It's time...

...for an update of a more personal style I suppose.

The tiredness continues. Some days it's worse than others, but it's there and, as I understand it, will linger for 18-20 years. LOL! OMG I'm going to have a kid! I also am being tossed back and forth in the ebb and flow of morning sickness tides most days now. It's unfortunate, but I still have to say that I am quite lucky I haven't had it worse. I find that most days, it's just nausea that I feel. I tend to just take it easier those days, eating my little oyster crackers and sipping some Sierra Mist Natural. I did make myself a non-alcoholic mimosa today (that means Sierra Mist and OJ, nom nom nom!). My two largest cravings at the moment are caramel corn and Bright Crawlers (the sour gummy worms). It's an odd combination I know, but sometimes, it's all I can do to prevent myself from pouring some of each into a cereal bowl, dumping milk on them, and digging a huge spoon in and munch, munch, munch! Pretty gross huh? I know it grosses me out.

In other news, Aaron and I have officially shared the news with our family. Let's begin with the story of telling my father. Dad and I don't talk often and when we do, we always lament that we don't talk more. I called his cellphone, knowing he would be more mobile than Kira and Trey. We talked for a few minutes, then I asked if he had a moment to talk about something pretty serious. He did, and I dropped the Baby Bomb on him. Over the next few minutes, he proceeded to say things like, "Wow," "That's so cool," "Really," "Wow (some more)," etc. He was pretty excited! I had to take him down a few notches by reminding him that his title would now be "Grandpa." Didn't phase him a bit. In fact, after our call was over, he sent me a text message every 30 minutes for the next few hours, just to check and exclaim some more.

Now on to Kira and Trey. They were in the house when I called Dad, so he heard the news first and I had to make a separate phone call. When I dialed, Kira picked up first. We shot the shit for a few minutes (I always check in on how school is going, dork-ish I know) and then I let her know that she would be Aunt Kira in September. She squeeled and said, "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" She was pretty excited too. Then she put Trey on the phone. After we talked about what he was up to, I let him know he'd be Uncle Trey in the fall. He said, "Ok." It was so lackluster, I had to check to make sure he understood what I meant. He said, "Yeah, you're gonna have a baby." Clearly, it's not as cool for him; maybe he thinks I'm having a girl and is concerned about being the only boy. Shortly thereafter, he passed the phone to Shelly. Since Trey said "baby" quite loudly, she simply said "congratulations." She and I talked for a long time and I regaled her with the horror story of peeing in a cup. (I think I'll have to tell that story for laughs more often.)

The next day, Mom and her fiance Tim came into town. They didn't get in until around 11:30 and I knew we were going out to lunch at Cool Basil (best Thai food ever), so I had tried not to eat too much, but I ended up having to scarf some Mint Milano cookies in order to tide myself over. When they got in, Mom obviously gave me the big squeeze, then took her bags back to the spare room (soon to be the nursery). She walked in and immediately noticed all the changes (we removed the mirrored chest of drawers, switched the dresser with the one in our bedroom, and stored most of the CDs, leaving only the quieter stuff). She immediately asked if this was in preparation for when we decided to have a baby. I said, "Well let's talk about that." She got all excited, but I walked her out into the hall so I could show her the decorating book I bought called Baby Spaces. I basically said that I was serious about having a summer project and that the theme would be decided in May, when we learned the gender of her grandchild. She FREAKED OUT! She screamed and hugged me (near smothering I tell you!) while Tim stood in the background and said "Oh wow!" I looked at him and asked if he was cool becoming a father and grandfather in the space of just a few weeks. Teehee! I did have to tell Mom that I may miss her wedding though, since Baby will likely come just before and I'll be in no state to travel or dress up. Mom said she'd thought that maybe I was by how I was describing my maladies lately (tired, cranky, soemtimes feeling yuck-o). In fact, she was so certain that she'd already purchased me three maternity tops and has been buying baby clothes for almost two years. Hmm! She proceeded to call my two aunts (Susan and Julie) to tell them, exclaimed "I'm gonna be a grandma" over and over again. We went out to lunch, where I used my pregnancy as an excuse to steal the last crab rangoon (Baby's growing and needs it!). Mom wanted to go to Penze Spice, and then we stopped by Babies R Us, our first trip inside since learning about Kiddo in Utero.

