I'm Back!

When I last wrote, I mentioned that I was going to a weather conference in Denver. Well I'm back and it was awesome! I have many pictures of the trip, but I'm at work and when I tried to plug my camera into the computer, I was told (by my computer no less) that I don't have the privileges to add a device to the computer. Ahhh corporate America! So, obviously, I'll edit this post when I'm able to add the pix.

When I was at the doctor last week, she told me to drink extra water because I was flying and going to high altitude. So I chugged tons of water on Wednesday before and during the flight (thank God I had an aisle seat). The only problem: when I got to Denver, for some reason, my body decided to keep all that water and my feet and ankles were HUGE the entire trip! I still drank tons of water because it's VERY dry in Denver. As a result of that, I had GREAT hair the entire trip. It was awesome. I hardly used hairspray and my hair stayed blow-dry awesome all day.

The conference itself was very busy. It was jam-packed with sessions lead by some of the top meteorologists in the country. I was able to network with some of the lead meteorologists in Michigan (who both knew of me which was great) and so that was great to get to know them for the future (it's no secret...I'd love to work in Detroit or Grand Rapids).

The highlight of the conference was a trip to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research) both in Boulder. We got to see lots of cool stuff, meet lots of amazingly smart scientists and had a fun picnic lunch outdoors at the foot of the Rockies. Pretty cool. They also had a little shop at NCAR where I bought our little one a pair of infant socks with all of the cloud types on them. Nerdy, but cute!

The highlight of the trip was seeing my good friend from high school, Khristin. She and I had dinner at this great little restaurant in Denver on Wednesday and then she came to pick me up on Saturday and took me to her house for dinner with her awesome husband and ADORABLE baby, Clay. This kid is like the poster child for cuteness. I am not kidding. I'll post the pictures of him when I can, but man...he was SOOOO cute.

On the way back, my colleague and I were bumped to first class (rough, I know), so the flight back was GREAT! Although, flying first class isn't NEARLY as fun as it is when you can take advantage of the free booze.

As for the peanut, she did very well on her little trip out west. She kept moving through most of the trip, but I did get concerned because of my swelling...so I think I'll call the doctor today to make sure I'm not showing signs of preeclampsia. Scary, but I'm going to get checked.

Naturally, I was EXHAUSTED from the trip when I got back. Jon was wonderful and took me to lunch and then brought me home and put me to bed. I fell asleep at about 4:30 yesterday afternoon and slept until this morning.

It's A........

GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are over the moon happy. This is the most wonderful thing. We can't wait to meet her!

The appointment was kinda funny. See, we've had two other ultrasounds and we've had the same tech for the first two appointments...a guy named Steve who is totally cool. However yesterday, we got some crotchety woman who was I guess nice, but really not very warm. The minute we started I handed her the CD-rom to put the images on and she said "no...we don't do that." Well, we didn't want to throw Steve under the bus, but he totally did it for us last time. What a beeotch. Anyway, she had a very routine way of going through all the measurements, etc. as if it was her one millionth ultrasound that day...but we didn't let her crush our excitement. We saw four healthy chambers in her heart and saw her little brain and all of her little bones (two hands, two feet) and her beautiful little spine.

Then the doctor came in. He does basically the same stuff, but then at the end (which was smart on his part) he zoomed into what I thought was her butt and there were three little dots which he zoomed into and typed on the screen "I AM A GIRL!!!!!" Apparently the three little dots are her labia and she wasn't shy to show it off! Instantly, I burst into tears...Jon did a Tiger Woods fist pump and yelled "SOLID!" (which he always says when he's happy). It was a great moment. The doctor said he saw no obvious chromosomal defects and she appeared to be a healthy little princess.

So, there you have it. We no longer have an it...we have a she and we couldn't be more happy!

As for the images, yes I will hunt down a Kinkos to scan them to a disc, but it will take a few days, and then I'll post them. I also won't post until next week as I am off to Denver tomorrow to the American Meteorological Society Broadcast Meteorology Conference. I'll also get to see my high school friend Khristin and her little peanut, Clay who was born in October. I can't wait to see them! The conference should be really interesting too! So, have a great week and a great weekend.

T-Minus Seven Hours

It's hard to believe that in seven hours we will find out one of three things: if it's a boy, if it's a girl or if we have a little pistol on our hands who loves the element of surprise and will make us wait until November 10th.

At any rate, today will be a very exciting appointment. The ultrasound is the full skeletal exam, so all of his/her bones will be measured to make sure the baby is developing correctly. Also they'll make sure the placenta is in the right place and they'll look at the amount of amniotic fluid to make sure all is well in that department too.

