A letter to my unborn baby...

Dear Sweet Little Baby S,

In just two days Daddy and I will get to see you again!  I am so excited to see you moving around and looking so content in the comfort of my belly!  I am starting to feel you, and I especially loved trying to have Daddy try to feel you this morning.  You are just not big enough to be felt on the outside yet.  Soon enough, I'm sure he will be feeling your soccer ball kicking legs!

Yesterday Nurse Barbara gave me a sweet little card just for you.  I took a picture of the front and it is posted at the top of this letter.  It so perfectly describes how we all feel about you!  It is true that so many people love you and we don't even know who you are yet.  Family and friends already talk about how much they can't wait to meet you and how special you already are to them.  You are very lucky to have so many incredible people who not only love you today, but will love you forever!

Right now I am loving that I get to keep you all to myself.  In just 5 months I'll have to share you with everyone else.  Maybe I'm selfish, but I love having you just for me for these 10 months!  Everywhere I go, everything I do, you are with me and only me and I love it!  I am the luckiest Mommy in the whole world to have you with me every day!

I'd just like to close with a little song that I'll be adding to your CD.  It perfectly describes how I feel about Y-O-U!

"I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life" 

Week 18

Slowly but surely we are making our way through the pregnancy.  Things have been going well this week.  I am feeling better, except for the fact that I just can't completely kick the cold from two weeks ago.  I am pretty much 100% transitioned into maternity pants.  I seriously think they should make elastic waistband pants for all women!   I love wearing them.  Everyday I feel like I'm walking around in pajamas.  It is awesome!   


As you can see from the picture above I am starting to show.  This outfit makes it look like I'm still just fat, but when I wear my maternity clothes they are much more flattering.  One of these days I need to have Kiel snap a picture in some cute maternity clothes.  


I also got a super huge donation of maternity clothes this week.  Twenty-five pairs of pants, 3 shirts, 8 skirts, and a cute jumper-all for FREE courtesy of one of the school nurses.  All my friends will be hounding me for maternity clothes once it is their turn to cook their buns!


I also got my first massage!  It was incredible!   I went to see a friend from elementary school who now works as a massage therapist.  She knew exactly how and where to work my body, and I left there feeling better than I had in weeks.  I still haven't had any back pain and I have been sleeping much better!  Wooohooo!!  My next appointment will be during my February vacation! Double Woooohoooo!   


I am pretty sure I am feeling movement but it is not as fluttery and bubbly as other describe.  Last Friday I thought I felt some hardcore kicks right under my belly button while I was listening to some bumping music in the car.  Yesterday, it felt like the baby could have been punching my bladder, as I kept getting this weird "have to pee" sensation that lasted only for about 2 seconds before going away then came back a minute or two later.  That lasted for about 5 minutes total.   And today I was feeling sharp, but not debilitating pains deeper in my body.   If anyone knows what any of these feelings are, please feel free to let me know!  Otherwise, I'll just keep assuming it was the baby moving. 


Okay onto the Weekly List....

-The Weekly List -

How far along? 18 Weeks exactly (for once I have enough energy to blog on a Monday night after working all day and tutoring!)

Total weight gain/loss: Gaining some more!  Now only -2 on the scale.  I'm slightly worried that I am now putting on weight faster than recommended, but hey, what can you do?

Maternity clothes? All maternity pants, I just packed away all my regular pants, skirts, and jeans.  They will make their next appearance in late July.  I can still wear either maternity or regular shirts.  

Stretch marks? Not yet.  

Sleep: Still pretty tired, but feeling better than last week.  I think it is because I am not waking up nearly as much as I had been in previous weeks.  I still wake up more than I did before I was pregnant, but then I could have slept through someone breaking into my house!    

Best moment this week: Two people who didn't know I was pregnant asked if I was.  One was a student who goes to the school attached to ours (random, but we have one building for two schools), and she just came right out and asked me.  The other was a colleague at the other school whom I play softball with in the spring.  I passed her in the stairwell said "What's up" and she totally gawked at my belly.  I didn't say anything and neither did she.  Until she got into her classroom and texted a mutual friend.  He thought it would be funny to tell her I was on the McDonald's Diet.  Thanks!    

