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!
I should probably update this blog more often because we have so much going on lately! We've been pretty much making over the house. We added a shelving unit from Ikea to the living room, we got new floors throughout the entire house (wood laminate in the dining room and bedrooms, and carpet in the living room and up the stairs), we just ordered a new bed and picked out some new bedding yesterday for our room in colors that are totally new to us, and then of course- most exciting of all- we're starting to put together the nursery! For example, my mom and I spent over 2 hours at Joann's on Sunday picking out fabric and patterns for a baby quilt. This is what I ended up with:
I've never made a quilt before and the last time she did was like, 15 years ago or something, so this should be a frustrating fun bonding experience for us. I will have to add some pictures of all of that madness soon!
In the meantime, I'm rounding out week 19 and entering week 20- the halfway mark! I'm noticing now that my stomach is finally starting to pop a little bit. I'm still not totally thrilled about it getting bigger, but it's starting to look more pregnant and less beer belly. So that's good.
The latest update from The Bump says the baby is the size of a cantaloupe at week 20. That seems huge to me! Especially since she's only halfway baked! The cool thing about her getting bigger is that I'm finally starting to feel her. I've been "feeling" her for a couple of weeks, but wasn't sure until this weekend.
Some people say it feels like gas bubbles or butterflies or tickling from inside. The most close comparison to what I've felt is the gas. Not like, farty gas though. Just like digestion, I guess. You know how you'll be sitting in class or in a theater or somewhere extremely quite and then all of a sudden your stomach starts to growl and everyone hears it? Well you know that little movement you feel right before that deep growl? Well it's a movement like that that I have been feeling.
Of course, I like to eat, so I didn't know that it wasn't my stomach growling... until recently when she started getting bigger. Like, now I can definitely tell it's her moving because it's starting to feel stronger.
The other day, I felt her so I put my hand on my belly right away and after a couple of seconds, I felt her bump again! That's been the only time I've felt it externally. Every time I start to feel her, I call Brian over, but he hasn't been able to feel her yet, so I think most of what I'm feeling is all internal. My little baby canteloupe!
Do you want to see something scary??
At our ultrasound last week, we could see her doing so many cute things like touching her face, sucking her thumb, kicking her legs. And then the technician pointed out that she yawned. The tech caught a picture of it and printed it out for us.
Our baby went from this sweet little thing:
To this yawning beast:
That's frightening, right? Every time I look at this picture, she reminds me of a t-rex, or an alligator, or this scene from Beetlejuice:
Do you remember when Geena Davis makes that face to scare Winona Ryder?? Yikes! :)
No, I can already tell she's going to be beautiful by her cute little button nose and I can't wait to meet her!
So I was thinking about it today and I realized that I never actually wrote about how the rest of Valentine's Day went... and that wouldn't be right because it was the BEST Valentine's Day in the history of Valentine's Days!
So we found out that Buzz is a girl around 9:30 in the morning. Like, I said in my last post, Brian made that discovery by accident because the original plan was to have the ultrasound tech write the gender down, we were going to keep it folded up, and then open it with all of the parents at dinner. Brian felt horrible about accidentally noticing the gender on the screen, but I was thrilled. It would have been the longest day knowing that the answer is right there, but I couldn't check it for like, 9 hours! It was an extremely exciting morning to say the least!
But then I had to go back to work. Boo.
Actually, the work day wasn't that bad because I missed about half of it, and my students all knew what I was doing that morning, so they were all excited to find out. Of course, Kyle think I should name her Kylie, Jonathan came up with Jonathina... the kids are goofy, but they're full of questions and actually pretty helpful for 9th graders, so I told them I will accept any and all suggestions for names. I think they like being involved. :)
Brian didn't have to work, so he picked me up and brought me home to a nice, clean house that smelled fantastic. And wouldn't you know it, the smell was coming from a huge bouquet of flowers filled with roses and daisies in my favorite color!
They are so pretty and I love looking at them and smelling them! He also got me the sweetest card, some chocolate covered almonds, and an hour long pregnancy massage. It's like he knows me or something!
I made him a card...
On a funny side note- I obviously made the card before Valentine's Day, but the colors I used are exactly the colors I wanted to use for a nursery if we were having a girl. So I've already been in touch with my mom about helping me make a quilt that looks as similar to the card as I can get it... updates to follow!
I kind of splurged on Brian's gift this year. I got him a tool chest that's pretty much identical to this one:
Clearly, it cost more than a box of chocolates, but it's something we needed and Brian deserves the chance to make the garage more of a "dad" space now, right?
And the excitement of the day wasn't over yet. The parents came over around 5:30-6 for dinner. Brian and I made lasagna, salad, and garlic bread. My day was so hectic that I didn't get a chance to eat much throughout the day and I was so hungry. But I couldn't wait to share the news, so we spilled the beans before we even started eating.
I forgot to take pictures of it, but I put the print outs from the ultrasound that said "Hi!!! I'm a girl!!!" into an envelope for each of the parents so that they would have something to open.
Once they opened it and read it, they were all so thrilled! And then we ate some awesome Italian food, followed by some awesome red velvet cake and good conversation with the people we love most. Truly the best day we could ask for!
We had our 18 week ultra sound yesterday morning! When I was offered the chance to schedule this appointment on Valentine's Day, I jumped at the opportunity because what could be more romantic than discovering the gender of your baby and sharing in that excitement together? (Well, besides making the baby itself... sorry, mom!)
