Uh oh...

January 4th is fast approaching, This is the day that I (dun..dun..dun) go back to work after my wondering 2.5 week break. My pre-Peanut pants are getting way too tight--the muffin top baby bump is starting to get uncontrollable. I feel like I am way bigger than I should be at this point. I made a trip to the mall today and when I saw my reflection in one of the store windows, I nearly choked on my Starbucks. Sadly, I left empty handed as maternity dress pants leave much to be desired. I also remembered that I have a trip to LA for work in a couple weeks where I fear this will happen:




Yipes! I will get a picture up within the next few days so you can see what I mean and commiserate with me :).

Feeling a little sentimental today...

The hormones work! I caught myself tearing up as I was driving home from running errands and thinking about Peanut. Everything seems to be going very smooth for us and with every passing week, I catch myself getting a bit sad that this process is one more week closer to being over. While I am beyond excited to meet the baby, being pregnant and knowing that I am all that Peanut needs to grow has been such an amazing experience. As I drove, I thought about what will lie ahead in Peanut's life. All of the happy times and the sad times, the challenging times and the times of pure joy. All of this deep thinking reminded me of exactly what I want for Peanut and here is my wish:

My Sweet Peanut,

I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,

And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.

And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walking 'til you find the window.

If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,
But more than anything, more than anything...

My wish for you is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold.
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too.
This is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but you never forget
All the ones who love you, and the place you left.

I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get.

May you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And always give more than you take.

But more than anything, more than anything...

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too.
This is my wish.

This is my wish
I hope you know somebody loves you
May all your dreams stay big

Love, Mommy

15 weeks...a bit late

"Continuing the march towards normal proportions, baby's legs now outmeasure the arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably still can't feel the movements."

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?!?!

You can file this post under "things that scare the crap out of me." As I was surfing the net looking at some nursery ideas, I came across something that is a bit...um...disturbing. I don't know what else to say. Have a look:

They call it a "bustier", sexy, huh? Yes, I plan on breastfeeding and I'm aware that when I go back to work, I will have to pump. But there is something that seems wrong with hoping on a conference call while having milk squeezed out of me. Ay, yiy, yiy.

I've been bad...

...at updating this blog! The holiday craziness has officially set in and even though the rational part of me gets a wee bit overwhelmed, the emotional part loves this time of year and usually gets depressed when it's all over. Nonetheless, I must update and tell you what has been going on.

On the Holiday front: Christmas shopping is complete, wrapping is far from. We had a wonderful downtown shopping trip with Amma and Opa and my parents and Sister J joined us for dinner. Seeing the city fully decorated truly puts me in the holiday spirit and is a tradition I look forward to every year. Another reason I love this time is it gives us a chance to spend time with people we don't get to see too often (and some we see all the time, but still really love!). This week is busy: Monday we have dinner with our dear friends Jamie & Fred, Tuesday is a get together with my sorority friends and spouses and Wednesday is the first of many holiday parties with the family. Thursday and Friday are of course Christmas Eve and Christmas Day where The Hubs and I will do our annual "Holiday Shuffle", where we bounce from house to house, visiting with both sides of the family. This year, Sister C and Dr. R will be in town, and we are especially looking forward to catching up with them!

On the Baby front: The bell is out...bell meaning "belly" and out meaning "doesn't look pregnant, just like I've been guzzling too many MGDs". Clothes have started to get a bit uncomfortable. I can still button my jeans, but they dig into me and my shirts aren't too flattering as they hug me in all the wrong places. I called in an emergency shopping trip with my trusty have-been-there-before friends G and Ang. I bought a couple shirts with some breathing room, not maternity, just slightly bigger than normal.

I'm still feeling great, no sickness, so I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that the worst is over. I do get some killer headaches every so often and my lower back has changed from that of a 27 year old, to that of an 84 year old. The Hubs came home today with a body pillow. God Bless that man.

