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.