Miss Anything? Deli meat!  And we will be having two 3 foot long subs in our house this weekend.  Everybody better eat up!!!  

Movement: Yes, see above.  Unless someone tells me otherwise I'm pretty sure I'm feeling the baby.  It will be cool to see the baby moving on Thursday and compare what I see to what I feel.  

Food cravings: fresh pineapple, salad, kiwi, oranges, Cookies 'n Cream ice cream (that's where the 3 pounds came from this week!). 

Food aversions: I ate chicken this week and I ate everything on my plate.  It still isn't my favorite, but I can definitely tolerate it!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still no, Thank Goodness!

Ailments: Nasal congestion, this stinkin cold that just won't quit.    

Have you started to show yet: Yeah, when I am wearing the right clothes.  

Gender prediction: Girl or boy!  Who cares really?!?!  I'm having a freaking baby!

Labor Signs: NO

Belly Button in or out? In, but it is changing!  It is stretching out and the hole is getting bigger.  The crinkliness of it is starting to smooth out (if that makes any sense to anyone!)

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Pretty happy this week! 

Looking forward to: The ultrasound in 3 days!  Shopping for the gender reveal party with Laur and finally meeting my blogger friend Shannon!  Having the big gender reveal party on Sunday.  I can't wait to see what color balloons come out of the box!!!  (check back next week for pictures and videos, courtesy of Lauren and Anna!)

Baby Love CD vol. 2

Driving home from work listening to my iPod these two songs came on back to back.

The first, Sunshine of My Life, has always reminded me of my brother.  My mom would always sing You Are My Sunshine to him when he was screaming as an infant with colic. It has special meaning, and I think my little one would love to know a song that makes me thing of Uncle Niko also makes me think of him/her.

This song, reminds me of my childhood and I spent my whole childhood with my sister.  So, whenever I hear this song I think of her.  This song is so simple, yet brings back so many memories of watching The Wizard of Oz with my family time and time again.  I remember running to sit on my dad's lap when the flying monkeys would come on the screen.  Its little things like that, that make a childhood.  I hope my child looks back and has simple yet fond memories that didn't cost a penny.

Week 17

I am definitely getting "thicker!"  It still doesn't look like much of a bump as you can see, but the outfit I picked to do my photos in is not as flattering as maternity clothes.  There is something about the design of maternity shirts that makes a little bump look like a little bump and not a gut!  


Today was the first day I actually wore a full maternity outfit-pants, shirt, and sweater.  God I loved the pants!  I felt like I was wearing comfy pajamas all day, but they looked like classy brown work pants.   Awesome!  


I still have yet to experience the 2nd trimester energy surge, but I am patiently waiting.  Maybe after we find out the gender, I'll be excited to get things moving on the baby room and not feel so compelled to get to bed by 7:30-8:00.  Yeah, I'm pathetic. 


This weekend we had a few friends over for football.  These friends brought over their two 3-year-old boys, without naps.  Let's just say it was like having two little tornados running through our house for 3 hours!  Despite how much we love the boys, I couldn't help but think, and Kiel couldn't help but say aloud, "I really hope we have a girl!"

 -The Weekly List -

How far along? 17 Weeks 1 day

Total weight gain/loss: I gained a bit more this week.  I now appear to be -5 on my scale now.  My appetite has definitely picked up, and I've been incorporating more sweets into my diet. 

Maternity clothes? Still can go either way, but maternity clothes are so much more comfortable!

Stretch marks? Nope, and I heard there is no hope, they will be here for good one day soon. 

Sleep: Back to not being able to get enough sleep. I can't wait to shower and get to bed and it is currently 6:19 pm.  

Best moment this week: Trying on bridesmaid dresses and seeing my pre-pregnancy still fit, but I still got a size up just in case.  I also enjoyed compiling all of the gender predictor results and seeing girl!  It was also super cute to see Kiel sing the ABC song to my belly after I told him that the baby is starting to hear voices now.  