And finally to answer the question that we get nearly daily: No, we are not planning on finding out the sex. No, we do not think we are crazy. Yes, we will be able to plan just fine without knowing. Before I go on, I'd like to throw out a disclaimer: The reasons I list below are only our reasons. Everyone is different and should make decisions for themselves. Here are our reasons:

I've been amazed my the strong opinions this has conjured up. Most people are shocked that we don't care to know and look at me like I have three noses or something. It simply is something that isn't important to us to know before the baby is born. I have an idea for what I want the nursery to look like, regardless of what the sex is and so finding out for the sole reason of choosing what my baby will wear as a newborn seems silly. I love hearing everyone guess what they think it is. And to me, it's like having unwrapped presents under the Christmas tree. If you know what you are getting, it takes some of the suspense out of the whole experience. But the main reason we have chosen to keep it a surprise is this: we truly feel that life throws many surprises at you, but so few will be guaranteed to have an ending that is so perfect and that we will be excited for either way. The Hubs is excited to walk from the delivery room to the waiting room and be the person to tell our family, "It's a ____!" Everyone should have moments of unscripted joy and wonder in their lives and this will be ours. (wipes tear from cheek) :)

So I'll give your eyes a rest and be sure to update more frequently!

14 weeks

"Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth."

Peachy!

Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords... savor this, their non-functional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with a head now only one third the size of the body. Intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy. (Much more convenient.)

FYI

My one and only major food adversion:

At breakfast on Sunday, I attempted to try scrambled eggs again (mind of matter, mind over matter). I put my usual ketchup/Tabasco sauce on them and...no can do. Texture, taste, all of it..not gonna happen. :(

Work Update!

Just to update the three of you who read this blog regarding how the conversation yesterday went with my new boss (I'll refer to her as Lady Boss, as she the first woman I've ever had as a boss since I started working for Big, Bad, Corporate America)...it could not have gone better! After I revealed "the news" she starting clapping and said "Yay! That is so great!" She went on to tell me that she has seventeen month old twins and how all of the women in the office have kids. She also said how she couldn't wait to hear all about it when we get stuff for the nursery, etc. How cool is that? SUCH a relief! But the best part was (are you ready for this?!) that she hoped I would take advantage of our flex hours like she does. This means I would have every other Friday off so I can "go shopping and get a pedicure." Lady Boss, you know my language!

In other news, I have another Dr. appointment on Thursday where she planned to do another ultrasound. I'm not sure if they will since I just had the NT ultrasound two weeks ago, but I won't stop her! I would love to get another look at Peanut!

It's out there!

I'm not talking about Sasquatch or the Loch Ness Monster. I'm talking about the news that we are having a baby (duh!).

We have told our closest friends, all whom were very happy for us and yesterday at the UW football game, (where our beloved Huskies kicked some Cal Bear butt!) the news spread even more. I must confess, this was my first Husky football game where I was stone-cold-sober. It was a different experience to say the least. Not only was it a balmy 30 degrees, but we had a nice wind come through that really gave a chill that went straight to the bone. But I was prepared:

UW sweater (check)
down vest (check)
hat (check)
gloves (check)
hand warmers (check)
wool socks (check)
fleece blanket (check)
cocktail to keep me warm (unless Vitamin water counts...then no..)

I wised up in the second half and got a decaf mocha...holy relief! It was fun sharing the news with our friends, but I have butterflies already for what is going to happen tomorrow. I emailed my new boss, the one I've met only once and that was at my interview, and asked for her to save some time for me to come by tomorrow to discuss some "logistics" regarding the new position I'll be starting January 1st. You know, logistical things such as, my office, cell phone, expense reports, my pregnancy, me taking a chunk of time off six months in to my position...you know, small, insignificant details. I'm incredibly nervous because I am so excited to start this new job, but I am even more excited about having this baby and I want my boss to feel confident that she made the right choice, pregnancy and all. Wish me luck!

Hello Second Trimester!

"As you move into the second trimester*, baby shifts into the growth and maturation stage. After weeks in the critical development stage, almost all the baby's systems are fully formed."

*I still don't understand why 12 weeks is the beginning of the 2nd trimester. I'm no math genius, but last time I checked..12 + 12 + 12 = 36...doesn't this last 40 weeks??? Whateva--I'll trust the experts.

Rudolph in a Fur Coat

There are a few lovely symptoms of pregnancy that I feel The Bible (AKA: What to Expect when You're Expecting) has seemed to skip over or just not emphasize enough, because I was not expecting:

1.) Zits to look like they are electrically charged. I knew I would have some pregnancy related acne, but they did not talk about how they would be bright, almost hyper-color red. Really people--as if I don't feel ugly enough with excessive bloat and, well, see below...