So, please cross your fingers for us and the little peanut (who will be grounded as soon as he/she is born if he/she doesn't show his/her junk cuz we're sick of saying he/she)!

A note: the appointment is at 1:45 p.m. Jon took the day off and we're going to lunch/dinner right after. I'll probably be too exhausted to post the pictures when I get home. I'll post the results in the morning, but the pics will have to wait until tomorrow afternoon. Sorry...eating is much more important than posting at this point in the game. I'm sure you understand.

Have a great day!

Oh And....

That new picture on the title bar above is from early June. That's my sister and my mom snapped this picture of my sister's first reaction to my new belly. Cute, huh?

Disconnecting and Reconnecting

An electrician I am not. I know that. So why on EARTH I decided to replace a double switch (light and fan) in Jon's bathroom on Wednesday is beyond me. It honestly seemed simple enough to me: flip the breaker, unscrew the plate, disconnect the old switch, buy a new one and reattach the wires...flip the breaker and voila. Wellllllllll, it didn't work out that way.

First of all, I tried to find the right breaker. We have about 20 different switches so that meant literally flipping a switch, then running upstairs to see if the power was off in the bathroom...for...each...switch. I seriously got through the entire panel and couldn't find the damn switch that controlled that breaker, so after running up and down the stairs 20 times, I just cut my losses and cut the power to the whole house. Anyway, I got the switch disconnected and I expected color coded wires and when all was said and done, there were six identical wires staring at me. So I did what anyone would hopefully do in that situation: I called an electrician. I'm pleased to report that all is back on in Jon's john...and nobody got hurt.

Now, the reconnecting part of this post. During the last year or so of our time in Toledo I got in with a great group of girls who had started a gourmet club. One Thursday a month, we'd set a theme, assign recipes and get together at someones house to create these wonderful gourmet meals. Just the girls...and we had a blast. We'd eat too much, drink way too much, dance to New Kids on the Block too much...but it was great. The summer Jon moved here and I stayed in Toledo, they were the girls who kept me sane (a.k.a. in a margarita-induced haze so I didn't have to come to grips with the move).

As you know, a lot has changed since then. I've adjusted to life here and I'm happy and I'll admit that I've lost touch with most everyone from Toledo. I have, however, kept up on the dirt by reading my one friend's blog http://cincodrive.com. She's great about posting almost every day and...added bonus...she had a baby in December, so I've really enjoyed reading everything she's written. The other day I decided to comment on her blog and she e-mailed me and I've now re-connected with her and through her, another long lost gourmet girl who is now ENGAGED!!! (yay!!!!) It just feels good to be in touch with these great girls again...so...Steph and Jen, this blog's for you!

Tap Tap, Flutter Flutter

That's what I've been feeling the past week or so. Yes, I can finally feel our little peanut. No kicks yet, but it's a slight tap and a flutter usually after I eat.

At 19 weeks, I'm told the baby (from crown to rump) is about the size of a large heirloom tomato and my uterus is the size of ...get this...A CANTALOUPE!!! I, by the way, feel like a whale.

Jon and I are literally counting the days until Monday...when we find out the baby's sex (if the little rascal cooperates, that is). He even took the day off so we could go to lunch afterward. Very fun day indeed.

And, I ordered my dream diaper bag yesterday. I've wanted it since we got married. I can't wait 'til it arrives.

Beer and Delly...oh yeah...I mean...Deer and Belly

Baby animals are so cute. Here is a shot of two VERY young deer who got into a dried-up pond near our house and couldn't figure out how to get out. The area is fenced off because when it rains, the "pond" fills with a little water, so there is a fence to keep kids out, etc. There is an opening which is where I assume the little ones got in, but they couldn't seem to find it to get out. If they are still there today, I may go in and try to chase them to the opening so they can get back to their mama.

Speaking of...the second shot is obviously my 19 week belly. I took this shot yesterday (self portrait), so that's why it looks a little funky.

And...the best news of all, I found the car seat we want in a nice color. Babies R Us has HID-EEE-OUS colors/patterns for our seat. We didn't want to go with another brand because the one we want isn't outrageously expensive and has tested very high in the safety tests and fits with many other brand strollers and other things. It's the best deal. So, I found it at babystyle.com and I'm VERY happy!

And the List Goes On...and On...and On....

Jon and I were ambitious this weekend and decided to begin our registry process for baby stuff. We (I) decided to go to Baby's R Us because, well duh, it's baby-palooza in there.

Let me just say this: the list of stuff you need for a 7-9 pound human is UNREAL. I was truly overwhelmed (which doesn't happen often to me while shopping). Let's look at this honestly...newborn babies eat, sleep and poop. But the stuff you need to facilitate those well, um facilities is amazing.

