DIY Silhouette Tutorial

Silhouettes seem to be all the rage right now and with a new room to decorate, I wanted to get in on the action! I found several tutorial that seemed easy enough- but I don't have a projector and after seeing how expensive self-adhesive vinyl can be, I decided to forgo that route for a first time project. This is my super easy version of  DIY silhouette art...

First, you find (or take) the picture that you want to use. I would say if you're just using someone's head, use a profile picture. But if your subject is an animal, it could be fun to use a full-body shot in an off-beat pose, like I did here. For this project, I decided to take a new picture of Kevin. The only problem was that Kevin happens to be a total ham.

He will pose for the picture and then as soon as the shutter clicks, he will lunge for the camera. He really enjoys smiling. Needless to say, it's not easy to get him to focus on something other than the camera to get that profile shot.

Unless I catch him looking out the window. In fact, that's what he's doing as we speak I type.

Cute, right? Neighborhood watch at its finest. Anyway, I said something to the effect of, "Kevin, look at that bird!" and I pointed out the window. (There was no bird. I feel kind of bad. But I got my shot!)

Boom! He looks intense, right?
I uploaded it to my computer and changed it to sepia so I could see the definition around his head better.

Next, I printed that bad boy out, cut out around his head, and gathered my supplies...

Supplies:

• cut out of your picture
• canvas in the size you want
• acrylic paint
• paint brushes
• something to mix paint in (if you don't care for the colors the paint comes in)
• double sided tape (not pictured)

Once my supplies were laid out, I stuck some double sided tape along the edges of the back of my cut out.Then I positioned it on the canvas. Because Kevin was looking down when I snapped the picture, I thought he looked kind of sad. I wanted to make sure he looked more proud in his silhouette, so when I attached the picture to the canvas, I titled his head at the angle I liked.

Next, I mixed my paint. I wanted a soft pink, but only had hot pink, white, and brown. So I mixed a lot of the hot pink with a lot of the white and a dab of brown to get the shade I was looking for.

Then I painted around the edges (cutting in, I suppose), brushing out from the picture to ensure that my paint started at the edge of the picture and didn't seep underneath. I wasn't sure if this technique would work until I was finished...

After I finished the edges, I filled in the rest of the canvas so that the pink would be on the outside and the actual silhouette would be white. (If you wanted another color for the silhouette, paint the canvas that color first, let it dry, and then begin from the start of my instructions.)

After I finished my painting, I peeled off the picture, and ta-da!!!

 It still looks a little splotchy in the picture because it was drying, but it looks pretty sweet now that it's all dry!
And Kevin approves!

Now I just have to find the perfect spot for it in the nursery! :)

Week 23

This whole last week has been kind of lame. The weather's been kind of cold and crappy, work was dragging on all week, and Brian had to work a lot of overtime. Kind of the opposite of perfect. All of the down time led me to try something new- attempting to crossover to a self-hosted blog. Turns out it was a little bit more complicated than what I was expecting and my patience was just too short to try to deal with it. And for as much crap as people talk about Blogger, I've really liked it. That's kind of all that really matters. I'm sticking with this for now. Enough of that.

This is what I'm looking like now:

Pretty hefty, huh?

I think the camera may have added those 10 (or 20) pounds though. I mean, obviously I'm getting bigger, but I look like a cow in the 23 week picture. In my own defense I ate a pretty big burger for lunch and I had just downed a cup of almond milk.

Or maybe it was a bad angle.

Or maybe I'm just that effing big now. I don't know... more pictures to come soon though.

On a positive note, I managed to squeeze into my old jeans last night (which I hadn't tried in a couple of weeks, so that's a good thing, I guess).