2.) Insane amounts of body hair. I accepted a long time ago that the fatal combination of being both Italian (Southern Italian at that) and Lebanese puts one at risk for dark hair. Mom took me to wax off the uni-brow at the ripe age of 12, even though she vehemently denies it. Trust me Mom, it's not something you forget. But this is ridiculous. The eyebrows, the arm hair, the arm pit hair, the leg hair, even the mole hair, all OOC. (That's Out Of Control, for all of you that aren't my Sister J or Mariah Carey). I now look like a descendant of Robin Williams. ::tear::

In non-vain related news, the Hubs pulled our three giant tubs out of storage so I can channel my inner Clarke Griswold and get the house ready for Christmas. Let me leave you with one of my favorite parts of the movie:

"Can I refill your eggnog for you? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead?"

Grandmas Know Best

The Grandmas have already begun shopping and giving out good Grandma advise! Over Thanksgiving, Amma (Hubs' mom) gave Peanut some white onesies, soft white booties, a blanket and his/her first pair of jammies!

I can't handle how cute they are! Note: little duckies on the booties....so presh.

On Sunday, we went over to my parent's house for a little Thanksgiving Round 2, where Grandma was informed that I was fighting a cold (my second one since Peanut has been with me...coincidence? Not so much.) and she sent me home with a humidifier which helped tremendously! I woke up the next morning feeling sooo much better. She also gave the Hubs this book:

Hi-larious! I don't know what is funnier, the fact that the man is knitting a pair of booties, that he looks old enough to be a Grandpa, or that the Hubs noticed he was wearing a sweater vest on the cover...and likes it.

11 weeks.

"Your fetus currently enjoys a 1:1 ratio between body and head, and has skin so transparent that blood vessels show right through. But, fingers and toes are no longer webbed, and hair follicles, tooth buds and nail beds are forming -- setting up a significantly more attractive future."

So much to be thankful for!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! This year in particular, I feel like I have so much to be thankful for: a wonderful family, fabulous friends, the best husband anyone could imagine, a great job, followed by an even greater job I'll be beginning in 2010, a healthy and happy life, and of course, my little peanut--who has already brought me so much joy and happiness.

Yesterday, the Hubs and I went for our first trimester ultrasound. Peanut was it's usual stubborn self, curled up in a corner, not wanting to be bothered. As a result, the ultrasound technician could not get any measurements. I kept flipping around from side-to-side, but Peanut was happy where s/he was. We took a little break and I made a much needed bathroom visit and told Peanut to be a good little Peanut so we could get a good look at it. Well, it worked! When I layed back down, Peanut was in the perfect position and even showed off it's dancing moves. It was such a thrill to both of us! What a character s/he is already! Here's a sneak peak:

If you look closely, you can see an arm by it's face and a leg sticking out

Excuse the poor picture quality, the scanner is on the fritz, so this is my attempt to photograph the photo! I'll update this post when the scanner is back in action. Happy Thanksgiving!

I guess I won't be one of thoooose pregnant gals...

Last night was one of those nights that I didn't get a good night sleep, but surprisingly woke up on my own at 6:30am. As I layed in bed, I thought about how I could definitely benefit from a little bit of exercise. Apparently, walking from the fridge to the couch 10 times a day doesn't count . So, I got up out of bed, (before the Hubs!) put on my running shoes and headed to the gym for a leisurely walk on the treadmill "workout". Hey, it's better than nothing...right?!?

I walked a steady 3.8 pace for 35 minutes and was feeling pretty damn proud of myself, that was, until I stopped and felt so dizzy I was worried I was gonna fall over. After quick grab of the arm of the treadmill and some water, I felt better and left that gym so fast you'd think I was being chased out. On the drive home, I was waiting for the endorphins to kick in, pat me on the back and say things to me like, "Aren't you glad you did that?" or "Ahhh, that felt good!" or "I'm going to do this everyday!" Instead it was like, "I feel sick" and "I'm soooo hungry" and "I miss bed".

The weird thing was while I was walking, I did enjoy listening to my i-pod and just zoning out. Normally when I exercise, it's the opposite: I hate it while I'm doing it and after I feel great. Even weirder, I felt this heaviness the whole time, like I could feel Peanut swimming and bouncing around which makes sense since there is something in there! I will attempt to go more, hoping that the long term effects will be more positive than the initial ones. Be on the lookout tomorrow for some ultrasound pics as we are going in for our first trimester screening. It will be Hubs' first look at Peanut too!

Lots of excitement!

