Monday, April 30, 2012

31 Weeks


Today I feel pregnant!  I've been saying how great I feel for a while and it still is pretty much true but today may have been the first of many long days I have to deal with over the next 9 weeks!   The baby feels super low.  Not dropped into the birth canal low, but just lower than normal.  I compared pictures from last week to this week and there really doesn't seem to be much of a change in any direction, but boy do I feel it!

Sleeping has been getting more difficult too.  Last week was the worst since I had killer allergies and asthma problems.  But now those are pretty much resolved and it is just my belly causing the problems. It just seems so huge.  My various pillows do help, but they aren't perfect.  My back and sides ache throughout the night and rolling over is almost impossible!  Ugh!  What happened?

I also seem to have a hard time walking and just doing normal things.  The extra 20 pounds are really starting to be "felt" right about now! 



-The Weekly List -

How far along? 31 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +22 pounds!  Eeeek 4 pounds in a week?  I haven't been walking since my allergies have been so bad.  Tonight, Kiel is about to pass out on the couch and I am waddling since the baby is in an odd position, so I don't think I'll be getting any exercise in.  Although I do intend to do some yoga!

Maternity clothes? Of course

Stretch marks? Luckily still none.  I am shocked!!

Sleep: I think I am starting to make my descent...

Best moment this week: Corey got to feel baby boy move this week and Kiel got to experience hiccups.  Both very cool moments!

Miss Anything? Running!  

Movement: Seems one day he is super active and the next super sluggish.  I hate the sluggish days!  

Food cravings: Just lots of fruit.  Baby boy seems to really like strawberries!

Food aversions: Thankfully no!

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Nothing!

Ailments: Lots of pressure on my bladder, but only when I stand or walk.  Achy back for a few minutes when I get up in the morning.  

Have you started to show yet: Heck yeah!

Gender prediction: Beautiful baby boy. 

Labor Signs: No, but I can't imagine what the pressure will feel like in the weeks really leading up to his birth!

Belly Button in or out? 1/2 in 1/2 out.  The top part is poking out.  It is so stinking ugly!

Wedding rings on or off? On, and still getting a little snug :( 

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, but tired! 

Looking forward to: Kiel plans to finish the room next week while he is on vacation!  Getting the ABC wall up! The energy surge that will accompany nesting.  Kiel already thinks I'm nesting, but I just want to get things done now before they are impossible to do! 

Saturday, April 28, 2012

It has been 6 months...

Several times I have mentioned dealing with a devastating situation right at the beginning of my pregnancy. I've wanted to blog about it several times, but I just can never get the words out.  Even now, I don't feel particularly ready, but it has been six months and it is about time...

Friday, October 14, 2011 started off a regular school day, but everything changed at about 11:30 when three iPhones went off with the same message from our coordinator; "On your way back from lunch please come to the conference room."

The three of us looked at each other and knew something was wrong.  My heart started racing because I had remembered earlier in the day the principal announcing for all the counselors and social workers to report to his office.  I knew something was up-and it was not good.  We discussed our two students who were absent on that day.  One, we knew, would be out for some routine testing at Children's Hospital, the other was out all the time for various reasons, but we knew something must really be going on this time.

The three of us arrived in the conference room and waited. Finally, one of the high school counselors showed up.  She said more people were on their way and we should wait for them.  I spoke for the group and said, "Please, just tell us what is going on."  I pleaded with my eyes and I knew she couldn't bear to keep it from us any longer.

She told us there had been an accident at the home of one of our students the previous night.  They weren't sure what happened, but he wound up unconscious.   At one point his heart had stopped, but the paramedics where able to revive him.  They were not sure what was going to happen, but at the current moment he was clinging to life via machines at Children's Hospital.

I completely lost it.  Never had I felt so out of control.  I began shaking and crying right there in front of my coworkers.  I remember hearing choking sobs coming from someone.  I was shocked several seconds later when I finally realized those sobs were my own.

How could this be?  It was not real.  Things like this do not happen to me or my students.  Other people deal with this stuff.  I see it on the news, but it is never supposed to happen to me!

I wanted to get out of there.  Get into bed and not wake up until this nightmare was over.  It just had to be a nightmare.  Things like this are just NOT supposed to happen.  