Miss Anything? No.  I miss not really liking the taste of soda.  But I guess that's a good thing.  

Movement: I think so.  It is so hard to tell at this point if it is really movement.  But I do tend to notice it at certain times, mostly when I am not moving.   Like when I am driving home, when I get into bed at night, and when I am quietly planning in my classroom.  

Food cravings: Fruits and veggies, Ice cream.  Oh and this was my facebook status on Saturday morning: 

It's 6:30 in the morning and I just had to get out of my warm cozy bed to eat ice cream. 

And so it begins...

Pickles pickles pickles pickles will be in Kiel's near future

Food aversions: Meat, but I promised Kiel I would try chicken again soon since we have so much in the freezer. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Luckily no!

Ailments: Lower back hurts on and off, nasal congestion.  Both are very minor at this point.   

Have you started to show yet: Yeah, but still not enough for people who don't know to notice. 

Gender prediction: Had my first girl dream last weekend.  I am really feeling girl now.  But who knows?  Either way we will be extremely happy!

Labor Signs: NO

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, but being tired makes me cranky!

Looking forward to: The ultrasound next week, really feeling movement, actually looking like a preggo chick. 

Gender Predictors

With less than two weeks until the big reveal I'm starting to get a little antsy.  That being said, I've thrown together a rundown of gender predictors.  Let's see if it will be a boy or girl....

Chinese Gender Predictor:

Boy and Girl

Apparently there are two ways to look at the Chinese Gender Predictor.  If I just look at it using my age and my conception month it appears to be a boy.  On another site they require you to put in you birthday and conception date and they calculate your Chinese Lunar age on the day of conception.  That test says girl.

Tally

Boy-1

Girl-1

Baking Soda Test:

Put a teaspoon of baking soda in a cup, then add a little urine. Supposedly, urine is more acidic if carrying a boy and more alkaline if carrying a girl.

BOY = if it sizzles

GIRL = if it does nothing

Nothing

Tally

Boy-1

Girl-2 

Drano Test:

Materials needed = 2 tablespoons Crystal Drano; medium glass or jar (it’s best to throw glass or jar away after this test); 2-3 ounces of urine (preferably first morning)

Put 2 tablespoons of Crystal Drano in a glass or jar and add urine. BE CAREFUL of fumes and the FAST chemical reaction (it’s preferable to do this test outside). When the chemical reaction stops, look at the color of the test within the first 10-15 seconds.

BOY = if color gets darker and turns to brown

GIRL = If no color change

This test creeps me out.  I will not do it!

Tally

Boy-1

Girl-2 

Hairline Test:

You can only do this if you already have a child. Look at the hairline at the nape of your firstborn’s neck. If the hairline is straight across, the next child will be the same gender as that child. If the hairline comes to a point in the middle, the next child will be the opposite gender.

This will be cool to test when we go for baby #2!

Tally

Boy-1

Girl-2 

Ring Test:

Hang your wedding ring from a string or strand of your hair over your belly.

BOY = if it swings back and forth

GIRL = If the ring circles

Back and forth

Tally

Boy-2

Girl-2 

Carrying (high/low):

BOY = if you carry low

GIRL = if you carry high

I seem to be carrying high, so girl.

Tally

Boy-2

Girl-3

Carrying (round/watermelon):

BOY = if you carry round (out in front) like a beach ball

GIRL = if you carry wide (out to the sides) like a watermelon

Carrying round, so boy. 

Tally

Boy-3

Girl-3

Morning Sickness:

BOY = none at all

GIRL = morning sickness lingers all day

My morning sickness was pretty wimpy, but when it did hit is was typically around lunch and dinner time, not really at all in the morning. So Girl or Boy, I guess

Tally

Boy-4

Girl-4

Cravings:

BOY = spicy and/or salty; meats

GIRL = sweets; fruits and vegetables

Definitely fruits and veggies, and now sweets are starting to make an appearance.  Hello, ice cream, pudding, and frosted sugar cookies!  Girl again!