On another positive note, the baby is definitely getting bigger and stronger. She's kicking a lot more, which is very reassuring. And now, not only can Brian feel her, but we can see her moving! It's nothing too crazy yet, but if I lay down, all of a sudden my stomach will twitch. Right now it just kind of looks like a muscle spasm, but it's neat. :)
Saturday
Brian had to work all day yesterday, so that kind of sucked, but I got to spend some time with my family, so it worked out. My mom and I went to our step class in the morning. I noticed that although my energy level is back up, my dexterity level is down. Like, if I make the wrong move in class (which happens more frequently than I'd like to admit), I can't adjust my body in time to catch up anymore, so I have to stop and figure out where the class is, and then join them again. It's kind of frustrating, but if I concentrate, I think I can manage. Or I could just look like an idiot. Either way.

After class, we went to Joann Fabric to get some quilting supplies so we can finally begin our project. While I was there, I got a canvas to I could make an art project...

A Kevin silhouette for the nursery! I'll post a tutorial tomorrow- it's super easy. And Kevin-approved!

That night after Brian got home, we went over to our friend Rachael's house for some corned beef and cabbage. It was St. Patrick's day, after all! It was nice to get to spend good quality time with our buddies.

Sunday
Today was a good day. We rounded up the moms and went to Buy Buy Baby to start our gift registry! Buy Buy Baby is affiliated with Bed Bath and Beyond and it's basically laid out the exact same way- a huge store filled with baby stuff. We've been in there 4 or 5 times now and each time, I get super overwhelmed. Like, I don't even know where to begin to shop for things.

Brian put up with me pretty well because I was kind of being a jerk. Not to him, but in general. The long week caught up with me, I was exhausted, and being in a huge store and not knowing what's what was making me feel like a pretty inadequate mom-to-be. But the moms were patient with me and Brian calmed me down. So between us, the moms, and a very helpful saleswoman, I think we made some pretty good decisions about what we want to get for the baby. Oh, and we bought a crib, so that was pretty exciting! Things are starting to come together and I'm feeling a lot better. And I got to spend more time with this guy today,

and what could be better than that? :)

Reading Nook

So, first things first- this last week placed me at 20 weeks pregnant. In fact, today is 20 weeks and 6 days, which means that I am officially over the halfway mark! I've been feeling pretty good this week. My energy level has been up and I actually feel smaller this week than I did last week. Less bloated, I guess.

The proof is in the pictures!

Right? Don't I look way bigger at 19 weeks?? And whiter! But that's just the camera playing tricks. I didn't go tanning, I swear!


But yeah, it's been a pretty good week, so other than a little headache today, I can't really complain!

We got our new bed over the weekend so we set that up and it's so comfy! Our old bed was my old double that my parents bought me when I was like, 12 or something, so we were due for a new one. We got a California King and it is huge! I keep teasing Brian that I can't find him in the middle of the night!

We found this quilt deeply discounted from Bed Bath and Beyond. It's really pretty- pink with some light greens and tans. I never usually go for those colors and I thought they would probably be too girly, but Brian said he really didn't care as long as I liked it. So I steered away from my typical turquoise and went with something new.

Brian genuinely doesn't mind. Neither does Kevin!

I love that face!

And moving on to the fun stuff... setting up the nursery! Here's a quick before tour of the room that we're working with...

 That's the doorway into the room on the right and a walk-in closet on the left. Our room is the door straight down the hall. Once that mess is gone, the plan is to put the changing table/dresser/hutch on that wall. Notice the cathedral ceilings... they're like, 14 ridiculous feet tall...

 When you walk through the door and turn to your right, this is the wall you face. (Kevin says hello!) We're planning on putting the crib either directly on that wall, or in the left corner at an angle... we'll have to see once we get all of the furniture in there...

If you turn to the left after walking in, you face this wall. (There's a full bath all the right side of the picture.) I want to replace that old rickety turquoise book shelf with a sturdier bookcase, kind of like this one:

Just a little bit wider. And made with love- my dad and I already have some plans in the works to build it ourselves! I'm pretty excited about that!
Side note- I love that my parents are so on board with all of my shenanigans. Like, obviously they're excited about a baby in general, but I ask my mom if we can make a quilt together and she wants to, I ask my dad about making a book case together and he wants to... it makes me so happy! I love them!

Anyway, I'm pretty sure this last wall will end up being my favorite...