After others joined, there was talk of informing the other children.  I couldn't do it.  I couldn't get myself together.  How could I be a support person for the nine and ten year olds who were depending on me?  Initially, I had intended on just leaving before the students came back from their special.  I couldn't bear to see their faces, feel their broken hearts.

But somehow, I pulled myself together and managed to be a support person for my students.  We could still be hopeful.  He was not dead and he was in the best children's hospital in the world.  Things would get better.  They had to.

The two most difficult weeks passed by.  Each day I felt like I was putting on a show for my students.  Teaching and keeping the schedule as normal as possible for the children was incredibly draining.   I felt like I was living a lie.  Inside I was torn to pieces, but on the outside I put on a smile and promised the kids everything would be okay in the end.

Day after day I sobbed in my car on my way to work.  Pulled myself together for the kids.  And sobbed on my way home from work.  I got into bed and spent most of my evenings either crying or sleeping.  Kiel didn't know what to do, but everything he did do was perfectly right.  He held me when I needed to be held.  Let me be when I needed my space.  Cooked, cleaned, shopped and made sure everything was taken care of.  I couldn't have gotten through that time without him.

On the morning of October 29th I received the call that had been dreading.  They took him off life support the night before and his body just couldn't handle all the stress it had been under.  My precious little student was taken from this earth on the evening of October 28, 2011.  I expected to lose control all over again.  To scream and cry, as I was, after all, alone in the comfort of my own home.

But instead I felt relief.  I didn't have to worry about my boy being in pain anymore.  A part of me felt guilty that I felt better, knowing that he was now free instead of fighting for his life any longer.

Again, I had to worry about how we were going to break this devastating news to the children.  It was not easy.  There were lots of tears and difficult moments.  One of the most special moments I will remember forever is holding one of my little girls in my arms and rocking her in a chair as we both cried.  She needed to be comforted, but I need it even more than she did.  Those several minutes of quiet time we shared helped me get through all the difficult days ahead.

Six months have passed.  It is hard to believe he has been gone for so long.  Each day I think of him several times.  I still hear his voice.  See that mischievous, toothy smile.  Feel his arms wrapped around my waist in a hug.

I will never forget him.

He will always be an angel looking over me and my little boy.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Baby Love vol. 6

There are so many songs out there written for baby girls and daughters.  That's why I was happy to come across Beautiful Boy by John Lennon.  

What a perfect song!  




Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd is also a great song for a son.  Enjoy...


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Push Present

So what do I want for my Push Present?

Not much.

Just the ability to announce the birth of my child with my husband.

I want to be the one to be able to tell the parents and the grandparents, the siblings, the aunts and uncles, the cousins.  I don't want one person in the waiting room to take the lead and make all the calls or posts on facebook.  Actually I don't want anyone else posting anything on facebook for that matter!  Let us share the first picture, the super cute secretive name, and all the other crucial birth announcement information.

After pushing for hours or having my stomach split in two, I want to be the one to hear the excitement in everyone's voice as we make the calls via speaker phone.

That will be the best present in the world.  Well, the second best present in the world!  


Tuesday, April 24, 2012

10 on Tuesday

Here is this week's installment of random questions provided by Chelsea at Roots and Rings.  


1. Would you rather give up pedicures or flat/curling irons?
Pedicures-since I have only had 2, yes 2, in my life.  One before my wedding and one last year to celebrate a friend being cancer-free!   I think I want to go for another before baby boy gets here though!  Oh, and I totally need my flat iron.  My hair is not very pretty without it!

2. Does your middle name have a family meaning?
Yes!  My middle name is Acimo and it is my grandmother's name.  If you would like more info, click on this old blog post!

3. Do you like to sneeze?
I hate sneezing!  I am one of those people who can't sneeze once, so it is super annoying!  It is also dangerous.  Like when I am driving and I sneeze 10 times in a row and my eyes are pretty much closed the whole time.   And now I have to remember to squeeze when I sneeze-if you catch my drift...

4. Do you think kids should need to learn cursive?
I am torn with this.  Being a teacher I kind of want them to know how to read cursive, but I am not someone who requires them to write in cursive.  Other than signing my name, I don't ever write in cursive so why should they?!?!