Tally

Boy-4

Girl-5

Baby’s Heart Rate:

BOY = Less than 140 beats per minute

GIRL = 140 beats per minute or faster

The heart rate at our last appointment was 150. Girly Girl!

Tally

Boy-4

Girl-6

So there ya have it!  It's a girl!  Let's hope these tests are true!  We already have so many boys in our lives and it would be super cool if The Curious Baby and The Little Home Run grow up being best friends!  Heck, I hope we can spend lots of summer days at the beach over the years since both mommies are teachers!  Otherwise, maybe we could have a Curious Baby/Little Home Run romance 16 years from now! ;-).  

Yeah, I'm crazy!  I blame it on the hormones!

Week 16

Sorry followers!  I could not get my stuff together this week!  I've been sick and tired!  So here here is what you've been missing...


On Monday we celebrated Kiel's 29th birthday by heading for our check up.  Baby's heart rate was located instantly and is a strong 150 beats per minute (girl????).  By evening time I was feeling yucky and needed to take two days off from work to recover.  I'm still not better, but I'm sucking it up and trying to save up as much sick time as possible for when baby comes. 


This week I've been a little preoccupied with how in the world this baby is getting out of me.  Both options scare the Bejeezus out of me.  I think this preoccupation began on Wednesday when I caught my first episode of "A Baby Story" since I was a teenager.  Holy crap!  That was a lot to handle!


Today at work, several people mentioned that I "popped."  I'm not sure if it was the outfit or if baby is actually trying to show him or herself. I have been a little worried that I'm not showing as much as other people I meet or see online.  My doc just chalked it up to super strong ab muscles.  Apparently they are still there despite the layer of fat that took hold over the past few years!

- The Weekly List -

How far along? 16 Weeks 4 days

Total weight gain/loss: The official weigh in at the doc on Monday showed that I am still down 7 pounds.  Really?  At 16 weeks?  I'm a little nervous, but the doctor isn't concerned.  On a side note, the nurse blabbed my weight to Kiel.  When we met, he knew my weight basically because I was a super toned 19 year old.  Oh how things have changed...

Oh and to cover up her boo boo, she mentioned that I look like a model.  Ha, a model who can't button her pants!

Maternity clothes? I'm still at an in between stage, although, many of my skinny prepregnancy jeans no longer fit even with my bella band.  I've lost a lot of weight in my butt and thighs so the maternity jeans look so dumpy and I can't bring myself to wear them yet!

Stretch marks? Nope!

Sleep: Has been hard to come by since I have had this horrible head cold and my asthma has been acting up a bit. 

Best moment this week: Hearing the baby again.  That sound never gets old!  

Miss Anything? Nothing at all, except perhaps, being able to breathe out of my nose! 

Movement: Possibly, but I'm still not convinced

Food cravings: Fruits, veggies, unsweetened iced tea.  I'm about to make a cookies and cream milkshake (that was the craving that hit me in the car on the way home!) 

Food aversions: Most meat

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really

Ailments: Still the lower back pain, but it has been better this week.  I tried some stretches and if they don't help physical therapy may be in my near future.  

Have you started to show yet: Yeah, but I'm nearly 17 weeks now!

Gender prediction: Still feeling boy, but hoping to be buying lots of pink and purple things soon!

Labor Signs: NO

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: eh.  I was actually happy to get back to work yesterday.  I haven't been super moody either.  

Looking forward to: The next ultrasound (less than two weeks away) and our gender reveal party!

Sick!

I tend to be a very healthy person from a very healthy family.  We rarely were sick growing up and as adults we still rarely take sick time (referring to Mom, Dad, and Corey).  Nik was actually never absent one day in high school.  How incredible is that?  

Well, I succumbed to an awful cold or infection of some sort.  It all began on Monday night.  I woke from a relatively restful sleep at 11 pm and was not able to fall back asleep until 8 in the morning. I felt horrible and what was worse was that I could not sleep.  I had never been so congested in my life!  I felt awful and really couldn't do much to make myself feel better. 