For instance: one would think that a breastfeeding mom would have it easy. But nope, if you think about it, there's a pump (cuz hello, I'm going to drink wine every now and then after I pop this kid out, so I'll have to save non-alcoholic milk for the baby), there's all the accessories for the pump, the burp cloths the hooter hider (greatest invention ever: so creepy people can't see my boobs whilst I feed in public), the bottles and nipples for that stored milk and the washing system for all bottles, etc.

Then, there's the car seats, the strollers, the bouncy seats, the crib (and bedding), towels, onsies...like I said, the list goes on and on and on.

So on Saturday, Jon was as patient as he always is but I just couldn't do most of the registering in the store, so we'll be adding stuff to our registry online until it's complete. No laughing at how many pages it ends up being. Remember: this is our first kid...and it won't be an "it" much longer. One week from today, we get to find out the sex! Yay!!!!!

Old Nasty...Not Old Navy

I went over to Old Navy yesterday hoping to pick up a couple of simple, casual sundresses to throw on while running errands during the hot weather.

Old Navy has a maternity section, so I started at that end of the store. I have two complaints. The first complaint is...why the hell do stores like Old Navy and Gap Maternity put the maternity sections IN THE KID DEPARTMENT? That makes no sense to me. I am a woman shopping for woman clothes that fit my growing belly. Here's a clue, Old Navy...when pregnant women are shopping they are usually a) mad because they're getting fatter and want the shopping trip to be over a soon as possible or most likely b) they have to pee, so they want to get out ASAP as well. So, why try to test your marketing prowess by placing those sections near the baby clothes? News flash: I'm not going to risk peeing my pants looking at the cute little baby clothes when I'll I really need is a mumu to cover my fat ass.

Second complaint for Old Navy: did you think that just because the testing stick read positive that my fashion sense went out the window? Seriously, the maternity clothes at Old Navy (and Target for that matter) are some of the ugliest I've seen...ever. The styles are at best tolerable, but those nasty prints...ugh...I couldn't do it.

So, lucky for me, the style these days is all empire waist, so I bought a couple of t-shirt sundresses and skirts for regular people. I'll stretch 'em out if I have to...anything to avoid wearing those nasty tacky prints. Thank GOD Nordstrom.com has a maternity section. Jon will flip when he sees the credit card bill, but hey...at least I'll look cute when he's chewing me out!

Greatest Dress Ever

I bought this maternity dress (above) a few months ago at a little maternity boutique that has since (unfortunately) closed. During the heat wave last weekend and early this week, I must have worn this at least 4 times. It was a fantastic dress. Light, airy fabric and no sleeves. And...this morning, while surfing Nordstrom.com maternity section...I hit the jackpot. I found it in white too! So, I had to buy it. I have a feeling, these two dresses will be my summer uniform.

The picture above is the 18 week belly...or at least the best representation of it in my awesome flowy dress. This picture was taken before we went to brunch with Jon's cousin John who lives in Florida. He was in New Jersey for the weekend for a golf tournament. It was great seeing him...he's a cool guy. It was fun. I had luscious blueberry pancakes. Mmmmmm.

First Notice...and Another Wild Dream

Yesterday was the hottest day in two years here. We broke a record high by hitting 98°. It. Was. Miserable.

With that said, I was running errands after I lifted weights with my trainer and friend, Sue. Usually after I lift with her I'm starving as my time slot falls right before my dinner. I had made shrimp gazpacho earlier in the day for dinner and I was stopping at the local market for a little sour cream to dollop on the top. I walked into the market and the most amazing smell was coming out of the deli-area. This is a very small mom and pop market in our area (our friend is the manager) and so they do a lot of their own cooking, etc. All I knew when I walked in was that I HAD TO HAVE whatever it was that I smelled. It turned out to be their special recipe garlic toasts that smelled so good. It's not like me to buy such things but they were little rounds of french bread with a touch of garlic and Parmesan and fresh herbs all crispy and baked. Ok, best garlic toasts EVER and they went great with the gazpacho. Mmmm. Anyway, as usual in the middle of the day there, there was only one register open. The nicest man let me go in front of him because he looked at my belly and said, "oh please, you go ahead...there's just one of me and I can wait." I smiled and told him that he was the first person in public to notice my pregnancy. It was cool!