5. When you go to the beach for the day, what do you take?
A big sheet, towels (that I use mostly for pillows since I rarely swim in the ocean), fruit, my current book, magazines, water, sunblock, sunglasses, my chair, and hopefully a friend!  I can't wait until next summer and I can bring a cute little boy with me.  I think he might be a little too young this year!  

6. Which decade had the best music?
Wow!  I am so torn!  I love music from all decades.  However, since I am an 80's child, I think I have to go with the 80's!!!

7. Are you a good hand-shaker?
I'd like to think so.  No one has ever told me one way or another!

8. Do you have a go-to meal for when you are at a restaurant and you can’t decide?
I don't.  If I were Kiel I would say Chicken Parm, cuz that is all he gets everywhere.  I like trying different things.  This weekend I went out to dinner with my friend Holly and we both couldn't decide so we got two different meals and shared.  That was the best possible solution and I wish I did that more often! 

9. Do you have slippers?
Yes!  A pair my grandmother gave me that she didn't like, so you can only imagine what they look like!  We have tile in the kitchen and bathrooms and it gets really cold so I have to walk around with slippers, especially in the winter!

10. Are you easily grossed out?
Yeah, I am one of those people.  I'm hoping having a little boy will help with my issues of being grossed out by things!  (Being a teacher has definitely helped!)

Monday, April 23, 2012

30 Weeks


Waaaaay back at the beginning of my pregnancy I thought 30 weeks was pretty much the end.   I can't believe we still have 10 more weeks to go!  I don't know if I have 10 more weeks of growing left in me!  Where is he going to go????

Overall I am feeling great-pregnancy-wise. But horrible allergy-wise!  Since Friday I have been suffering from the New England seasonal allergies that wreck me each year.  I have not been sleeping well and I just feel like garbage.  Luckily, today I had my 4 week check-up and asked my doctor if I can take anything.  I was surprised to hear I can pretty much take anything.  Since we already had Zyrtec, I popped one of those and I already feel like I am out of the allergy fog.  Yeah, I'm still congested, my throat is still sore, and my breathing is still not great, but WOW, I am feeling a whole lot better!

At the doctor, all of my urine tests came back normal.  No sugar.  No protein.  That means no worrying about diabetes or preeclampsia!

According to the doc, my fundal height is measuring 30 cm.  I am not convinced she accurately measures this!  Oh well!

And in best news....I have only gained 2 pounds since my last appointment 4 weeks ago.  That is a lot better than my 8 pounds in 3 weeks that I toppled the scale with at my last appointment.

Now my appointments will be every 2 weeks until the last month.  Crazy!  We are getting down to the wire!



-The Weekly List -

How far along? 30 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +18 pounds.   Ten weeks left and I still have 7-17 pounds to play with.  I'd really like to stay under the +30 pound mark though!

Maternity clothes? Of course

Stretch marks? None!  10 more weeks I can do it!!

Sleep: Last week it started off great, but now it is yucky, but only due to my allergies. 

Best moment this week: Finding time to relax.  Painting Little Boy's room.  Doing his laundry and hanging up his clothes.  Practically finishing my letter collection for my ABC Wall!  (I only have X left to find. I actually found an i, but I haven't taken the picture yet!  Shopping for cute little boy clothes!

Miss Anything? Not really, but with the nice weather last week, I was really craving a frozen margarita!  That passed though!  

Movement: Tons and tons.  And he is totally stretching out my sides.  

Food cravings: Still none

Food aversions: Thankfully no!

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Nothing!

Ailments: I have been feeling great!  Luckily the adverse side effects of the third trimester haven't kicked in yet!

Have you started to show yet: Oh yeah!

Gender prediction: Perfect little baby boy!

Labor Signs: None!  

Belly Button in or out? Flat and still a bit raw, but not painful in anyway....still 

Wedding rings on or off? On, and still getting a little snug :(

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, grateful and excited! Feeling good right now!

Looking forward to: Getting the room in order.  Meeting little boy.  Getting through these last 10 weeks pain free (ha!)

Saturday, April 21, 2012

It's beginning to look a lot like a baby room....


As promised, here is a photo of one of baby boy's walls.  It is not done, we still need to add a chair rail, but here it is....