I didn't go to work yesterday and tried to catch up on my sleep.   By 2 pm I was feeling worse than I had been feeling in the morning.  I was really starting to worry that I would have to take another sick day on Wednesday. 

Well I woke up this morning at 4:20 and was trying to get ready since I only had to worry about teaching until 11 and then I could go home.  Something just didn't feel right so I pulled out the thermometer.  Well, I was beyond shocked to see that I had a fever of 101.8 degrees.  I immediately got on the internet to figure out what to do.  I had already taken Tylenol and the only other thing I could do before heading to the ER was bring my body temperature down with cold compresses.  Luckily, after about 45 minutes my fever started to slowly drop.  

In those 45 minutes I experienced something I had never felt before.  

I felt like a parent. 

This pregnancy still isn't completely real to me yet.  I haven't conclusively felt the baby.  I don't look all that pregnant.  And I don't really feel all that pregnant either.  However, I do know there is a little baby in there. And that little baby was in danger today.  Fevers of 102 degrees and higher can cause brain problems in unborn babies.  

I have never felt to scared in my life.  Sure, I have had health scares, but I have always felt strong enough to fight through anything.  This was different.  My baby could have been harmed. Things could have gone horribly wrong. My life would have changed forever.  

I am confident I got my fever down in time and that everything will be okay.  Although I would have liked to feel like a "mommy" for the first time under different circumstances, it was a new (and kinda good) feeling to know that my life is more meaningful than ever before.  

30 before 30

Technically I should have written this list on August 14, but I recently saw something like this posted on another blog and figured I should try it out.  I'm a little bummed that here we are January 14, exactly 5 months after my birthday.  I've already missed almost half of a year but I'll see how I can do anyway...

Had I actually written this on my 29th birthday I would have included:

• 1. run a half marathon (No walking!)- (10/2/11)
• 2. get pregnant-(10/10/11)
• 3. have a baby

Here are some things I am thinking of now:

• 4. spend the weekend at a bed and breakfast
• 5. make a snow angel (bonus if I can get Kiel to make one too)
• 6. take at least one photo a day  
• 7. blog at least 2 times a week
• 8. have a girlfriend sleepover (cheesy movies, magazines, facials, junk food)
• 9. have a real spa day (massage, pedi, facial) (bonus if I can get at least two friends to join)
• 10. take a yoga class
• 11. go to an off broadway musical or play with Kiel
• 12. read the Hunger Games
• 13. go to a paint bar or take a ceramics class
• 14. try acupuncture, see a chiropractor, or try some other form of alternative medicine
• 15. try at least one new recipe a month (preferably from Yiayia's cookbook)
• 16. do something nice for a stranger
• 17. not check facebook for a whole day
• 18. go vegetarian for one week
• 19. relearn how to crochet from Yiayia
• 20. have at least one "extreme couponing" shopping trip 
• 21. organize my filing cabinet, and then file important documents at least twice a month
• 22. visit an animal shelter and "babysit" a dog for a day (or at least a few hours)
• 23. go fruit picking (other than apple)
• 24. start a garden and/or a compost pile
• 25. start researching and documenting my genealogy 
• 26. go on a whale watch
• 27. finally see a shooting star
• 28. do one crafty thing each month
• 29. send a message in a bottle
• 30. buy a nice camera and learn how to use it

Had I not been pregnant writing this I probably would have included some adventurous ideas like

• go parasailing 
• go zip-lining
• go white water rafting
• try an exotic food 
• go on a tropical, all-inclusive vacation
• get back down to 8 minute miles (7:30 would be even better!)
• go ice skating on the pond behind my house

(Perhaps these can be used for my 30 during 30 project)

• 
  

Happy List vol. 1

Today was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.  


On that note, I'm going to skip to what has made me happy recently...