The past 3 days have been full of excitement for us. On Friday afternoon, I got the great news of being offered a promotion! My new position will begin on January 1st, and I could not be happier. I think the new job will be much more conducive to my new life as a working mom. Not having to drive 150 miles a day while being 9 months pregnant will be a definite plus. More importantly, the position is full of new challenges and opportunities for the future. My only concern is telling my new boss in a few weeks, "Thank you for offering this position to me, I am so excited to start...oh and by the way, I'm pregnant, so I'll be taking a chunk of next year off! Aren't you so glad you picked me?!" I'm going to let my future self worry about that for now...

The second piece of excitement revolves around telling the Hubs' parents our big news. We made plans to have dinner with them Saturday night and of course tell them that they were going to be Grandparents (Amma and Opa) for the third time. We had a couple gifts stashed, but we knew that if we just gave them the gift bag, they would know right away. Instead, the Hubs concocted a brilliant idea to divert their thinking. Here's how it went:

Hubs: "So, we have some news to tell you..."

(Amma and Opa look at both of us with ear to ear grins)

Hubs: "A has gotten a promotion at work!"

(Amma and Opa clap excitedly, but with a wee bit of disappointment in their eyes :) )

Amma: "You did?! That is great! Congratulations!"

Opa: "That is great news! Is the position here? You won't have to move, will you?"

Me: "Nope, it's here!"

Hubs: "That's right because we have to stay close to Amma and Opa..(pause)..we're pregnant!"

(Amma and Opa yell with enthusiasm, hugs and tears all around)

Their reaction was priceless! We had a great time at dinner and playing cards after with Cousins Stan and Barb. After revealing the big secret to both of our families, we spent the drive home talking about how lucky we were to be bringing a baby into a big family that has so much love for Peanut and it's not even here yet. I am so looking forward to Thanksgiving, where our secret will be shared with both of our extended families and also on Wednesday where we get to get another sneak peak of Peanut (who incidentally is now bigger than a peanut!) and make sure he/she is growing healthy and strong. I'm definitely not leaving the office until I get a picture this time! Stay tuned...

10 weeks.

"With bones and cartilage starting to form and vital organs beginning to function, baby is making major progress. Body length will almost double in the next three weeks, and arm joints are now working. (Soon, legs will too.)"

Taco Time: A Love Story

Alright folks...consider this the official start of me losing my mind and blogging about ridiculosity. If you, by some chance in this difficult economy, have some extra dollars laying around, I suggest you buy stock in Taco Time. We have the enormous pleasure misfortune of having my favorite fast food restaurant a mere half mile away from our home. In normal, non-pregnant circumstances, I allow myself to indulge in this fresh, Mexican deliciousness maaaaaybe once a month. Now, best case scenario is once a week. What can I say, I love it sooo much! I think what I like most is their hot sauce. I start by dumping two tubs of it all over my food without thinking twice.

I've had people ask me if I've had any cravings, which I answer: "It's funny, but I really haven't." The shame of saying that I would give anything for Mexi-fries covered in hot sauce and a wee bit of sour cream, it's more than I can bare.

So, to close, yes, I realize I'm crazy and I have accepted that. Gotta go, all this typing has made me hungry ;)

Don't think you'll find this in Oprah's Book Club...

On my way down to L.A. for work, I decided to read a book one of my preggo friends lent me. She did warn me by saying that Jenny McCarthy had probably the worst pregnancy ever, so at about 30,000 feet, accompanied by my 5 oz tomato juice with light ice and cranberry snack mix (which had about 8 pieces in it...so unsatisfying), I opened this:

I read it cover to cover in about an hour and a half and let me say, I was not impressed. I feel like she either totally exaggerated everything to the point of disbelief or she is the biggest wimp of all time. Granted, I feel like thus far I have been blessed with a seamless pregnancy; a little bit of nausea here and there, boob soreness (which really can feel like burning) and being tired and hungry pretty much at all times. I have witnessed my close friends throwing up every day (poor things) while in the first trimester, but nothing like what this book details. At one point, I put the book down and had a mini-freak out that something was wrong with my pregnancy because I wasn't having near the amount of symptoms as her. Then I reminded myself that she probably wrote this book with one purpose: to make money. Books about a little bit of nausea and frequent peeing don't sell (which is probably why so few people read this blog :) ).

However, there were some parts that are chuckle-worthy. Shortly after she finds out she is pregnant she decides to take a dip in the hotel hot tub (which, hello? Doesn't everyone know pregnant women can't go in? Did you miss the giant warning signs that are right next to it??) She then freaks out she "hard-boiled her baby"....sorta funny. I could also relate to the parts throughout the book where she worries about pooping while giving birth. :: shudder :: Freaks me out too. Or the section of "Psycho Chick" making her appearance (poor hubs).

