Hoot Too Cute to Boot!

OWL BANK Yellow

Finally bought something for the Baby's room. I figured I would steer away from the piggy bank because I prefer owls to pigs. Now to start organizing my thoughts to start getting this nursery design together after the holidays.

Was That a Kick Batman?!

Dec. 1 Week 17

About 2pm today I felt the little bambino inside for certain. I had gotten up and walked around the office a few minutes and upon returning to my oh so exciting desk at my oh so exciting cubicle, I felt some rumblies in my tummy. Not your average digestive rumblies either. Only what I can best describe as unpainful pops. There was a couple in succession, then I realized, heyyyyyy wait a second! I actually pressed my hand in on my belly and waited for another and low and behold i felt it. It definitely was not a pop of air, there was something behind that little bump!!! I was actually surprised at the strength, it almost felt like someone was on the other side of my belly with a finger lightly poking back at me. I guess there is someone on the other side!! :) The next couple of minutes, there was some swishing and that was it. I will be paying more attention now to my gears inside and who is running the show in there from now on. Of course I messaged Mark online right away, I'm so excited!

Your baby is approximately 6 inches/ 14.2 centimeters long from crown to rump and she weighs about 7 ounces/ 190 grams. It's chest moves up and down to mimic breathing but she's not taking in air, only amniotic fluid.

To Bark or Not to Bark

Nov. 23 Week 16

Just patiently awaiting the next couple of weeks and waiting for some kicks and punches from the bambino. Still feeling really well, a little tired here and there but relatively normal. Dance class is getting harder as far as endurance, I get tired so much more quickly. Lots of aches and pains though from all the stretching and moving of my parts inside. The baby can make out sounds now, and can hear voices and the dogs barking. Speaking of which, trying to decide if I should get all military on the dogs and make them settle down or continue on as normal. I am getting mixed results, some say now that the baby can hear, it will be come used to the everyday sounds and it might make it easier for it so sleep through it once its born. Makes sense huh? Sounds a lot easier then getting my two shelties to stop barking hahaha.

Your baby is now about the size of an avocado (about 5 inches / 11.6 centimeters long from crown to rump and weighing approximately 4 ounces / 100 grams). In the next three weeks he'll go through a tremendous growth spurt, doubling his weight and adding inches to his length.

Jeans Too Tight, Too Early for a Belly Band

Nov. 19, Week 14

 

My solution

My jeans have recently become uncomfortable to sit in at work all day, due to the fact that I am growing a little human. They still zip up, but having to sit at the computer all day puts a damper on my comfort level. I haven't found a belly band that I like or feel I need to wear yet, so I got innovative. I started out with a rubber band, but found that a simple elastic hair tie works great. It is small enough that I don't feel it and it give just the right amount of give that I need right now since I am not showing that much yet. I just loop it around the button, through the hole, and back around the button. I usually wear a shirt that goes over my waist band anyway, so no one can tell. I should have china make me a million hair bands for 50 cents and market them as "Petite Waistline Extenders" hahaha.

May I Borrow Some Mushrooms?

 

Delicious dinner from last night, homemade pierogies sauteed with capers, mushrooms and onions in olive oil and a mixed greens salad with raspberry vinaigrette. Thankfully, my "neighbor" had some mushrooms to spare!

Bambino Heartbeat

Nov. 9, Week 14
Today we had another appointment, just a routine visit. They took my weight and blood pressure, and listened for the heartbeat. Sounded a little more like what your used to hearing now, slower maybe. Everything looks good and healthy so thats always great news. Mark bought a fantastic little gift the other day, Sophie the Giraffe, which I never heard of but is apparently the best selling baby toy ever. Read the little story behind it on the link I put up before, its pretty impressive. I even tried it out, I would chew on it.

Crown to rump, your baby is around 4.5 inches and weighs 2-3 oz and about the size of a navel orange. The body is now growing faster than the head. This week, its parchment-thin skin covers itself with lanugo (ultra-fine, downy hair that usually disappears before birth). Though eyebrows are beginning to grow and the hair on top of the head is sprouting, this hair may change in both texture and color after birth.