Aaron and I have officially purchased a crib as well. We don't have it yet, but it's on the way. We went in to Babies R Us this last weekend, just to ask about the process for getting one and the guy said the one we were looking at was not available but that he could put us on the waiting list for approximately 2 days-6 months. That's quite a time span! The guys seemed super apologetic and offered us 20% off for the inconvenience! Wow! Damn right it's an inconvenience that the crib I want isn't here and we need it in 7 months! Haha! So, we put ourselves on the waiting list (who wouldn't for 20% off) and expected to wait a few months before we heard anything. NOPE! The Babies R Us lady called me TODAY and said that if I wanted it, we needed to either come in ASAP or provide our credit card over the phone. Well, I couldn't leave work, so I ended up giving her my card over the phone. I felt my first twinges of "must baby baby shit" hit while I was reading her my card number. LOL! I also asked to purchase the toddler rail (since the crib is convertable but we don't know when the style will be discontinued). The rail, which was in on Saturday when we asked about the crib is now out and must be on a waiting list for the rail now (no discount on this one I'm afraid). The crib is actually a gift from Mom, which is pretty cool. We'll have a Pack and Play for Kiddo when he or she is really little, but we'll have a crib for him/her, too. Here's a picture of what we're getting:

I'm excited by the cards I'm getting! I got one from Dad, Shelly, Kira and Trey to congratulate Aaron and I, followed by one from my Aunt Julie, stating that she, my Aunt Susan, and my cousin Sara would be throwing a shower for me. I think THIS shower will be more fun than my bridal shower, because it will be about the Kiddo, not about me. I have to make a guest list, so I suppose I should get on that. Steph I know you're reading this, would you like an invite? Should I write one to all my Lutehr ladies, even though it will be hard for them to come. I think I will regardless, because I just flat out LURV them! (No gifts or I will crush you!) Gab sent me a card today too, which was fun to read. I SOOOOOO miss SPO love. I should send some more often. I just miss my Luther girlies!

Anywho, I'm avoiding homework by writing this, so perhaps I should attempt to work on it. I have to write a lesson plan, worth 50 points. I've only missed 4 points over the course of the whole class (still upset about that) and I'm not about to miss anymore if I have something to say about it. I am currently watching Bethanny from that stupid Real Housewives show have a baby. I can't stop watching. Her water broke all over her bed. Can you clean that or do you have to get a new mattress completely? Do I need to get rubber sheets? Crap Valerie, focus! Homework!

10 Weeks

Here's the weekly update on baby. I'm post something more in depth later.

Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

First Dr. Appointment

Ok, so the doctor's appointment was today. I had the world's most strenuous pee test ever. There were all these steps I had to follow. Remember how much I stressed peeing on the preggo-stick? This was WORSE! Disrobe before you wash your hands! Don't dry them! Use a cleaning wipe! (They claimed to provide two, but I could only see one in the package.) Don't touch anything! Start peeing first, then catch it in the cup, but DON'T let any touch the outside! Tll me how to accomplish that and I'll make you my amazingly time-consuming chocolate cake. Make it with your name and date of birth, then put it in the cupboard! I would like to, at this time, point out the layout of the bathroom in which I have to accomplish this task. The room is probably 7'x8'. The toilet, sink, and garbage cans are all in their respective corners; there is no way I can throw something away while sitting on the toilet, nor can I disrobe/wash hands/clean without waddling from the sink to the toilet. It was probably the most insane experience I've ever had while simply trying to pee.

After Pee-Gate 2011, I was weighed (that's always super fun) and went to my little room, with Aaron in tow, to put my stuff down. The nurse started collecting the necessary paraphernalia, which confirmed that the visit would be a shade more invasive than I thought. Where was the VIDEO I WAS PROMISED?!?!?! No where! There was no video. Instead, I was whisked away to, you guessed it, have my blood drawn. This lady, although sweet, didn't warn me when the needle was coming at all. Bless her heart though, she was very sweet. My nurse was talking to me to try to distract me while Sneak Attack (R.N.) collected vial after vial of my precious life-sustaining liquid. I'm pretty sure, although I didn't check, that she took at least 6-8 vials (Aaron says it was only 4, but I think he lies). When we returned to the room, they told me that they took one extra in case we decided to test for cystic fibrosis. WHAT? You took extra? Why not ask us FIRST, then take blood?