It is a magnetic chalkboard wall!!  We used magnetic primer on two of the 4 walls (it is kind of expensive and a pain to apply) and then painted chalk board paint over the primer, as well as around the rest of the room!  I love the look!

Obviously I just couldn't help myself and had to play a little!

Don't you just love Melissa and Doug magnets???

Randoms

Since I can't get my thoughts together here is a rundown of some stuff on my mind/going on right now...

1.  Both Kiel and I have been sick with allergies.  He is worse off than me and even went to the doctor for some drugs.  I wasn't feeling so bad...until last night.  Being pregnant isn't so bad, but being pregnant and sick and not being able to take any medicine is BAD!   Ugh...I hope this goes away.  I have my monthly check up on Monday so we shall see what the doctor says....

2.  I finished painting the baby's room.  I haven't taken a picture to post yet, but I will very soon.   It is looking just the way I wanted it to.  We just have to add a chair rail, finish the dresser, hang the curtains, put up some shelves and we will be pretty much done!  I can't wait!  

3.  The other day I went to get Kiel some allergy medicine at CVS.  First, I wasn't surprised that I had to bring a little card back to the pharmacy since they can't keep certain drugs out in the open anymore.  Then I was a little surprised when she carded me.  I have been carded for random stuff over the years like whipped cream in a can.   But then she scanned the barcode on the back of my license.  Really?  I had no idea they monitor drugs that can be used to make methamphetamine.  Now I am in a national meth database!  And if I try buying drugs somewhere else I could be red-flagged.  Just wanted to share that, that totally blew my mind the other day.

4.  I stepped on the scale last night and realized that I have lost 5 pounds in the past two weeks.  I am slightly concerned but not overly worried since I haven't noticed any change in fetal movement.  He is clearly happy and healthy kicking around in there.  Obviously, I googled it and found that many women plateau or lose weight during weeks 28-32 since our stomachs are pretty compact now.  Since I have been on vacation I haven't been on a regular eating schedule so it is hard for me to gauge how much I have been eating, but I guess there is a good chance I have not been stuffing my face as often or with as much as I had been.  I also have been eating a little better since the whole diabetes scare.

5.  I finished the Hunger Games trilogy yesterday.  I was not impressed.  Yes, you can now bash me.  I just didn't see what all they hype was about.  The final book was almost painful for me to get through!  A part of me wishes I had just stopped on the first book.  That was by far the best!

6. Today I am forcing myself to leave the house and step out into the air that makes me feel so sick.  The other day I bought this perfect closet organizer for the baby.  I was super excited for these little tags that it came with that you can use to separate the different sizes.  Well, obviously those tabs were not in the box!  Grrrr...things like that make me so angry.  Then I hope to just chill here doing laundry, hanging clothes, and trying to organize some of little boy's toys.

7.  I bought a box of tinker toys the other day.  So now I have 2 more letters to check off my ABC wall list.  I wanted to find more letters this week, but I just can't get it together.  Hopefully, I'm feeling better tomorrow and can pick up another letter or two.   Then I will need some help painting and hanging them up.  Any takers????

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Baby Love vol. 5?

While painting baby boy's room today some songs came up on my Jack Johnson Pandora station that made me think of little boy.  


Song number one is by Kris Allen.  Back when Idol was good, I was a huge Kris Allen fan.  I had never heard him sing this version of To Make You Feel My Love.  Needless to say, I was in love!




I'd go hungry
I'd go black and blue
I'd go crawling down the avenue
Know there's nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love. 

Song number two has been popping up all around me lately.  I heard it on the radio the other day. Yesterday it was on when I went into Baby Depot.  And today on Pandora.  I think it is a sign!  I have loved this song since they used it for an AT&T commercial. It was one of the few commercials that would I would have to stop what I was doing and watch.  Just too stinkin cute!


Sweet pea
Keeper of my soul
I know sometimes I'm out of control
You're the only reason I keep on coming home


And here is the AT&T commercial...

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

29 Weeks


Is time slowing down?  I was 20 weeks on Valentine's Day and that is when Kiel felt baby boy move for the first time.  It seems like I have been feeling movement forever now!