All in all, I thought it was mildly entertaining and if you are trapped on a plane with nothing else to do, it may be worth the read. But honestly, I prefer Jenny McCarthy hosting Singled Out.

I love olives.

" Your little embryo has now officially graduated to fetus-hood. Adding to the excitement, a Doppler ultrasound device might be able to pick up the beating heart. With basic physical structures in place and increasingly distinct facial features, baby is kind of starting to look like... well... a baby!"

First Doctor's Appointment!

Today I had my first Doctor's appointment and it was a loooong one. I first was given both flu shots (regular and swine), then proceeded to pee in a cup and get my blood drawn. Then I get hit with a surprise..."We see you haven't had a pap yet this year, so we'll just give you one today." Oh great-as if I won't be violated enough today! After that was over I was moved to the ultrasound room.

They must have known how excited I was because I sat there, no pants and all, on the bench for damn near 30 minutes before my Dr. came in. I lay back, she gets out the wand and puts on what only can be described as a condom (oh the irony!) on the wand before putting it...well...you know.

And there it was...our cute little Peanut (*tear*)! It's little heartbeat beating strong and I could even see the spiral of the umbilical cord. The only problem was it was upside down and asleep! I like to think it was in an advanced yoga pose and drifted off to sleep. Then, the doctor starts moving my ute trying to get the baby to turn over, but the baby is apparently both stubborn and a very sound sleeper (gets both traits from it's mama). The Dr. insisted everything looked great and right on schedule for a mid-June delivery and the baby was just sleeping away. I didn't get a picture though...BOO! But, in another 4 weeks I'll be back for another ultrasound and hopefully Peanut will be awake.

Wild Friday Night!

The title is meant to be facetious. The Hubs and I always talk about how unexciting we are and if 8-years-ago-us could see what we do now on Friday night, they would be shocked. So, last night we did some exciting stuff and went on an outing to Macaroni Grill for dinner, then to Target to get a present for our Nephew's birthday coming up and then....well...that's it! Hey, that is miles ahead of last Friday where the Hubs and I ordered take-out and waited all night for our favorite Friday night programming--Dateline, where about 5 minutes in, I said to the Hubs. "What are we doing?" And he responds, "You're totally right...let's watch this in bed!" So there we were, two happy DINKS snuggled up in bed Friday night at 9:06pm, gripped by Keith Morrison detailing the mystery of how a wife and her two kids ended up falling down a cliff and dying...duh! Her crazy Husband! But I digress....

Our fearless friends D & G were with us and we were again reminded about how utterly unexciting we are when the young, hip waitress, Kathy, (who was by far the youngest looking "Kathy" I have ever seen) says, "So, what are you guys doing tonight? Maybe catching a movie, or going out?" We all blankly look at her and say, "Nope, this is it!" Screw you Kathy! At least we're not working! ( Oh snap!)

Cutest part of the night was when the Hubs, who decided he wanted to tell D & G the big news, did so right after we sat down this way:

Cute, huh? It was fun to finally tell a couple of friends! It's been hard keeping this secret, especially to them because we hang out every weekend and G is 37 weeks preggo with Claire-bear. We spent the rest of the night talking about baby stuff and getting excited how our kids will be 7 months apart in age and in the same grade at school..yay! But, I don't care what 8-years-ago-us would say....because we aren't the same people anymore...it's us + a peanut ;)

8 Weeks

How far along?: 8 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +2, and still soooo bloated

Maternity clothes?: Just bought some, you can see them here

Stretch marks?: Can you get stretch marks from excessive bloat? Hopefully not.

Sleep: Getting more and more difficult. I've begun having to get up once in the middle of the night to pee.

Best moment this week: Broke the news to the parents and Sister J...all are very excited.

Movement: Nope.

Food cravings: Fruit

Gender: I have no idea

Labor Signs: No thanks.

Belly Button in or out?: Innie.

What I miss: Sleeping through the night. And not having spontaneous back pains.

What I am looking forward to: Hearing the heartbeat on Monday!

Weekly Wisdom: When something sounds good, eat it! Rarely does anything sound good.

Milestones: This was a bit of a boring week. Sorry to disappoint.

A Raspberry!