It's the first wall you see when you walk in the door. It's also the shortest wall in the room, so I feel pretty confident that I can paint it or stencil it or wall paper it without too much risk of falling off a ladder. So not only will I think it's going to be a pretty wall, but I want to make it a reading nook! It has close proximity to the bookcase wall (see the turquoise?). Under the window I want to put this love seat/sleeper sofa from Ikea:

I like it for a couple of reasons... 1st, it would give us a place to sleep guests if anyone wants to come stay with us for a night or two (hint, hint, SIL Melissa!). Second, I've read more than one mom say that they love having a sleeper as opposed to a glider in the nursery for those times that they fall asleep during middle of the night feedings. Third, it will be a good space for me and Brian to sit and hang out with the baby at bed time or in the morning or whenever. I know Brian will want to spend just as much time in there as I do, so we should both be comfortable, right? And last, as the baby starts getting older (heck, probably even before), I want to start a tradition of reading with her, and I can picture the three of us (with Kevin at our feet) curled up under the quilt, grabbing a book of the bookcase, and reading out loud. I actually already ordered some pretty leather bound books that are going to be decorative and hopefully inspire her imagination.

Don't act like you weren't thinking it...
:)

Oh, And I also want to hang this chandelier in that area too:

Cute, right? In my head, this is going to be the sweetest little nursery ever, and right now, the reading nook is one of my favorite ideas. Updates to come soon!

Week 14 and New Ultra Sound!

First of all, I want to send a big CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! over to Tara and her fiance (!!!) Jonathan who just got engaged over Christmas! She's going to make a stunning bride and I can't wait to see all of the cute and crafty ideas she comes up with as she makes all of her plans. Have fun, pretty lady! :)

Aw, sometimes I miss wedding planning. It was stressful and fun all rolled into one. A similar kind of stress and fun I may be feeling again in the next 26 weeks. (Like how I segued right there?)

That's right, I'm now 14 weeks along which is good awesome because it means I'm officially in my second trimester, ie, the risk of miscarriage drops significantly and symptoms such as fatigue and morning sickness start to wane (though I've still been pretty lucky with the MS). And from what I hear, the second trimester is the best because you start to show, but you're still small enough to look cute-pregnant and not beached-whale-pregnant and you're the most comfortable- not sick/tired, not so big that you can't move, that sort of thing.

I'm on the left, Kevin is on the right ;-)

This is what I looked like last Saturday at about 13.5 weeks. I still don't think I look pregnant yet, but I definitely look (and feel) thicker than I did before. I'm still fitting into my clothes, though they are becoming increasingly uncomfortable. I'm pretty lucky- since I teach PE I mostly wear running shorts and sweats that all have elastic waistbands. The main problem is that they're starting to slip down underneath my belly (like a fat guy). And pretty soon, my shirts are going to be lifting up. I guess I'll tackle that problem as it gets closer...

I've always kind of struggled with my weight. It was only a couple of years ago when I finally felt very comfortable in my own skin, and since then, I've gained about 20 pounds. Needless to say, watching myself outgrow clothes without much to show for it (as in, lack of a baby bump) has been a little disheartening and I have to keep reminding myself that there is a baby inside of me. I've still only gained about a pound and a half at the most, and it still varies from day to day, so stepping on the scale has still been giving me a sick sense of satisfaction. I am looking forward to showing and looking and feeling pregnant instead of just looking and feeling like I packed on the pounds during the holidays.

Can you tell which pictures were taken with a cell phone and which were with our new camera??

I had a routine check up today with a midwife. The hospital we're going to uses midwives and nurse practitioners to assist the doctors- we're not doing an at home birth or anything like that! It was the first time we met her and she was really friendly and helpful, so I'm pretty happy about that. We also got to listen to the baby's heartbeat which was AWESOME! It was super fast- 150 bpm (as compared to mine which was 73bpm). According to pregnancyinfo.net, the heart rate can be anywhere from 120-180 bpm. There is an old wives tale that says anything faster than 140 is a girl, slower is a boy, but that's pretty much been debunked... and so we wait.