I have a feeling that after this week the time will start to fly.  I am currently on my April vacation and whenever we return to school after this break the time flies.  Between MCAS (Massachusetts's standardized test), end of year field trips and activities, packing up the classroom, and prepping for summer school/vacation the months of May and June always just fly by.  Add setting up baby boy's room and all the other fun stuff that happens at the end of a pregnancy to the end of the school year stuff and I can only imagine how fast the time will go by these next 10 1/2 weeks.  As much as I am enjoying this whole pregnancy thing I kind of hope it all flies by since I am getting really anxious about what is to come.  Anxious in a good way though!

This weekend Kiel and I went on our babymoon.  We just went away to New Hampshire for the weekend.  It was nothing extravagant, just time away together.  It took us a while to get into the whole being away thing.  I think we both secretly wished to be home since the weekend was so nice and we could have gotten a lot done around the house.  But after a little bit, I pushed those thoughts aside (hopefully he did too) and we began to enjoy the weather and time together. It was kind of nice not to have to worry about work or all the projects around the house.

I also had my work shower on Friday.  Yeah, it was kind of early, but with the end of the school year fast approaching and 2 weeks of state testing coming up in May time was limited.  I also made it clear that I wanted my students involved.  Since I have been at the school very few people have become pregnant, and most of them just had after school showers.  I think that is what most teachers prefer, and I totally get that.  But for me, the students are why I am there.  They are so excited about this little boy and I wanted them to take part in my special day.  They also thought it was super cool to meet my husband!  Yes, Kiel actually came into school for a few hours to be a part of the shower.  This is a big deal for most guys who don't know their wive's coworkers, but add another layer.  Many of my coworkers are Deaf and Kiel does not know ASL...yet.  He was awesome!  Everyone loved him.  And after he left I couldn't count how many comments I got about how handsome he is.  Everyone is convinced we are going to have quite the looker for a baby!

As you can see this has been a pretty awesome week!



-The Weekly List -

How far along? 29 weeks (1 day...ooops!)

Total weight gain/loss: +17.  So I actually lost 2 pounds this week.  It has to be due to my diet.  I have been really conscious of not only the sugar I consume, but also carbs.  I did pass my diabetes test, but I didn't pass with flying colors.  The doctor told me not to worry, and I'm not worrying but it was just what I needed to get my head on straight.  However, I have been consuming the leftover cake from my shower.  It is from Mike's Pastry in the North End in Boston.  People wait in line to get into this shop and once you have one treat from them you will know why!

Maternity clothes? Yeah, and I'm actually growing out of some!  What's up with that?!?!  Some of my maternity shirts are becoming too short!

Stretch marks? None!

Sleep: It wasn't good on the babymoon.  The bed was too soft!  I still am able to get several hours of solid sleep.  I hope this continues!

Best moment this week: My shower!  Time with my husband on our babymoon.  Talking more about baby names.  I still honestly don't think we will have a name solidified until he comes.  Being able to share the news that I am going to be an AUNTIE!!

Miss Anything? No, and I didn't have to give up chocolate!  I guess you could add tying my shoes to the list.  I hate not being able to bend over!

Movement: Lots!  So much so that Kiel was able to see him moving out of the corner of his eye last night while he was watching TV.  That is how much this kid is moving now!

Food cravings: None, I feel really non-pregnant when it comes to the food thing now!

Food aversions: Nope!

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Nothing!

Ailments: For several days this week I had a horrible pain in the top right part of my uterus.  At first I was thinking he had kicked, and possibly bruised my rib.  The pain just didn't go away.  Then, after several hours I began to feel better only to have it come back a few hours later.  It was quite painful.  So after dealing with the pain for 3 days I emailed my doctor.  A nurse called me a few hours later and scolded me for not calling.  Anytime I have pain I am supposed to call apparently. I just thought I was probably experiencing a typical pregnancy ailment, and honestly I probably was, but anytime I feel the need to contact my doctor due to pain, I must do it via phone call, not email!   So after talking for several minutes about my symptoms, the nurse consulted with the doctor and they both seemed to think I was experiencing muscular/skeletal stretching.  It seems like my ribs and the muscles around them are expanding and that is where the pain is from.  I am now happy to report that I haven't felt the severe pain since Friday!