Anyway...on to the dream. As I said yesterday, pregnancy brings on odd dreams. Last night was no different. I had the most vivid dream about our upcoming ultrasound. In the dream, Jon and I went to get the ultrasound, but it was a different office than we're used to. Anyway, as soon as the tech put the wand on my belly, she said..."oh...there it is...it's a boy." Jon and I both let out big groans as in the dream we didn't want a boy (in real life, we just want a healthy baby no matter what the sex). Anyway...after she heard us groan she said..."and....a girl!" Apparently (again...this is IN THE DREAM) there was a second fetus that had been hiding this whole time and so it turned out that we were expecting a set of boy/girl twins (which was my wish in real life the whole time anyway). Jon about hit the roof and I was ecstatic. In order for her to confirm the twins, the tech had to remove the boy fetus to show us the girl. She handed him to Jon and then Jon had to put him back in me...but he didn't do it right and I had to go back to the doctor to have them put the baby back in me correctly. Yes, I know...that's the strange part of the dream...but what can I say...I'm pregnant.

Pregnancy Dreams

Have you ever tried to tell someone about a vivid dream you had the night before only to have them laugh uncomfortably and give you a blank stare in response? Lucky for me, this is a blog, so I don't have to see or hear your reactions when you read this.

First let me say that pregnant women are supposed to have odd dreams. It's normal and so there's no need to seek out a facility for me. This is how it's supposed to be. Also normal in pregnancy: back pain. I've experienced both rolled into one crazy night Sunday night.

I've been having some sciatica the last few weeks which has caused total and very painful numbness in my left thigh when I'm sleeping on my left side. So, I've been sleeping on my right side to try to get some relief. That has helped until recently. Now, I'm getting a throbbing pain in my lower back when I'm on my right side. Pregnant women aren't supposed to sleep on their backs (or stomachs...duh) so what option do I have now?

I discovered the throbbing after I awoke from a dream where my 7th vertebrae was personified in a dream as a talking and stretching white figure who told me that I was going to feel her (yes she was female) pain for quite some time. Yes. It was a talking vertebrae. Then I woke up to the throbbing and I felt it all day. I went to the gym and slowly walked 3 miles and stretched and it really didn't help last night. I had another odd dream about a rental cottage and a fight with my friend from 8th grade, but it was so odd that I won't even bore you with the details, cuz frankly, I don't remember them all myself.

Honestly, I can't complain about anything else in this pregnancy...our little peanut is behaving just beautifully in the womb. We couldn't be more proud!

Ugh...it's Hot!

Wow...we went from March weather to August weather in the span of about a week. Today is the mid-point of our first heat wave of the year. We're expecting to hit 99° today...which obviously would break a record.

As for being pregnant in this heat, well let me tell you, it ain't fun. I was really shocked as to how much the heat drained me totally. I went to the grocery store yesterday and thankfully Jon was right there waiting for me when I got home to unload the car. I could barely make it into the house...it was that hot.

So, most of the weekend was spent indoors although I did get some gardening done in the very early morning hours.

We took an 18 week bump picture, but it's on my camera at home as I'm writing this from work, so I'll post it either later today or tomorrow. It's getting big! People are starting to notice. And, just two weeks from today, we'll know if it's a boy or a girl. Very very very exciting!

Have a great day and stay cool.

I'm Baaaaacccckkkk with Good News!

So, I'm back from the weekend in Ann Arbor. Actually, I was back a few days ago, but too tired to blog. So here I am now. Above there are two pictures. One of my sister when she first saw my belly and the other of our nieces, Erin (right) and Emily discovering my belly too. Very fun! Emily (the younger one) had some very interesting questions for me. She was thinking of names for the baby all weekend which was very cute. Not once did she ask me how the baby got into my belly...whew! Save that one for Stacey, Em!!!

Anyway, the weekend was great! Got to do lots of fun stuff...farmers market, breakfast at Zingerman's, family party and plenty of time to relax! We also all got up early Sunday morning and went down to the end of my parents' neighborhood to cheer on the runners in the race I was supposed to run. I cried for a bit, but it was exciting to see them all run by.

The good news, is that yesterday (as promised) I got the much anticipated call from the doctor with the final results from my sequential screen. The first results came a month or so ago and that was good news, but yesterday's was the final result. All is normal. They screen for Down Syndrome, Trisomy 18 (when a baby is born with an extra copy of chromosome 18 which causes severe mental retardation among other tragic defects and usually the baby doesn't live past one year), and spina bifida. So, here are our risks which are considered very low....Down Syndrome: 1 in 3,600; Trisomy 18: 1 in 11,000; Spina Bifida: 1 in 6,000. These risks are low enough that Jon and I have decided not to continue testing which would be the amniocentesis which carries a 1 in 250 risk for miscarriage. My doctor thinks this is the best decision.

So, we're done with testing. Whew! The next thorough exam will be the skeletal ultrasound on the 23rd of this month where yes...we'll also find out if we have a little girl or a little boy. FUN!!! We can't wait!