Last week, we another, possibly even more exciting glimpse into the womb... as part of a routine screening, I got to have an ultrasound on January 5th and check out the picture the technician was able to get for us...

So serious!

You can actually see a pretty detailed profile of his her Buzz's face! Isn't that amazing?? I was shocked but thrilled when she showed it to me. From what I can tell, I would say the baby definitely has more of Brian's features than mine, but that's okay because I love Brian's face so much! :)

It's fun to watch- from 8 weeks and 2 days to 12 weeks and 6 days, this is how much development has gone on:

I know I'm totally biased, but that's cool, right?

So I have some announcements to have at work tomorrow and I'm planning on telling my students on Friday... I'll be back to share how that goes! Should be fun!

The Nest: Agree or Disagree

The Gym
I've been totally lame about posting it, but (other than the occasional day off) I've still been going to the gym every morning with my mom. I'm proud of her- she used to hate working out and sweating and now I think she actually likes it doesn't mind it!

Anyway, since we've been going on such a regular basis, we see the same people there pretty much every day. Last week, the group fitness instructor that we see 3 times a week told me I look skinnier... she knows I'm pregnant. A day later, one of my neighbors told me my face looks thinner... after I told her I'm with child. Well today after our spin class, 2 (TWO!) different ladies told me that I've lost weight. They don't know I'm pregnant, and I just kept my mouth shut and said thank you. One lady wouldn't let it go! She said- and I quote- "I don't know how much you've lost but you're definitely smaller. Keep it up!"... won't she be disappointed in a month or so when all of a sudden I have a belly.

I think it's kind of funny- I've always had a little belly. You know, that pooch right under your belly button? It's always be there, even when I've been at my smallest. I can run marathons, do crunches everyday, doesn't matter, it's always there. I've always felt like I look like I'm pregnant. And now that I actually am, people are telling me I've lost weight! It's just silly.

My actual weight hasn't budged at all. That scale is stuck right where it is. BUT my boobs have gotten bigger and my lower stomach is bigger (like, jeans are NOT comfy right now), so I guess I probably have lost weight in other places. I suppose it makes sense... still makes me shake my head though.

The Nest
Now that The Knot knows that I've graduated my status from engaged to married, I've been getting emails from The Nest. While The Knot was totally helpful with wedding planning, I haven't read one of these emails from The Nest that I actually find useful, or even enjoy reading. The latest one actually pissed me off, so I will share. Keep in mind, these are just my opinions of what I read, and I might be totally off or thinking too hard. But these were my initial sarcastic and slightly profane thoughts as I was (angrily) reading it.
The email says:

7 Signs You're Ready for a Baby

Are you ready to be a mommy? Here are some unexpected signs that it's time

1- You're not totally bored at a friend's baby shower.

Admit it: Baby showers can be mind-numbing. Sure, the baby clothes are cute and your preggo friend looks absolutely adorable, but who isn't secretly watching the clock? I'll tell you who: Women who are ready to sport a big ol’ belly themselves. If you find yourself taking mental notes about which gifts you do and don't want for your own baby and dreaming about perfect baby shower locales, you’re in mommy mode.

I say: Oh man, baby showers are the worst kind of party there is. I'm actually dreading my own. I'm not the most girly person there is so that might be part of my problem, but I try to leave a baby shower as fast as I can- especially if it means I can avoid the gift opening. But that doesn't mean that I'm not ready for a baby. It means that I DISLIKE showers and fake small talk with fake people, while sitting around and fake applauding for little overpriced Ugg boots that the baby will outgrow in a month. (Okay, they're pretty cute though) Actually, the only time I smile for real at a baby shower is if someone gets Butt Paste. Because that is funny.

Oh, and I came across this gem in my google search for pictures:

This could be the only time I've never wanted cake. Is that baby supposed to be dead??

2- You can tell a Bugaboo from a Mclaren – and you have a preference.