Have you started to show yet: Oh yeah!

Gender prediction: Perfect little baby boy!

Labor Signs: None that I noticed this week.      

Belly Button in or out? Flat and still a bit raw, but not painful in anyway. 

Wedding rings on or off? On, but getting tight....bummer...

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, grateful and excited!

Looking forward to: Finishing painting the baby's room-we started today.  I'll post pictures tomorrow. Organizing his closet, I got a cool closet organizer today!  Decorating the room and cleaning up all the baby goods that have taken over the guest room! Seeing little boy!

Monday, April 16, 2012

Can't get it together....

No excuses!

I'm on vacation and I can't get my weekly update ready.  Hard to believe I manage it every other Monday considering I wake up at 4:30 and don't get home till 6:30 after working 2 jobs.  But when I am not on a schedule I just can't get my act together.  I will try my best to actually have Kiel take my picture before the night is over.  But for now it is back to taping the baby's room.  Tomorrow my preggo sister-in-law is coming up to help me paint!

Yes, just 5 minutes ago she announced on Facebook they are expecting so I can finally talk about it on my blog.  I can't believe little boy will have a cousin born just 4 months after him!  So exciting for our family!  More on this later though.  I have to get to work!!


Friday, April 13, 2012

Surprise...

So people are now proposing on facebook so I figured, why not "pop" a question on my blog....

Corey,
Will you be a part of your nephew's birth and join us in the room during labor and delivery?

I would totally understand if you didn't want to be there.  I can be a super bitchy big sister and when I am pushing out a watermelon sized baby I am sure I won't be very nice.  And I wouldn't want to traumatize you, knowing that you plan to have a baby in the next few years.  But I would also be honored if you could share this experience with us.

So, Little Sis, it is up to you!

Love,
Sis

Thursday, April 12, 2012

The 2nd Trimester: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

So now it is time to reflect on the "Honeymoon Trimester."  Although the second tri did start off rough, I eventually got into a groove and pregnancy actually became enjoyable.

The Good

  • By 18 Weeks I was feeling great.  The back pain had disappeared, I didn't have any nausea or other symptoms and besides a little bump I felt like my old self.
  • By 20 weeks I actually had a visible bump and started looking more pregnant than fat!
  • I eventually overcame all the exhaustion. 
  • I had quite an appetite and chocolate tasted good again!!!
  • We got to see baby "gender unknown" on the TV screen again. 
  • I began to feel movement relatively early-I think it was about 17 weeks. 
  • Kiel felt baby boy move on Valentine's Day-20 weeks
  • I began to SEE the baby moving in my belly!
  • I started registering for all the baby goodies
  • We started working on the room...well planning it anyway. 
  • I was able to notice that baby boy recognizes our voices. 
  • I got to start shopping for some super cute boy clothes.  Yes, they do exist!
The Bad
  • It took a long time to start showing so I felt people thought I was gaining weight and not actually pregnant.
  • At the beginning of this trimester I had horrible lower back pain and I was convinced I would be in pain the whole pregnancy.  That diminished by week 14 or so. (28 weeks now and virtually no pain!)
  • Round ligament pain was rather annoying during the "teen" weeks.  
  • Heartburn began!
  • When movement stopped or slowed down for extended periods of time I freaked out!
  • Sleeping became uncomfortable. 
  • It became hard to do every day tasks: tying shoes, washing dishes, picking things up, eating and not making a mess. 
  • I became even more emotional than normal!

The Ugly The Awesome
Sorry I had to change this.  There really wasn't anything ugly about the 2nd trimester!  I hope all preggo chicks feel this way too!  We deserve a "Honeymoon" after all the stuff we dealt with during the first trimester!
  • We had our wonderful gender reveal party with our family and friends.  One of the best days of my life! 
  • I get to spend every waking and nonwaking second with this amazing little baby. 
  • We both are starting to form a strong bond with the baby
  • Kiel and I have become much closer and talk more about the important stuff.   (Each day I am further convinced I have chosen the most perfect husband in the world!)


Tuesday, April 10, 2012

The Name Game

So I think we have finally narrowed our name choices down to two!  However, I am not opposed to adding more at this time either.  Here is the criteria the name has to meet to even be considered...