Salad Love

This RECIPE for salad is soooooo good.

That is all

New Coop part 1

Was able to acquire an old beat up shed from my Aunt and Uncle and I am transforming it into another chicken coop. Not sure if the chickens or ducks will be living in this yet, I guess they can fight it out.

How it started

I pressure washed the old paint off, then took a wire brush over it to get rid of anything that the pressure washer left behind. Next up was throwing on some primer.

After the primer I put this blue on, probably should have went a bit darker but now I am just referring to it as "a very modern blue." Leaving the trim white, and still have to install the pine boards I painted the other day.

Total costs:

Coop - $0

Moving - $40 to a friend to help move it

Paint supplies - $20

Pine trim (not installed yet but painted white) - $21

Next up is working on the entry door (both human and poultry versions) and the interior. Pretty hardcore hobby eh?

Soon To Be: Mark & Jess +1

This is backlogged so you might want to read this post from bottom to top for chronological order. We will be updating this with news and fun info throughout the next several months!

Oct. 26, Week 12
This past weekend we sent out a couple announcements and told lots of people in person about our upcoming addition. We've been dying to tell people and we got a lot of excited reactions!

Oct. 18, Week 11

So yesterday, when I woke up I could feel my tiny baby factory inside for the first time. Not the actual baby, but I could feel its little house, like a big ball inside my tummy. Pretty awesome!

Measuring from the crown of his head to his rump, your 1.5-inch/ 4-centimeter fetus has all his parts, from tooth buds to toenails. Your baby is busy kicking and stretching; his movements are so fluid they look like water ballet. Fingers and toes have fully separated. Your uterus has risen above your pelvic bones and can be felt during an external examination.

Oct. 15, Week 10
Starting to feel slightly better as far as being tired and feeling like yuck most of the time, hope the trend continues!


Oct. 12, 2010 Week 10

We had our first ultrasound this morning. Super exciting to see some visual proof that there is really a baby cooking. I'm not really showing yet, so its basically just some blood tests and feeling sick all the time to tell us we are pregnant. I didn't know we would hear the heart beat or see it moving and wiggling around so much, so that was really neat. I told mark it looks like a little whale or a turtle swimming in there with its little fetus arms and legs right now haha. It seems like its uber busy moving about and going about its daily fetus routine haha. The docs said everything looks healthy, and is going as it should so we are really happy about that. Check out the videos, very cool stuff to see of the bambino.

Oct 6, 2010 - Week 9, Mark

S.A.H.D. That's what I am about to immerse myself into late next spring, and I could not be more excited to be honest! The last month and a half have been intense. We went from "talking about it" and thinking it would take some time according to research we had done to very quickly becoming pregnant, so it was a lot to handle, but as it is with most bigger things in life, I actually feel like I am already ready… not really nervous about it at all, just excited and eager to get going (I am like that about everything I am into though.) I have always felt ready to do something bigger, I am attributing it to how my parents raised me… for them, they always worked their ass off to get to the point they are at, and they always seemed to have their act together and make the right decisions most of the time, I think I can be the same. They would never let me settle either, or do things "half ass" as they would say, and when I did (particularly in school) I got to hear about it. I am pretty good at handling whatever needs to get done, Jess is the same way, if something needs to happen we make it happen, I love her for that :)

I lied, I am actually nervous that something won't go right, but were about 3-4 weeks from cresting that point where 25% of pregnancies result in a miscarriage. I had no idea it was that high of a percentage, but after learning everything thats involved, you can see why. I am trying to hold myself back a bit until we make it past that 12th week.