Are you a sporty and active City Mini kind of mom, or do you prefer the smarts and sophistication of a Bugaboo? Maybe you like the preppy Maclaren. If you have the faintest idea of what I'm talking about, you're definitely ready to have a baby.

I say: Actually, I don't have ANY clue what you're talking about. So, you're saying that because I don't know stroller brands, I'm not ready to produce offspring?? Even though we are financially, mentally, and physically prepared? Even though this addition to our family will be the most loved and cared for little baby, surrounded by the love of responsible parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles and friends who are all so excited to be a part of this child's life? Even though this baby was created out of two people's love for each other and is wanted more than any other gift in the world? No, you're right, I better google WTF a Bugaboo is before I decide to actually go through with this.

3- You stop noticing cute dogs.

If you're a dog or cat person and suddenly want a baby, you'll probably start seeing your pet – and pets on the street -- differently. You'll always treat your dog as your fur baby, of course, but your biological clock will tell you something else: I want the real deal. Paws can't take the place of 10 little pink toes.

I say: I'm sorry, but I'm a dog person. I've always had dogs in my life, and I love them. I've also always known that I wanted to be a mom. But that doesn't make me look at dogs any differently. That doesn't even make sense to me. I'm looking forward to how Kevin will act with our baby, and how Buzz will round out our family. It certainly doesn't make me think dogs aren't as cute. IN FACT, when we go out and there are screaming babies around, it kind of makes me appreciate how mellow Kevin is and how nice and quiet our house is for now. Again- this doesn't mean I'm not ready or I don't want to be a mom, it just means that I can still appreciate cute dogs because DOGS ARE AWESOME.

4- You’ve perused the aisles of A Pea in the Pod just for fun.

You weren’t there to buy a gift for your pregnant friend; you were actually quite impressed with how stylish maternity wear has gotten these days. You’d actually wear that wrap dress! I’m sorry to be the one to inform you: They make wrap dresses in non-pregnant sizes too. You were in there for a reason, and it wasn’t to bone up on fashion trends. You want a pea in your pod.

I say: I don't know what A Pea in the Pod is either, but through context clues, I have inferred that it's a maternity clothing store. Here's a little story about that... a couple of weeks ago when we were in Vegas, we were at an outlet mall where they had a maternity store, so I popped in just to take a gander. At the time, I was almost 9 weeks along, and looking less like I was pregnant and more like I had a big breakfast. Needless to say, I already felt silly being in there because nothing would fit me yet. Then I started looking more closely at the clothes. There are folds upon folds and layers and layers of fabric that don't even make sense (yet, anyway). The sizes were completely different. It was like being in a foreign country. It was totally intimidating and I got out of there in less than 2 minutes. The point is, I felt very out of place being in that store so early, and I WAS pregnant. It would be totally weird to just be in there shopping around before you're pregnant... like, wearing a wedding dress when you don't even have a boyfriend. But who would do that?

5- You’re less interested in Christian Louboutins, and more interested in the name Christian.

There was a time when names like Marc Jacobs and Donna Karan elicited thoughts of sexy stilettos and designer dresses. Now they bring to mind, well, cool baby name ideas. So do celebrity names (“Reese would be great for a boy or a girl!”) or even TV characters’ monikers (“The name Suki is growing on me…”). It’s probably time you had a real baby to name.

I say: This is the only one that I even remotely agree with. Except I've never been into Louboutins (just found out they even existed like, 2 months ago- told you, not very girly.) So I'll put it into terms I understand... You're less into Tom Brady and more interested in the name Brady. Agreed. I am totally taking more notice of names. It's kind of a big deal. I still can't totally agree with this "clue" though- I don't think your interests should wane just because you want a baby and I don't like how that is implied. Maybe I'm reading it too literally, but I'm still going to watch football (especially since I can't play it)... Likewise, if it was my thing, I don't think I would be less interested in shoes or designer clothes.   

I kid, Brian, I kid

6- You figure out when you’re ovulating and feel a thrill when you and your husband have sex on those days -- even with protection.