1.  The Infant Name Test-How would I feel telling a stranger at the grocery store, "This is my little __________!"  If the name doesn't fit for a baby, it is out.

2. The Child Name Test- What would I think if I saw that name on my class list?  Is it a bad kid name?  A smart kid name?  A cute kid name?

3.  The Teenager Name Test-What would I think if my teenage daughter came home and said, "Mom, I'm going on a date with _________________."  Is it a name that would evoke fear in another mother?  Like Ricco or Casanova?

4.  The Adult Name Test-What would I think if I saw the name on a resume?  Would I want to work with someone by this name?  How would the name sound on a baseball card? (hehe)

So the top two names fit all four!  Yippie.  Here are the pros and cons for each name, though...

Name A
The Pros

  • This name meets our goal for using only the letters in our names. 
  • On a scale from one to ten, I would give this name a 10!
  • It is what I consider a "strong" male name.  
  • It is not in the Top 100 names, however it is in the top 200. 
  • It sounds good with both the middle and last name. 
  • The name is related to baseball in a roundabout way. 
The Cons
  • We have two people in our extended circle of friends who have kids with this name. 
  • There really isn't a nickname for this name that I like. 

Name B
The Pros
  • This name nearly meets our goal for using the letters of our names, but we added a little pizzaz to the name as well. 
  • On a scale from one to ten, I would give this name a 9.5. 
  • There are several nicknames for this name that I like, and one of those nicknames used to be one of my top boy names.  
  • We don't know anyone with this name. 
  • It is not in the Top 100 names, but it is also in the top 200. 
  • The name is related to baseball in a roundabout way.   
The Cons
  • The name does not sound as nice as I would like to it to with the middle name and last name.   

Based on my pros and cons what are you thinking?  Although Name A has two cons, the con for Name B is a pretty big con.  

Ten on Tuesday


Again I got these questions from Roots and Rings. The questions are provided by Sue at Simon's Sista Saw (She’s not American, can you tell?!)
1. Do you prefer fabric or plastic plasters? (or Band-Aids if American)
I never once even thought about fabric versus plastic bandaids.  Kiel, however prefers the fabric ones so that is what I get now.  

2. Do you prefer gel pens, biro or fine liners for everyday writing?
I am not one of those people who has a pen fetish.  I pretty much use whatever I can find.  Our home has a hodgepodge of free pens we have gotten from various places.  

3. Do you have a fear or needles/dentists/blood (if all three, which is the worst) and is there a story behind it?
I don't really fear any of these things.  I used to HATE needles and blood, but I have had so many blood tests over the years I have gotten over it.  I still can't look at the needle or blood when it is drawn, and I can't even watch stuff like that on TV.  I don't really like the dentist, but I don't particularly fear it either. 

4. Do you like jelly?  Do you eat it at any time other than when poorly?
Jelly is jelly.  I don't love it, but I don't hate it.  I only eat it with peanut butter on a sandwich.  I don't like it in donuts or where ever else you might find it.  No matter how "poor" I am, I have never skimped on food! 

5. What are your Easter traditions? (if not Christian, insert your own meaningful festival here and tell us about that instead)
When we were kids, we would color hard boiled eggs a few days before Easter.  We also would have Easter egg hunts inside and outside depending on the weather.  My sister and I would go to the mall and have our picture taken with the creepy bunny.  On my Greek side we play the egg cracking game where we knock our eggs together and the person with the strongest egg is the winner.  

6. What’s your favourite book that you have read so far this year?
Either Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy or The Hunger Games.  As much as I have enjoyed reading the books, I am just not as into them as the rest of the world. 

7. Do you have any magazine subscriptions or recommendations that we should know about?
I get so many magazines for free, I actually can't stand it.  I have so many...US Weekly, Parents, Parent and Child, Glamour, Cosmo, Fitness.  If you want any let me know!  I want to get rid of them!!

8. Favourite etsy store (if you know the owner IRL, also include your favourite that you didn’t originally know IRL)?
I have never purchased anything from etsy.  I have browsed a few times, but that's about it. 

9. If you had play money (£100/$150) that could only be used on shoes, what shoes would you buy?
A couple of pairs of Toms.  I don't have any yet and I really want a pair or two!