Once back in the room, it was time for the great disrobing! Let me tell you, nothing is sexier than an 8-inch button-down smock without sleeves and a bed sheet to cover your butt! My nurse practitioner came in to introduce herself and she was uber-sweet. I immediately liked her. She congratulated us and shared a LOT of information with us. She talked for almost 30 minutes about our testing options. Although I was grateful, we'd already made our decision about testing and...I will still dressed in less than my favorite attire.

Eventually, we got into the exam part. When she felt my abdomne, she immediately asked if I had to pee. I thought, "WTF?" I told her no and she said that since she could actually feel my uterus pretty well from the outside, we could try to listen for the heartbeat, but that we shouldn't panic because it's still early and the baby is pretty tiny and hard to locate. She pulled the microphone out and started moving it around a bit. Aaron claims that I "sounded like one of those spit suckers at the dentist." That is kind of what it sounded like when she was moving it around. A few times she piped up to say, "That's you," when she found a heartbeat. It sounded exactly like the bear my sister Kira had when she was a baby that had the maternal heartbeat sound.

Then suddenly came, "That's your baby." OMG OMG OMG THERE'S A KID IN THERE! I started to tear up as I listened and I kind of giggled. Then the baby moved away, so the nurse tried to chase him/her around and found our little angel again. He/She had a very strong heartbeat (I can't recall if it was 140 or 160 beats per minutes, because I was all choked up). The nurse said that since we could hear it, it was a very good sign that things were going great and said that while something could happen, it was unlikely, so we're safe to tell people. I can still hardly believe I heard my little angel's heart beating. It's incredible! It's shocking! It's amazing!

The rest of the exam was a blur. They could have drained another pint of blood from me and I probably wouldn't have cared a bit! I was happy that Aaron was there with me to hear it too. We scheduled our next three appointments (ultrasound in May) and walked out a happy family of three, even though Lil Peanut is currently invisible. I am beyond excited! I don't want to do homework, or clean, or accomplish anything that resembles productivity at the moment. I told my buddies (yay Luther chicas!) and will shortly be calling Dad/Grandpa to let him know! Mom will find out tomorrow when she's in town! I literally could walk into my backyard and scream it out for everyone to hear!

"THERE'S A KID IN MY BELLY!"

Nine Weeks!

Yikes! I'm nine weeks pregnant! Here's what my weekly email had to say:

"Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain."

Here is a picture according to my email:
 

Here is a picture according to my warped mind:

I realize that the email said "a grape" not "a bunch of grapes," but I needed a chuckle. I also doubt that his/her hands are quite to well developed and large OR that he/she is wearing tights.

I still don't look pregnant, but I think I am finally starting to "feel" pregnant. I've had the first "OMG it feels like there's something in there" moment. It's not because Lil Grape is kicking or anything, but it's just like, I don't know. I just feel it!

Tomorrow is the first doctor's appointment. I'm still confused over what all will happen tomorrow. Some people have an ultrasound, some don't. Some have blood drawn (YIKES!) and others don't. Some hear the heart beat, others don't. So...I'm confused. My cousin visits the same office and she told me I'd watch a movie. Excuse me? A movie? About WHAT? I've complied a list of topics about which they may want me to become educated:

• Birth control? Too late!
• Conception? Got that part down!
• Reduction? That's just a fancy way to say abortion, so NO THANK YOU!
• Dangers/Complications? Let's not freak the new family out.
• Nutrition? This is perhaps a front-runner.
• Birth? Don't scare me already!
• The aftermath? Too soon to talk about that...that's what reruns of Super Nanny are for!

So, the stress of the PD I had to plan is over, but now I am involved in brochure writing and crisis planning for work. I nearly passed out this morning from my "tech specialist" responsibilities (zip-tying 70 pairs of headphones to computers). Although I am flattered that people acknowledge that I know some things about computers, I don't appreciate when people get upset with me because I can't give them immediate feedback. If I ask you to call for a work ticket on something, I mean it! I'm not blowing you off or writing off your computer issue, I'm trying to tell you that it's a problem I can't fix! I personally love when people think I have the ability to speed up the Internet. Ha! If I could, I'd be a millionaire genius, not a lowly public employee who doesn't get paid for the weekends and summers she gives up to make sure that students are able to be successful.