"Your baby is growing like mad, putting on about a millimeter every day and continuing to straighten out in the trunk. Though you can't feel it yet, baby is moving those little arms, legs and (now only slightly) webbed fingers and toes like crazy."

Operation New Wardrobe: Phase 1

I decided to order my first round of Maternity clothes well before I wake up and find that nothing fits. True to form, I opt for all comfortable, non-work clothes from Gap and Oldnavy.com:

(ordered this set in my favorite color, black)

I plan on living in hoodies :)

This shirt got the highest reviews on the website for comfort and flattery...I got it in purple.

I didn't go crazy, just some staples... Frankly, I wasn't impressed with the selection and I'm hoping for some of my fabulous girlfriends to lend me some of their cute clothes as well, whenever I decide to tell them. And I'm glad that I *finally* have some good suggestions for Mom when she asks me for Christmas gift ideas. Yes, yours truly, otherwise known as Mrs. Clark Griswold is already thinking about Christmas--my favorite time of year!

What Would Tom Colicchio Do?

Cooking usually is one of my favorite hobbies. After a long day of work, I usually thrill in disappearing into the kitchen to chop, saute and whip up something delicious. It gives me time to think and reflect on my day--it's almost meditative. On the weekends especially, I'll scour my cookbooks to get inspired, hit the market with the Hubs and pick out fresh ingredients to cook up a satisfying meal. On Halloween, we went over to our dear friends D & G's house to stuff our faces with give out candy to the cute trick or treaters, so I decided I would bring a delicious dinner over too. What do I choose? I choose the decadent Crab Mac & Cheese. (Insert oohing and ahhing here) It was rich. I'm talking butter, whole milk, 5 types of cheese and King crab that I shelled myself....sounds good right? Here is how it started:





and here is how it ended:



Ok, not exactly...I didn't puke...but the thought of eating my creation sounded horrible. In my culinary defense, the Hubs and D & G loved my dinner, but Peanut was not impressed. Even seeing the leftovers sit in my fridge remind me of the smells...oy.

So for now, I will stick to eating things I like, including fruit (especially berries), saltines, noodle soup. Oh, and ginger ale.

7 Weeks.

How far along? 7 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Still even, but I look like I've gained already :(

Maternity clothes?: Not yet, but this insane bloat makes me want to buy some already. Right after work, I immediately switch to a stretchy waist

Stretch marks? Nooooooooo.

Sleep: Yes please! Boob soreness has made my normal tummy sleeping very difficult, so mostly it's on the back with pillows under my knees.

Best moment this week: Getting away with more secret-keeping...shhhh

Movement: Nope.

Food cravings: Every morning while I watch the Today Show, a commercial comes on for Rice Krispie treats....makes me want them soooo bad!

Gender: The Hubs says boy, I say girl. Shocker.

Labor Signs: No thanks.

Belly Button in or out? Innie.

What I miss: Not freaking out whenever I feel the teeniest bit of cramping.

What I am looking forward to: Halloween tomorrow! I think we might spill the beans to our closest friends.

Weekly Wisdom: People are none the wiser with soda with a lime at the bars.

Milestones: I started crying in the middle of Target at just the thought of how much I already love this little peanut...for a selfish DINK, that is a milestone :)

7 weeks

Baby's brain -- both hemispheres! -- is growing fast, generating about 100 new cells every minute. Arms and legs are emerging as joints start to form, and a permanent set of kidneys (baby's third!) is now in place.

Pants on Fire

I hate lying. Even worse, I suck at it. I'm pretty shocked that we haven't spilled the beans to anyone. Even after attending a wedding of a co-worker, where I sipped on soda water with a wedge of lime, no one found out! Actually, I'm thanking my lucky stars right now because having work collegues find out our secret would be the absolute worst case scenario considering there *might* be some changes going on at work involving a possible promotion...but that is for a different blog.

But I miss my family...I usually see them every other weekend for dinner and drinking my dad's yummy wine, but I really don't want to blatently lie to their faces, so I've just made up excuses for why we can't see them. I know a lot of people won't understand why we aren't even telling our family yet--we do have our reasons. However, I will be put to the ultimate test on Wednesday when I meet my girls for our usually monthly get tossed mid-week for no reason after work happy hour cocktail. Lucky for me (which is unlucky for Hubs), the Hubs is having surgery on Thursday, which will be my excuse to keep a clear mind and cut out early.