10. If you were going pet shopping tomorrow, what would you choose?
I wouldn't want to get another pet at this point.  I love my cats and I don't want another animal to take any attention away from them!  Sometimes I log for a dog.  I think it would be nice to have one to walk/run with.  But I think a baby will do!

Monday, April 9, 2012

28 Weeks- The Beginning of the 3rd and Final Trimester!!!



Things keep moving along.  I keep getting bigger.  Baby keeps growing and moving like crazy.  And the room has seen NO progress!  That's okay though since next week is VACATION!

Today I had the dreaded 3 hour glucose tolerance test.  Everyone talks about the dreaded drink, well that was the least of my worries.  I never heard anything about the crazy carb loaded diet they make you eat.  I could not follow it!  My body just could not handle all the carbs.  I felt so sick after eating (especially lunch) and that made dinner super hard to get down.  On Saturday and Sunday (nights 2 and 3 of the diet) I only managed 2 of the 5 things on the dinner menu.  I just couldn't stomach any more!  This morning I woke up at 4 am STARVING!  I managed to get back to sleep and luckily when I woke up just before 8 I wasn't so hungry anymore.  Kiel drove me over to the lab where we waited an HOUR before they even took my baseline blood test.  Yes, that means my 3 hour test turned into a 4+ hour test.  Lucky me!  After the first blood draw I got my drink again.  It was only 10 oz again, but definitely more concentrated this time.  It was a little more difficult to get down, but honestly, not all that bad.  As I waited, the first hour was the worst.  I wasn't dizzy, but just kind of foggy.  I had a hard time focusing on my reading.  I also was super hot.  As time went on things got a little better, but by noon with only about 40 minutes left, my stomach started to really growl.  I was dying!  And then Kiel came back and my brain clearly associated his arrival with FOOD and the growls kicked into high gear.  When she took my last blood draw I noticed how sore my arms were.  Two draws on each side were a little more painful than I thought.

I stuffed my face with an Easter ham leftover sandwich in the car and when I got home passed out on the couch.  I was not feeling great.  It felt kind of similar to the feeling you get after being sick for a few days. Just wiped!  I woke up about an hour later shaking.  I wasn't hot or cold just really shaky.  It was kind of scary.  Hopefully, it was nothing!  I'll find out the results by Wednesday.  I'm hoping just a change in diet will be necessary and not insulin shots!

I'll get a 2nd Trimester: Good, Bad, and Ugly post ready for later this week.



-The Weekly List -

How far along? 28 Weeks, and into the 3rd trimester. 

Total weight gain/loss: +19 pounds, which isn't too bad considering all the junk I was forced to eat over the last 3 days. 

Maternity clothes? Yep and my husband's clothes. 

Stretch marks? Still none, and I have been bad with my cocoa butter.  Gotta get my butt in gear!

Sleep: Still sleeping well.  I wake up to roll over and I consistently wake up at 4 am hungry.  Baby boy is always up at 4 in the morning too!

Best moment this week: Seeing his arm or leg move across my belly.  Feeling his hiccups!

Miss Anything? No, but if I have to give up chocolate, that might be a major bummer!

Movement: Still moving like crazy.  It feels really strange when he adjusts himself. Kiel felt it last night and he was really grossed out by it.  (I'm sure you aren't surprised by that)  

Food cravings: Nothing really.  And just so you all know....I never had any of those crazy pregnancy cravings.  Like the ones where I have to have something RIGHTNOW!  I just have had foods that taste really good at that time.  If that makes any sense.  

Food aversions: Nope!

Anything making you queasy or sick: The high carb diet made me super queasy.  

Ailments: Not that I can think of!  Feeling pretty good still! 

Have you started to show yet: Yeah, and everyone who came into the lab today had to make small talk about the baby.  I need to make a recording of all the answers so I can just hit play, rather than answer the same questions over and over all day! 

Gender prediction: Perfect little baby boy!

Labor Signs: Noticed the Braxton Hicks contractions just a few times this week.     

Belly Button in or out? Flat and kind of raw.  It hurts a little bit. 

Wedding rings on or off? On!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and anxious!

Looking forward to: QT with my husband,  getting baby boy's room organized (it will happen!), seeing his perfect little face.