Think of it as a practice run. If you know it could actually happen if you weren't on the pill, and you're excited about it (maybe even turned on by it), then stop popping those birth control pills and go for it! (Um…tell him first, though.)

I say: Um, no shit... and you can't just "TELL" him, it's a pretty serious conversation that you should probably have with him. This brings me back to the whole maternity shopping thing before you're actually preggo- it just sounds like something someone who is bat shit crazy would do. It just seems weird to get excited when you're still on birth control or using other forms of protection. And it also seems like you would just be setting yourself up for some serious disappointment. Not to mention, over the years, I've had more than a few teenagers talk to me about wanting to get pregnant or that they have had unprotected sex and now they think they might be pregnant... does that mean they're ready? I highly doubt a 15 year old that has a druggie on-again-off-again boyfriend and no job is ready to raise a child. Getting excited about ovulating doesn't mean it's baby making time- even if you're happily married. Having a baby is a serious life changing event that needs a little more thought put into it than just feeling a little thrill at having sex... reach a little deeper. (And if sex isn't already thrilling enough on it's own, you're probably doing it wrong.)

7- You crave the pregnancy glow.

Your pregnant friends have shiny hair, glowing skin -- and they even say that their fingernails are stronger. Sometimes you stand in front the mirror and wonder what pregnancy will look like on you. It may be time to find out!

 I say: Sure, because shiny hair and glowing skin totally outweigh feeling bloated and sick and exhausted on a constant basis. Who cares about gaining anywhere from 15-35 (or more, if you aren't careful!) pounds when your fingernails are strong! Are you kidding me?? While I will say that my hair is actually (finally) getting longer, it isn't any more shiny and my skin looks the same as it always has. In fact, I know pregnant women who have major breakouts on their faces because of what all the hormones have put them through. I also have a friend who says her belly got fuzzy with each of her pregnancies. I have another friend who had to take breaks throughout the day to put her feet up because they would start to swell so bad. I had a killer headache yesterday that knocked me on my ass for the better part of the day. They're are also plenty of beautiful things happening while you're pregnant, but if your reason for becoming pregnant is to get more glowing skin, rethink your priorities, and go to Target and get some Neutrogena products.

So again, all of that was just my extremely biased opinion. I could be the crazy one. All I know for sure is that when I read this email, I was really offended by it and I didn't and still don't agree with it. There is a good chance that I am just super defensive and I'm prepared to accept that. But it just didn't sit right with me. What do you think?

 

Announcing... Buzz!!!

There is something that has been on my mind lately. In fact, despite holidays and thesis writing, it's been the biggest thing on my mind. I have been hesitant to discuss it for reasons that will seem obvious in a minute, but I am feeling more comfortable now, and I'm (literally) bursting at the seems to share!

That little white ball of joy is the first picture of future baby Collins, whom we affectionately refer to as Buzz! (More on that later!) That ultrasound was on December 2, 2011and Buzz was 8 weeks and 2 days along. At that point, Buzz was still considered an embryo the size of a kidney bean, with webbed fingers and toes.

The coolest thing about the ultrasound was that we got to see the heart beat! It was this tiny little flutter on the screen and it was one of the most reassuring things I have ever seen in my life. See, something scary that most people don't realize is that miscarriages are pretty common. Frighteningly common, actually. According to What to Expect When You're Expecting, an estimated 40% of conceptions end in miscarriage, but a lot of them go undocumented because they happen early on, so the woman just assumes it was a late period. Miscarriages seem more prevalent now though, because at-home pregnancy tests can be used as early as a couple of days before your missed period, so women know they are pregnant sooner than ever before.

Finding out...
We found out super early as well- we decided to start trying in September, but October came and went and so did my period. I was a bit worried because it took my parents quite a while- years, actually- to get pregnant with me. We decided to give it another go, but not to try "too hard"... like, no counting days until ovulation or taking my temperature on a daily basis (turns out your basal body temperature is at it's lowest during ovulation and then it spikes after ovulation, so if you track this by taking your temperature first thing in the morning everyday, you should start to notice a pattern). Well, wouldn't you know it, November rolled around and my period was two days late. My period is NEVER late.

