almost 40 hours of planning into it before you actually serve! GYSD was on Saturday and now, after weeks of running around frantically, I can finally relax....almost.
Saturday was great, we had 12 volunteers, 4 high schoolers and the rest college-aged. We started creating the community garden that Joseph Residence, a transitional housing unit for homeless families, had recently been given. It was great work. We created an herb spiral--which I plan on building in my own garden, tilled and sifted soil, and created woodchipped walkways. Overall, the day was very successful.
I came home on Saturday and felt I was on the verge of collapse. I was deliriously tired and crawled in bed to sleep for 4 hours. When I woke up I was hot, thirsty, cold, hungry, and weak. Upon looking in the mirror, I saw staring back at me a SUNBURNED face! I never get sunburned, I tan. I guess all these extra pregnancy hormones left my poor face sensitive to those UV rays...as Dale said "you look like Hamburglar". I think I was suffering a little bit from sunstroke as even after the 3 bottles of water I drank and 4 hour nap I was still thirsty and exhausted.
Nothing a little Gatorade, aloe lotion, and rest cant cure. I am still sunburned but its fading quickly.
This is just a reminder to my pregnant self that 4 hours of service work outside may be no problem for most people, but for the pregnant lady, take a break and put on some sunscreen!
Last week, Dale and I finally started documenting my growing belly. I will post pics soon, all I have to say, shorties like me, look 6 months pregnant even at 3 months. I love having a baby belly and while I gripe about pants not fitting, just having Dale rub my belly everyday is enough to remind me of how magical this whole process is.
Saturday was great, we had 12 volunteers, 4 high schoolers and the rest college-aged. We started creating the community garden that Joseph Residence, a transitional housing unit for homeless families, had recently been given. It was great work. We created an herb spiral--which I plan on building in my own garden, tilled and sifted soil, and created woodchipped walkways. Overall, the day was very successful.
I came home on Saturday and felt I was on the verge of collapse. I was deliriously tired and crawled in bed to sleep for 4 hours. When I woke up I was hot, thirsty, cold, hungry, and weak. Upon looking in the mirror, I saw staring back at me a SUNBURNED face! I never get sunburned, I tan. I guess all these extra pregnancy hormones left my poor face sensitive to those UV rays...as Dale said "you look like Hamburglar". I think I was suffering a little bit from sunstroke as even after the 3 bottles of water I drank and 4 hour nap I was still thirsty and exhausted.
Nothing a little Gatorade, aloe lotion, and rest cant cure. I am still sunburned but its fading quickly.
This is just a reminder to my pregnant self that 4 hours of service work outside may be no problem for most people, but for the pregnant lady, take a break and put on some sunscreen!
Last week, Dale and I finally started documenting my growing belly. I will post pics soon, all I have to say, shorties like me, look 6 months pregnant even at 3 months. I love having a baby belly and while I gripe about pants not fitting, just having Dale rub my belly everyday is enough to remind me of how magical this whole process is.
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