I wonder what this kid if going to think of its mother and her crazy running around?

Eight Weeks

An update has been demanded by my only reader. We are in the midst of week 8 now. Here is what my weekly update told me about my lil "kidney bean:"

New this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your baby's hands and feet, his eyelids practically cover his eyes, breathing tubes extend from his throat to the branches of his developing lungs, and his "tail" is just about gone. In his brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. You may be daydreaming about your baby as one sex or the other, but the external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether you're having a boy or a girl. Either way, your baby — about the size of a kidney bean — is constantly moving and shifting, though you still can't feel it.

So the tail is almost gone and he/she kinda sorta has fingers and toes now. That's progress! However, I am still picturing some form of Sea Monkey in my head. Now that a few people at school know, I feel as though I am getting less sympathy than I was before, as if now that the mysterious veil has been lifted, everyone simply knows better than me and expects me to just go with it. When I mention that I am tired, the response is "better get used to it!" When I mention that I feel hungry, the response is, "well that's normal for someone who's in your condition." Grrrrrrrrrrrr...

Last week, I officially gave two weeks notice at the book store. I can't believe I did it. I've been talking about it for probably two years, but I still can't believe I actually quit. I cried all over my boss when I did it, but she was extremely supportive. That being said, anyone looking for a great job should consider working at Barnes & Noble. It truly is a great experience, is challenging but not overwhelming, and you meet the best people. I told my boss that I would still probably be in to the store to shop once a week (however this will cramp the budget now and I'll lose my discount). Aaron and I went to the grocery store today and I was buying items that I would normally prepare a few hours before I go to work on Sunday and Aaron reminded me that it wouldn't be long and I wouldn't have to do so. Wow! Craziness...

This Friday is the big day: the first doctor's appointment. Yikes! I'm a bit scared actually, because I don't know if it will be Friday or the next visit that they draw all the blood, bleeding me like a stuck pig. We also have to decide what we want to be tested for, as in "do you want to know everything that your child is at risk for?" My response is HELL NO! Here's the thing, telling me what could be wrong with my baby is only going to cause me to stress out, it won't actually change anything. It's not like I can give up chocolate to reduce the baby's chances for having webbed toes or run six miles a day to prevent SIDS. It's not as if I'll decide to "reduce" my pregnancy or give the baby to a more loving family because he or she is at risk for Down Syndrome. No, no no no. This testing crap will only stress me out; it won't change the fact that I will love this child for everything he/she is and isn't. Nope. I'll let you test me, but don't tell me what might happen with my kiddo.

Now that the Dr.'s appointment is nearly here, Aaron and I have to discuss how we will tell our family members. Mom is coming to town this weekend with Tim and we'll tell them when they get here. I may tell Dad and Shelly (and Kira and Trey) before she shows up so that we can say that part is taken care of and Mom can have her moment without me stressing about who else I need to tell. We are half-way through moving some furniture from the spare room/nursery into our bedroom. We still have to switch the dressers and figure out where to put all of our CDs. Eek! There's a lot to do, but I think we'll manage to get it all done before Mom comes to town.

Ok, the kiddo has decided to sap my energy, which means that I need a full-on nap. Aaron and I are going to bake cookies to satisfy a lingering craving in a while, and I really can't afford to face plant into the bowl of dough. TTFN gente!

Hahahahahahahaha!

I must make Aaron wear this!

Seven weeks...

Let's discuss the numerous joys of being seven weeks pregnant. Very few people know that I am preggo, which can actually be frustrating when they make comments like, "You look a little green, you should go to the doctor" or "Maybe you should go to bed earlier if you're so tired." First off, it's not an "illness" that has me turning green; it's my pregnant nose and that fact that there are students dissecting frogs in our room (gag inducing under ANY circumstances). Second, let's talk about that sleep thing. I am going to bed between 8:30 and 9:00 every night because my darling child is wiping me out.