I decided to pick up a pregnancy test on my way home from work on November 3rd. I had never bought one before and had no idea what to look for, so I just picked one that didn't look too cheap, but didn't cost an arm and a leg either. I wouldn't say that I was in denial, but I would definitely say that I wasn't holding my breath at this point.

I got home, opened the package, read the directions, and peed on that baby. Then I had to wait 3 minutes. People always say those 3 minutes are the longest of your life. Not so much for me. I was trying not to get my hopes up. I went upstairs and changed my clothes. Played with Kevin for a minute. And then time was up.

When I looked at the stick, this is what I saw:

2 lines = preggo, 1 line = not

WTF does that mean?? Can you even see that second line?? It was so freaking faint, and I had no idea what it meant. Pregnant or not? Were our lives about to change forever, or remain the same for at least another month?

So the next 3 minutes, while I scrambled around on the internet, were the longest 3 minutes of my life! After reading about other women's similar stories and learning all about evaporation lines, it became clear that if the test is read within a timely manner- not hours later, any second line "counts." It doesn't matter how faint, if there is a second line in that stick, the pregnancy hormone is in your body and you have a bun in the oven.


Telling Brian...

Brian was still at work, so after I had done my research Google search, I did a little dance with Kevin. We think he knew before we did. The weekend before was Halloween, and that whole weekend we noticed he was really clingy with me. Like, we had friends over that Saturday night to watch scary movies and while he's usually a social butterfly, that night he cuddled up next to me and slept with his head on my belly the whole time. He's been doing the same thing ever since. We're pretty certain he is going to be a great big brother.

Since I was at home with the dog for about an hour before Brian was due home that night, I was trying to think of a creative way to announce the news. One of his favorite shows is The Office, so back when we first started talking about getting pregnant, I wanted to get him a mug like Michael Scott's but have it say World's Best Dad.

Well, I hadn't planned that out far enough in advance, and I couldn't wait to tell him, so that wasn't happening. Instead, I found an old white shirt, grabbed some sharpies, wrote Big Brother on the back, and tossed it on the dog:

He kind of reminds me of a race horse. :)

Anyway, when Brian walked in the door, Kevin greeted him. It took Brian a minute to read the shirt, and then register what it said, but once it clicked, I was able to capture his reaction with my iphone:

Happy Dad-to-be!

More celebrating ensued!

But as you probably noticed, 2 days after a missed period is extremely early to be finding out... and I was nervous. So many things could go wrong and I was very paranoid. I called the next morning to make a doctors appointment. They had me come in the next Monday where I took another positive test, filled out some paperwork, and we were on our way!

Telling Everyone Else...
Telling other people has been tricky. I told my mom right away because we go to the gym every morning, and I wanted her to be aware in case something went wrong or she had any motherly advice. She was glad I told her, but also nervous about how early it was in the pregnancy. Brian told his mom and sister within that first week. Then we had to tell my friend Alexis because we were going on a cruise for her birthday. On the cruise, we had to tell our other friends Erin and Jordan, because it's kind of suspicious when you're on a cruise, but you won't drink, you won't go into the jacuzzi, and you're not able to eat much of the all-you-can-eat food that's being offered.