• Since coming back from vacation, my students have become so stinkin independent.  Anyone who knows my crew knows I spent more time managing behaviors last year (I am in my second year with them) than actually teaching.  Now, I just teach!  May sound obvious to regular ed teachers or people not in the education field, but for me this is new uncharted territory.  I almost don't know what to do with all of our free time! 
• I made soup this weekend.  Thanks to Becky who gave out Friendship Soup Mix as Christmas presents this year.  On Monday when I got home from work Kiel had bread bowls ready to eat the soup in.  Heaven!
• My cats have been extra cuddly lately.  I love their warmth and coziness.  However, I do not like how they sleep like rocks and make it impossible for me to stretch out in bed. 
• Chocolate is yummy again!
• I think I have been feeling the baby for the past two days.  It is really quite amazing.  It doesn't happen for long so it is hard to catch.  Once I realize it is happening it stops so I am having a hard time figuring out if it is a baby or food moving. 
• Kiel's birthday is this weekend so we have an excuse to eat ice cream cake!
• Unsweetened, decaf iced tea is the perfect beverage to start my day. 
• It snowed today and my car only slid once going up the hill leading out of our neighborhood.  The super high payment and insurance are worth it!
• Next Monday is a holiday, Kiel's birthday, no school, and we get to hear our baby's hearbeat again at 9:20 in the morning.  Plus we don't have any other plans, I don't think I have had a Monday this great in, like, forever!

Ahhhh....I feel better now!

Week 15

We are ever so slowly approaching the halfway point.  I can't believe I am up to 15 weeks.  Really that's just 25 weeks to go.  Twenty-five weeks-that's just 175 days.  Crazy how much my life will change between now and then, and then how everything will REALLY change once the big day arrives!  


My body is beginning to feel like it did pre-pregnancy.  Although, I seem to be a bit achy in my back, but I'm sure that has to do with my difficulty getting comfortable when I sleep.   I don't have that much of a bump, but it is uncomfortable when I sleep on my belly and I am a belly sleeper.  I wake up several times a night to roll over, get comfortable and readjust a pillow I have been using to keep me on my side rather than my belly.  I am usually such a heavy sleeper, and rarely wake up in the middle of the night.  I guess this is my body's way of preparing me for what is to come!  


No super huge changes this week.  I have gotten my appetite back.  Gained a little weight. And still can't find enough hours in the day to get everything done.    

- The Weekly List -

How far along? 15 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: When I checked last night I was still down 6 pounds from my pre-baby weight.  I am gaining the weight back at a more rapid rate than expected, but I am hoping that is just due to the fact that I lost so much weight during the first trimester. 

Maternity clothes? Maternity jeans came in handy this weekend when we went to see college hockey at Frozen Fenway. They fit almost perfectly over my yoga pants.  They still don't fit comfortably on my hips and slide down a little too low. My go-to pants right now are my yoga pants.  Thank god leggings and such are in style now, so no one has commented on my choice of work clothes!

Stretch marks? Nope!

Sleep: If I didn't have to work, I'm sure I would be feeling great.  It is just impossible for me to get everything done and get enough sleep. 

Best moment this week: Quiet moments alone in the car driving to and from work.  I like to sing and telepathically communicate with the baby.  I know, I'm crazy!

Miss Anything? Deli meat.  There was an advertisement for Dietz and Watson meat on the T today (when we were commuting to our Science Museum field trip from hell)and I was salivating!  

Movement: Very patiently waiting.....

Food cravings: Fruit.  Been eating fresh cut strawberries and kiwi. 

Food aversions: MEAT!!!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really

Ailments: Achy lower back, crampiness/pressure in my abdomen. 

Have you started to show yet: For those who know I'm pregnant, yes.  Everyone else probably thinks I'm a little chubby. 

Gender prediction: Boy (Corey had a dream it was a boy, so it's pretty much confirmed).  But I'm kind of hoping for a girl.  That is probably just because I'm so convinced it's a boy!

Labor Signs: NO

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Pretty consistently happy one day moody the next.  Today was the moody day, so something to look forward to tomorrow!

Looking forward to: I really want to feel the baby moving!  Some hiccups may be nice as well!