My first doctor's appointment is a week from Monday where I'll get to find out my real due date, get grilled with family history questions and get molested by that giant wand...all to see a picture of that little person that has been consuming my mind ever since I saw those two pink lines.

6 weeks

I'm stealing this questionnaire from one of my favorite blogs...I thought it would be a funny way to track the pregnancy:

How far along? 6 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Even-steven since I'm just starting out....thank god!
Maternity clothes? Clearly, not wearing any...but I have been looking online and so far, I'm not impressed.
Stretch marks? Noooooo.
Sleep: Sleeping a lot...I seem to always be tired. One weird thing is that I wake up, on my own, every morning bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 6:15am....but around 7:30 I wanna go back to sleep.
Best moment this week: Hearing the hubs say, "love you guys" when leaving for work...makes me melt.
Movement: Uh, no.
Food cravings: Ketchup...which is odd because I never liked it before. You should've seen the pile of it I scooped up with my fries.
Gender: I have no idea...the hubs thinks boy though.
Labor Signs: Zip.
Belly Button in or out? Innie.
What I miss: Wine...already
What I am looking forward to: My first appointment...scheduled for November 9th.
Weekly Wisdom: To have this question on here is a mistake, since I have none....I guess I would say, stop thinking of all the negative things that could happen and focus on the positive....or some crap like that :)
Milestones: This is just the beginning!!

A Sweet Pea

"Growing like crazy, baby is starting to sprout eyes, ears, nose, cheeks and chin. Those little hands and feet- still webbed like paddles- might wiggle by week's end, the heart is beating (almost twice as fast as yours!), and blood is starting to circulate. "....How cute is that? :)

Holy Exhaustion

While I feel very lucky that I don't have my head in the toilet, I am so effing tired! Yesterday I was ready to pull a George Costanza and curl up right under my desk, then I remembered I worked at home and went to the couch. Today I'm going to power through....mama's gonna make something happen! I'm thinking that exercise would be helpful, but the thought of dragging my bloated butt to the gym is so daunting....let's see if I manage to get the energy today...if you were in Vegas, I think you know how you should bet on this one :)

Really side stepped that landmine...

Yesterday was our first big family event after finding out that we are with child. Normally family parties consist of lots and lots of questions usually going something like this:

(Family member): "So...how long have you guys been married now?"
(Hubs): "Just over three years."
(Family member): "Wow, time sure does fly!"
(Me): "It sure does. So what have you been..."
(Family member interupts): "So...when will we be seeing some little ones from you?"
(Hubs and I look nervously at one another)
(Hubs & Me respond together with phrases such as): "Who knows", "Maybe soon", "We're just enjoying being married", "Maybe next year", etc, etc, etc.

But this visit started (key word: started) oddly comfortable. I explained to that I was fighting a cold and trying to stay hydrated to prepare for a big week at work which is why I wasn't having my usual giant goblet glass of wine. My fatal mistake was leaning over to The Hubs about two hours in and whispering, "This is great! No one has grilled us tonight!" Not ten minutes later, we walk into the kitchen where The Hubs' two aunts and grandpa are chatting and I hear....

(Aunt): "A, come here...I've noticed that you've had Diet Coke and water tonight...is there something we should know about?"

UGH! I thought I was out of the woods. I look at The Hubs who conveniently has his trademark deer-in-the-headlights look. So, I try to deflect the situation blabbing about my cold and blah, blah, blah, there must be a bug going around, blah, blah...you get the picture. Thinking I was out of the woods I get hit with the most uncomfortable question of all time....

(Aunt #2) "So, are you guys trying?"

Ummm...I'm trying to avoid awkward moments like this! I'm so tempted to follow up with asking, "trying what?" But I know this is a time when playing dumb won't work. Instead I just say "no". Technically, we are not trying right now. But it's not over. Then I get asked:

(Aunt #2) : "When do you think you will want a baby?"

I respond with, "maybe next year." Again, another true statement, since we are due in June. My Sister-in-Law then quickly changes the subject--God bless her.

As we are walking to the car, I realize what a horrible liar I am and I wondering if they are really suspicious. I'm sure they are. Everyone knows I love my wine, and I'm not usually one to turn it down. We are trying to wait as long as possible before telling our families and friends...we're hoping to make it to Thanksgiving. We'll see how far we get....

Five weeks in and it's been smooth sailing. The baby books say that week 6 is when the real fun starts AKA morning sickness. Peanut, please be good to mama...