Sleeping is interesting lately. As I mentioned, I am going to bed wicked early and I conk out quickly once I'm there. However, staying asleep is an issue. My body temperature is fluctuating recently. I start most nights in the state of an icicle! Some nights, I spend the whole night in that state, and must therefore bury myself below3-5 blankets. I have even taken to wrapping a blanket around my head because our bed is against an outside wall and I swear that if the wind blows, it sends its icy fingers right down my spine. If I am still awake when Aaron comes in, the only part of my that is visible is usually my eyes and nose. If our cat jumps on my and I holler about it, he climbs around on top of my so he can see where the voice came from. It's actually quite humorous. During the night, I turn over more than in the summer when I'm searching for a cool spot on the sheets. I have to try to move the mound of blankets on top of me as well when I roll over. On occasion, I warm up enough to thrown off a blanket or two, and they usually get dumped on Aaron. Poor guy, and this is just the first trimester. I also have trouble just getting comfortable. Maybe our mattress is too hard or something, because sometimes, my hips fall asleep and I wasn't even aware that was possible.

So sleeping is an issue. Now let's talk cravings. I can't tell if I'm simply more aware of that fact that I have cravings or if they are legit. I am told the cravings can potentially indicate something that my body needs, like a vitamin that is missing. So let's see what Valerie is craving:

1. Homemade chocolate chip cookies (Aaron made these a few weeks ago, NOM!)
2. Chocolate shake from Culver's (just sounds yummy)
3. Hot fudge sundae from Dairy Queen (I'm noticing an ice cream theme here)
4. Fried chicken (from some sinful place like Popeye's)
5. Pecan pie (a student let me try a sample, my first bite ever, and it's AMAZING!)
6. Aaron's garlic bread (I think it caused some artery clogging in the five times he's made it since we've been together, but day-um, it's delicious)
7. My garlic bread (as in a cheap hamburger bun, buttered and sprinkled with garlic salt)
8. SODA SODA SODA (I'm trying to be good and not drink any because of all the artificial sweeteners, but I want BUBBLES!
9. Thai food (I may cut someone if I don't get this soon; I was craving it prior to becoming El Pregnante (that's not Spanish, it's just fun to say)).
10. Grilled cheese with spinach (I've learned that if you chop this leafy green very fine so I can't pick it out  and put it in something I love, I will eat the hell out of it)
11. Bright crawlers (you know those sour gummy worms...)

These cravings all occurred yesterday. Yup, that's one day of cravings. Right now, I want an orange. I'll go have one after I finish writing this because at least THAT craving is healthy enough to indulge.

This week, I think my stress level rose enough to convince me that it may be time to quit my second job. I'm still really torn over it though, because I do enjoy working at Barnes & Noble. It's a stimulating job, but not overly difficult. However, even though I only work there one day a week, that day is Sunday and that means that I never have a weekend. Recently, I've been inundated with homework for my online class, and I suddenly find myself slammed with obligations at school that all require time outside of the classroom to fulfill (meetings, meetings, meetings). On the positive side, I guess this is all good training for becoming an administrator. On the negative side, I've learned that some of the teams of which I am a part cannot function without me there. That's both a compliment AND a slap to the face because we all know what is important, so why can't we just move forward? Sometimes, people's lack of initiative drives me crazy, but then I have to reign myself in and remember that I may have too much initiative for some people to handle. I also volunteered to work over spring break and summer before I knew I was preggo, and when I mentioned to my boss that I may back out of that, she got that deer caught in the headlights look, so I guess I'm in it for the long haul. I have to go into work at the bookstore tomorrow and I haven't decided if I'm going to give my notice for sure, but I know that with the amount of sleep I seem to need lately, it's probably time to take advantage of weekends.

Let's talk happy news though. Seven weeks: what does that mean? Well, Baby Robinson is now the size of a blueberry (no wonder I have cravings, because they keep comparing my kid to foods). The blueberry still has a tail but now also has appendages that are forming arms and legs; they look like flippers though. This tail/flipper deal has me imagining a very small version of the following things:

Now I realize that most of this images are not to scale, nor are they 100% accurate. They are not round enough (to resemble a blueberry) and I don't think my baby has a shell like a sea turtle, dorsal fin like a dolphin, or extremely long neck like Loch Ness Monster. But, these photos do make me giggle. I think my kid needs a nickname for the time being. Any suggestions? Nessie? I don't know. Stay tuned to see if I dream up something interesting.