An apple a day.

Here we are at WEEK 15. The baby is about the size of an apple. It's busy moving amniotic fluid through its nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in the lungs begin to develop. The legs are growing longer than the arms now, and it can move all of its joints and limbs. Although the eyelids are still fused shut, our little kumquat can sense light. We'll have to shine a flashlight in there tonight. Ha. I read that I should begin to feel movement in the next couple of weeks. I can't wait for that!!

I feel great! I am not as hungry as I have been and feel full after half my meal. (of course I usually take it past that point and make myself miserable) My mom and I went shopping on Sunday. Mom gave me a "certificate" for Christmas for a maternity clothes shopping spree and it was time for a few things. We found a million tops. Mostly just the big, flowy styles at the Loft and Kohls -that aren't maternity. The maternity tops are so big on me - in the shoulders, length, etc. It is going to be awhile before I need those. Pants are a challenge. They have really cute maternity cargo pants, shorts and jeans, but I need work pants! We found a couple things, including a cute dress from the Loft, but then we ordered a few pairs of pants online from Gap Maternity. I hope those work or I will be sportin' cargo pants and heels at work for a couple of months. I can't really wear anything this week, not because it is still too big, but because it is still too cold! I am going to regret saying this, but I am ready for some warm days!! All right . . . off to work in my trusty green pants and some black sweater that I have worn so many times it should be outlawed!

(we have a doctor's appointment next week and I will post my first tummy picture. I will post them along with my doctor's appointment updates from now on.)

Don't blame the car - blame the owner!

My car broke down this week. What a pain!! It was acting like it was going to die so I decided to run out to the parking garage during lunch and take it to Sears and have the battery checked. Only it wouldn't start! I remembered that Mary and Bob gave me the name of their mechanic and that it was close so I called them and told them that I was going to have the tow truck bring my Jeep there. They said "great" and asked that the tow trucker driver please not try to fix anything. Enter bossy tow truck driver . . . The tow truck driver is adamant about trying to start my car with his little handy dandy hand-held something-or-other. I explained that I just wanted it towed and he basically ran me over and hooked the something-or-other up to the car. I explain to him that this happens all the time and it is not an old battery and it never starts with one of those things. And he keeps trying. So what do you know . . . of course it starts right up! So he tells me that I am fine to drive it to the shop. Except that I don't have a ride back to work when I get there and that wasn't my plan! But I drive there anyways, drop the car off, walk to Target (yes, the new awesome SODO one, but my shoes are killing me so I just sit in the cafe) and wait about an hour for Brian to come and get me. Meanwhile, the nice guy from the shop calls and says that it is my battery and in fact the battery is wrong for my Jeep - it is too small and "blah blah blah" (didn't understand anything after that). So they are going to replace it with a super dooper battery and I will be good to go. BUT did I notice that my right front tire is low. Oh you mean the one that Brian and I fill up with air once a week "Nope, didn't notice that!" So they check it out and find a screw and offer to patch it. AND, oh, your front tires are very worn but the back are not so we suggest a tire rotation. "Great. Do it!" Hang up. Next call . . . "we just noticed that the sticker in your window says you are overdue for an oil change." Yep! I am sure I am . . . do that too. Next call . . . "we took a look at your brakes and your front ones look like maybe they are original to the car and they are really bad. I am sure that is true too. Please fix them. How embarrassing! I am driving around in a death trap because of my lack of care for my poor little Jeep that I was ready to trade in!

I got a new battery, new front brakes, tire patched, tires rotated and an oil change for $350. Is it just me or is that a great price!? I also got an estimate on fixing the back windows - the motor broke and they wont go up or down. Oh, they will go down - they just fall down! And that seemed very inexpensive too. Brian and I have decided to move forward with all repairs and get the Jeep in great shape. It only has 52k miles and I only drive 6 miles round trip a day! So we are going to keep it! (especially now that we have a place to take it when something does go wrong!) At least for now. The car shopping talk is over and the thought of not having a car payment for a few more years sure feels good!

"He's a looker."

. . . that is how my OB/GYN of 15+ years (who decided he doesn't deliver babies anymore) described the new guy in the practice . . . the one that WILL be delivering our baby. I think I am going to blush. I can't believe I am going to say this, but . . . is he old enough!? He barefoots . . . do barefooters deliver babies!? Oh my. Maybe he and Brian can hang out.

It's a whole new trimester!

We are officially in the second trimester. The weeks are starting to go a little faster now. Yay! What a relief! The first trimester is really scary and you wonder about every little thing that is happening inside you. This week the baby is the size of a lemon . . . 3 1/2 inches from head to bottom. It can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck its thumb! (which we will put a stop to . . . don't need that added orthodonic expense!) Thanks to brain impulses, the baby's facial muscles are getting a workout as its tiny features form one expression after another. The kidneys are producing urine, which releases into the amniotic fluid — a process that'll keep up until birth . . . until it fills a diaper every minute!

Changes in me? I think it might be time for our first baby bump picture! There is definitely something different going on and it isn't lunch this time!

What I would give for a little BC Powder!