We got over one giant hurdle this past Monday, when we met with our geneticist. I was tested for additional/missing chromosomes that could have led to my heart defect. I had so much blood drawn I came about 1 inch away from passing out/throwing up after I gave the blood. I could not hear or see, it was nuts.. I had to stumble to the bathroom because I instantly felt like barfing and then almost passed out again, and hardly made it back into the chair and then proceeded to doze there for about 25 minutes until I came to. Anyway, all the DNA testing came back with positive results, I am normal! I had no "genetic mutations" which means the % of our child having some kind of congenital defect is the same as anyone else, thats a big load off our shoulders. What I have affects each day of my life, usually more mentally than physically but its not something I can ever just forget about, it will be nice to make something that does not have those issues, but at the same time if something is wrong, it can be corrected in time. Were still taking extra care to have a fetal echo cardiogram done, which will be pretty cool to have actually. This baby sure will have a lot of documentation!

Our due date is May 8th, obviously Mothers Day (would be pretty cool for Jess and our mothers) but this day is also very, very special to me because it is Gingers birthday. I know it may seem weird, but my dog was my best friend from the age of 11, I miss her to death still every day. I have pictures of her and even 2 paintings of her all around the house, its comforting, but obviously not the same as having her here with us. What a great way to treasure her memory forever, its weird the way things happen isn't it?

Not really sure what made me go from being anti-kid to ready to rock. I admit I still feel strange around other peoples kids, I don't really know how to act or what to do with them, but I know it will be different with my own. We have our first ultrasound coming up next Tuesday, I can't wait to see this baby for the first time, its going to make it all real, can't wait!

Oct. 5, 2010 Week 9
Yesterday, we went to our follow up appointment with the genetics counselors in New York. The appointment went well and we received great news. Mark is has no predetermined genetic factors that could have caused his congenital heart disease when he was a baby, meaning he has no genetic mutations to pass onto the baby. So our chances of having a baby with any kinds of hear defects are the same as every other couples. We are both relieved and excited to see this baby grow, not so much me see my body grow haha, but nonetheless we are excited. We do plan to get a fetal ECHO just to make double sure that everything is developing as usual around 20 weeks or so. Pretty much can’t wait until next week when we have the first ultrasound so I can check this baby bean out for the first time!

CURRENTLY FEELING: Tired, nauseous but not barfing so that’s good.

The fetus measures approximately 0.9 inches / 2.3 centimeters long. In both shape and size, it resembles a peapod and weighs less than a tenth of an ounce / 2 grams. The eyelids are fused and won't open until week 27. The wrists are more developed, ankles have formed, and the fingers and toes are clearly visible. Arms are growing longer and bend at the elbows.

Sept. 27, 2010 Week 8
This morning was the first appointment with College Heights OBGYN, I kind of thought it would be more intense , but it was basically just a counsel with one of the nurses. Here is your expected due date, here is what you should and shouldn’t be doing, what you should and shouldn’t be eating, what kind of tests we would like to have done, ect. By the way, the estimated due date is May 8, 2011, which happens to be Mother’s Day, how perfect! However she said that it will probably change by a couple days either way so I’m not getting my hopes up. So now more waiting until the follow up appointment with the genetics counselors in NY, and then the first actual OBGYN appointment with the doctor which will be a exam and ultrasound. Can’t wait to see some solid photographic proof that I am growing a human. Oh P.S. 2 months!!!

The embryo is now called a fetus, which means "offspring". Your uterus expands to accommodate its new resident, which now measures approximately five-eights of an inch / 1.6 centimeters. Many changes take place this week -- the embryonic tail is gone, and all organs, muscles, and nerves are beginning to function. The hands now bend at the wrist, and the feet begin to lose their webbed appearance. Eyelids are beginning to cover the eyes.

Sept. 22, 2010 Week 7
So this morning was definitely the worst so far. I pretty much felt like turning my guts inside out since I woke up. It has subsided quite a bit, and I managed to hold it together so no “official” morning sickness yet…..Next week we have our first appointment, looking forward to it and scared of it at the same time.