We decided to tell the dads once we got back from the trip. Brian got his dad an "I love my grandpa" bib and I got my dad a Dodgers bib (as an inside joke- I hate the Dodgers but he loves them and has always said that when he babysits for me, my kids will be dressed in Dodger gear when I come to pick them up). We gave them these gifts under the pretense that they were souvenirs from the cruise. They were a little confused at first, but then my dad looks up at me and says, "Really??" It was cute and all of the grandparents are officially excited. Slowly, word is getting out. Soon, we told my brother and his girlfriend. We had to tell our friend Mike because I would no longer be playing football. We told some family members at Thanksgiving. Then we told Kevin and Rachael. Then I had to tell the ladies in my office because there was some bug spraying and bleaching going on that I just didn't want to be around. Oh and most recently, I told some of my softball girls so they could help me out a little more in class with the physical stuff.
Telling Work...
We have yet to make an official announcement. Like, nothing on Facebook. I haven't told work yet. As of today, It's only been 10 weeks and 4 days, so it's still relatively early on. I'm planning on telling work when I get back from winter break, just to keep it simple. Plus by then, I'll officially be going into my 2nd trimester, where the risks of miscarriage drop significantly (yes, I'm still very nervous/paranoid about it). And I'll put it out there on Facebook after work knows. Because, ya know, nothing is actually official until it's on Facebook. With that being said, if you're one of my Facebook friends and you're reading this, I'm thrilled that you're here, but please, please don't say anything on there just yet. ThankyouIloveyou!

How I'm feeling...
So far, I feel like I'm pretty lucky, because compared to some of the horror stories I've read, this pregnancy has seemed relatively easy. I have felt a little nauseous from time to time, but I haven't actually thrown up. I can't eat as much as usual and I've only gained like 0-1.5 pounds, but that varies depending on the day. What's funny about that though, is that I feel extremely bloated and it is really uncomfortable to wear my jeans. I've been living in sweats, jeggings, and dresses. I'm t-i-r-e-d and I keep falling asleep on the couch before 7:30. And I'm occasionally crabby- Brian gets the brunt of that, but he's taking it like a champ. I love him so much.

I get a little bit bummed sometimes because I can't do much of what I did before- namely playing football and softball. Those are actually the 2 contact sports that I found listed in the "activites you should not participate in" list. I would love to be able to go sit in the jacuzzi for a little bit, but that's a no-no. I also have been staying away from deli meat, sushi, coffee and (mostly) diet coke. Definitely staying away from alcohol, but that's never been an issue for me.

It's not all woe-is-me though. I've still been having a lot of fun:

We went on a cruise for Alexis' b-day

Vegas for Brian's b-day

Disneyland- just for fun!

Each experience was different than it would have been had I not been pregnant, but each was still fun and I am THRILLED, so the happiness we're feeling far outweighs missing out on Space Mountain or Margaritaville.
We've been taking weekly pictures. Here they are so far:

I'm maybe a little bit bigger, but I've always had a little tummy pooch, so nothing too exciting there yet. Buzz is growing though- this week, he is the size of a kumquat.

Brian thinks that's still pretty small, but seeing as it's growing inside of me I happen to think it's pretty big. This week, Buzz graduated from an embryo to a fetus, no more webbing in the phalanges, teeth are forming, arms are moving (but I won't be able to feel it til month four or five), and the features are started to look more human and less alien! Oh and my uterus began as the size of a small pear and is now the size of a grapefruit. No wonder the jeans are feeling tight.

Why Buzz?...
So if you've read this far and haven't yet thought to yourself, 'WTF are they calling this poor fetus Buzz?' then I am impressed, and you should reward yourself. Because it does seem pretty silly. Well, here's the story behind the name...

A while ago- it might have even been before the wedding- we were on a long drive and just happened to start talking about baby names and how silly some most of them are now. I joked that dogs have more normal human names (hel-lo, Kevin!) and that babies have silly dog names. I told Brian we need to come up with some goofy names when we have kids. Light bulb moment!!!- I announced we should name our kids after Disney characters and I asked Brian who his favorite character is. He answered Buzz Lightyear. I screamed out in joy, "Buzz Collins!!! That is the best name ever!!!" Brian strongly disagreed, claiming it sounded like a white trash name. Ever since, it has been a long running joke that we are going to name our baby Buzz. Well, I joke. Brian does not think it's funny at all. Once we found out we were pregnant, I started calling this baby Buzz whenever I would refer to it to Brian. In all honesty, I would never actually name my child Buzz, but in this case, until we know the sex and can actually pick a name, Buzz works. Brian has even warmed up to the nickname, so for now, Buzz it is! Many, many updates to follow!