I have had a really bad headache for two days. Went to bed with it last night, woke up with it this morning. Had a little relief after my shower, but it is back in full force! Good thing I don't have any meetings today and can just sit in my office with the lights off. I thought a little Chik-fil-a for lunch would help. Man o' man was that good!! But it didn't help. Any home remedies (I have tried Tylenol and Advil).

We had the best weekend! Went to dinner with the gang on Friday night. Fada and Derek brought Sofia. I really need to get into the habit of taking pictures for this blog. You would love to see how adorable she is . . . beautiful! We all passed her around. Everyone got a piece of her! From what I could tell, Jason is her favorite! I would like to think that she smiled like that for me and I just couldn't see it, because she was facing everyone else. I promise, from now on, there will be pictures! Saturday Brian made me a big breakfast for Valentine's Day. We had chocolate chip and banana pancakes. Yum. Then we went furniture shopping. We are looking for a large dresser and a chest of drawers for our bedroom so that we can get our clothes out of what will be the baby's room. No luck. We came home and had the Great Pizza Cook off of 2009!! We each made a pizza, in the kitchen, at the same time . . . cooked them together and shared. It was fun. Here are our pizzas . . . guess who made which one . . . 1) Thai Shrimp (just like CPK thai chicken, but with shrimp - lots of fresh ingredients - carrots, bean sprouts, green onions, cilantro, etc), 2) Italian sausage, bacon, onion, cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Brian gave me a pair of silver hoop earrings and tickets to see Morrissey at Hard Rock Live on March 1. I had mentioned the show to him and said something about not wanting to stand the entire time. Then I dropped it. He got us great seats in the balcony - yay, sensitive husband!! Yesterday I coped with a headache all day (oh, and whipped up a delicious rum cake - hey, if you can't drink it . . .), then we went over to my parents' to visit with my Uncle Chuck who is here all week from Kansas. It was so great to see him! We had a crab FEAST! I had the doctor in the back of my head saying "everything in moderation, everything in moderation," so I ate too much crab and skipped the second piece bread. I don't think that's what she meant. Oops.

Boogers?!

Seriously?! Moms out there . . . what's up with the boogers?!

He's so talented.

Notice the new header? Brian did it. Think the kumquat is clip art? It isn't! He made it in photoshop. He's good! Maybe we (meaning him and I am the cheerleader) should start a side business.

Where do you buy your shrimp?

Am I confused . . . since when is a shrimp bigger than a lime? Not at Publix! Today we are 13 weeks pregnant. Fingerprints have formed on the baby's fingertips, veins and organs are clearly visible through the still-thin skin, and the body is starting to catch up with the head. Not so much an alien anymore!

I still feel really good. In fact, I feel even better. I am less tired and tend to forget that I am pregnant during the day. Until lunch time of course. People keep asking me if I am having any cravings . . . I really just crave comfort food. Last night I whipped up a tuna-noodle casserole (for myself!). I am having a lot of trouble sleeping. I get up several times in the night to go to the bathroom and then have a tough time getting back to sleep. I am usually always up from 2:00 - 4:00 a.m. Did you know that I Love Lucy is on all night, every night?

We went out downtown this weekend for a friend's birthday. Drunk people are SO funny. I never knew! We stayed out until 1:30 a.m. What a nice feeling to wake up Sunday morning and feel great . . . I noticed Brian went right for the Advil!

Update on the green pants.

My mom has the same pair of pants, in the same size . . . in black!! She gave them to me on Saturday and is letting me borrow them until they no longer fit. Yay, Mom! Thank you!

Sounds like a choo choo train.

That is what Brian said when we heard the baby's heart beat at the doctor today. Everything is perfect. All levels of everything . . . all pee tests, all blood tests, weight gain (4 pounds) . . . all good!! The heart rate was 156. What do you think about the wive's tale about the heart rate? If you believe it then we are having a girl.

I told the midwife that I have been having some headaches and I learned that I can take Advil until about week 20. I guess I will try that next. Tylenol is like taking jelly beans -nothing!

We got ourselves a lime!

The baby is the size of a fruit we know! And oh, how good would it be in a Corona right about now!? Today we are 12 weeks pregnant. One trimester down. I have been blessed to feel so good and not feel nauseous once. Thank you pregnancy gods!The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. The baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, toes will curl, eye muscles will clench, and mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if I prod my abdomen, the baby will squirm in response, although I won't be able to feel it for awhile. We go to the doctor on Thursday and are supposed to be able to hear the heartbeat with the "doppler!"

Brian's mom came to visit this weekend. It was a short, but we had such a good time! We had a fantastic dinner with my parents at Le Coq Au Vin on Saturday night. Sunday we took her to the Farmer's Market downtown and had lunch at Dexter's. Brian and his mom enjoyed a Bloody Mary - jerks. We showed her my office. We had to take her back to her friends' at Disney in time to get home for the Super Bowl. It was a great time!

An open apology.

I would like to take a minute to apologize to my co-workers. I am sorry that you have to look at my dark green pants once a week - every week. You see, they fit! They are the only thing that actually feels good. Why aren't they black? Or tan? Or even brown? Why are the only pair of pants that I have that fit . . . green!? Now that I have put it out there and you know, that I know, that I wear them a lot . . . can I please wear them twice a week!?