Now about one half of an inch / 1.25 centimeters long, the size of a lentil. the embryo has distinct, slightly webbed fingers and toes. It's a jumping bean, moving in fits and starts. The liver is churning out large amounts of red blood cells until the bone marrow forms and takes over this role.

Sept. 16, 2010 Week 6
I’m nearing the end of my technical 6th week, though I’m not certain until a doctor tells me what actual week I’m at since I don’t know that actual date of conception. Its been a lot of the same so far, lots of bloating and indigestion, no morning sickness or sickness at all for that matter yet and super tired ALL the time. I haven’t really gained any weight but by the end of each day I’m bloated and it looks like I have, but when I wake up in the morning pretty much back to normal, go figure. Every so often I get some cramps and it reminds me I’m growing a human which intern releases a brief wave of panic hahah. I’ve been reading along with a couple books I have to keep up with the development process, that is the most interesting part to read about all the parts and systems coming together. Its so amazing, and so seemingly impossible at the same time.

The embryo's heart, no bigger than a poppyseed, has already begun to beat and pump blood. The heart is dividing into chambers and will find a more regular rhythm soon. The embryo itself is about a quarter of an inch/ half a centimeter long and looks more like a tadpole than a human.

Sept. 3, 2010 Week 4
Had an appointment with the genetic counselors recommended by Marks heart doctors in NY. Basically went over all out family history and Mark got a work-up of a million blood tests. They are testing for all kinds of genetic mutations that could possibly be transferable to the baby and could be the cause of his congenital heart disease. Anxious to get the results back, but it wont be for a few weeks.

Aug. 31, 2010 Week 4
So its official, my blood test came back positive. Mark and I are having a baby! We are both very excited and nervous! Its kind of a big waiting game right now, not much to do until the first appointment.

Aug. 31, 2010 Week 4
Have you ever had one of those dreams that felt completely real and the emotions you had in the dream you could still feel when you woke up? Well I had one on Wed, Aug. 18th. I had a dream I was holding my stomach and I could feel a baby laying in there and it started to kick, it stuck its little legs out and it looked like a water balloon getting stretched over to tiny chicken legs, keep in mind this was a dream haha. So I look over at Mark and say something like can you believe how amazing this looks? To which he replied, see I told you it would be great. Then I wake up. Up until the morning waking up from this dream, I was pretty much completely terrified of pregnancy. Just the though of feeling a baby move inside me brought back childhood night terrors of Alien. I really was quite squeamish and turned off by the whole process. I always knew I wanted kids, but the thought of actually forming one made me shutter. Anyway, the next morning waking up I had this really odd feeling of peace with the whole idea. I never had a dream effect my reality like that ever before. So the next couple days I am feeling just out of it, and a little off, so I take a pregnancy test randomly and batta bing…positive…. Holding that stick in my hand, the next few minutes or so consisted of me pacing the bathroom in a bit of a panic trying to decide what to do next. It was kinda like a holy shit, holy shit, holy shit moment. I eventually stop shaking enough to go downstairs, interrupt marks pre-season football game and wave the stick in front of him. I obviously caught him off guard because he kinda bobbed back and forth a minute to still see the TV haha, but once I got his attention it was like Holy Shit Holy Shit Holy Shit.

What excitement, happiness and terror looks like at the same time

Mark decided he didn’t believe the first test, so he marched me upstairs and made me take another which turned out to be the same result. So at this point its Friday night and we have to wait until Monday to get any official news from a doctor. So Monday arrives and I call the first doctor office that is open to go in for a blood test. Luckily the nurse there had a brain because the doctor thought I was a teenager whose boyfriend got her pregnant and on the verge of a breakdown, I assure you I gave him no reason to believe this other then the fact that mark and I look like 12 year olds hahaha. I even introduced mark as my husband, anyway as it stands right now….I’m waiting to hear the official news……

Waiting for the crazy wacko doc to come in and treat me like a preggo tween, "Don't worry if your pregnant, we'll get you through it". Seriously he thought I was like 15, even though I introduced Mark as my HUSBAND hahaha.