Anyway, Brian and I made this grand plan that we would have the ultra sound done in the morning and then have a triple valentine's date with our parents where we would all find out the gender together. We told the ultra sound tech our plan- she loved it and was very careful about having us look away when she was in gender-specific areas. She even printed us out pictures with the gender written on it for us to open later.
The ultra sound went well- everything appears normal. The baby measured about 10 ounces. We got to see it suck it's thumb, yawn, do some back flips, and kick it's little legs- kind of amazing, considering I still can't really feel any of it!
Well at the end of the appointment, Brian accidentally looked at the screen and saw the gender result- unbeknownst to me. Once we left the room, he admitted that he saw it. He felt bad but I was excited because I wanted to know so badly, so I was like, "Tell me! It's a girl, right?"
And wouldn't you know it...
Needless to say, we were both pretty psyched about that! Now I can't stop thinking about names and nursery ideas and little baby dresses...
It's helped to take my mind of of my ever-growing stomach. Speaking of which, here is the latest photographic update of that disaster:
It's definitely not as bad as it could be. I've gained 8 pounds. I just don't feel like I look pregnant. I want to pop a little so I have a clearly defined pregnant belly. Right now I think I look like a more fluffier version of my regular self... like I drank too much beer on Super Bowl Sunday. That's kind of how I feel too- bloated and full and a little sluggish. I will say this though- my energy seems to be coming back a little bit. For example, it's almost 9:00 pm and I'm still awake. That hasn't happened in quite some time.
I'm still a little frustrated because like I said, I still don't really feel pregnant. I've been feeling like I'm just me, gaining weight and looking fatter than ever. I'm still going to the gym almost every morning, but let's face it, working out is getting more difficult- I can't lift my legs as high as I used to be able to in class, I'm practically kneeing myself in the stomach in spin class every time one of my legs comes up to pedal, and I'm very aware of my heart rate now, so I try to tone it down instead of pushing myself when I feel like it's getting too high. Weird because I ALWAYS push myself. My whole life has always revolved around sports and fitness (helll-lo, athlete, coach, PE teacher) and so this is a very odd transition for me.
And like I've said before, I'm not a skinny person by nature. Though I've never really gone on a strict diet, I've always had to work at maintaining weight and I gain weight very easily. So to be gaining weight and not being to do anything about it is kind of freaking me out. I know I'm supposed to be gaining weight and I am actually slightly below the recommended weight gain allowance for my size, but I'm not comfortable with it yet. Here's a side by side from when I starting taking pictures of my belly at week 7 back in November to this last weekend at Week 18:
See how it's just looking kind of like a chubby gut? And to think I didn't like how big I looked before! :)
Okay, I'm done ranting. For now, anyway! I apologize if I sound ungrateful, because I promise, I'm not at all. I have had a fairly easy pregnancy so far and I cannot stress how much I have appreciated that. I'm just still trying to wrap my head around this new figure and the extra weight around my middle! The important thing is, I'm healthy, my baby girl is healthy, and Brian loves both of us. He's the best- he tells me I'm beautiful every day, and that means the world to me.
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 goodawesome 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 hisher 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 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:
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?
Linking up with Lauren for some end of the year fun...
1. New Years is a time for reflection and appreciation of everything that the previous year offered and a chance to set goals and make plans for the upcoming year.
2. One of my New Year's resolutions will be to be more organized. I need to plan out healthier meals ahead of time, clean the house on a regular basis so all that dust and dog hair doesn't keep sneaking up on me, and manage my time more wisely.
3. A New Year's resolution I've made in the past was to lose weight. lol, hasn't everyone had that one?
4. The most time consuming resolution I ever made was to think positively. This wasn't necessarily a New Year's resolution, but I read the book The Secret a couple of years ago and I really bought into the message it sent. A lot of people think it's silly, but if you change your outlook into a positive one, you generally have more and better opportunities presented to you. It seems to have worked for me... I'll have to do a post about it soon. But anyway, it was time consuming because I'm still doing it, and you have to do it on a daily- pretty much hourly- basis.
5. This year I will be spending New Year's Eve at home with my husband and my dog. We know of some parties, but our main group of friends are all splitting up this year, so we decided we'll just have a cozy New Years at home with some movies and chinese take out. Plus since I can't drink (much less stay up past 7:30), I probably wouldn't be much fun to go out with!
6. If I could wish one thing for my new year it would be to have a healthy, happy baby.
7. 2012 is going to be filled with adventure and new experiences!
Our first Christmas as a married couple was hectic! But so amazing! And of course, I didn't take pictures of any of it. It actually started on Christmas Eve. We had both of our parents over for dinner. We did the same thing last year too. It's like our combined family Christmas because for now, we're still doing separate family celebrations. I want to combine them, but no one seems ready for that yet.
So- much to everyone's chagrin- we split up in the morning. Brian went to his parents' house to do their little family gift exchange and I packed Kevin up and went to my parents'. Our families thought we were crazy for splitting up, but we both saw it as our final hurrah with our families as "kids"... you know, because next year, WE'LL be the parents. Still weird to think about! Anyway, I spent the morning with my parents, Jeff, and Jenn, the dogs all behaved, we ate Monkey Bread and bagels, and I got some awesome gifts including a Cricut craft machine.
I still need to open it up and learn all about it, but I'm pretty excited and you can bet I already have some ideas lined up.
After I left mom and dad's, I headed home to take a shower (because mom's house on Christmas morning is a PJ party!) and drop Kevin off. Then it was time for Brian's house where his parents, aunt, uncle, and grandma showered me with way to many gifts and great food. I picked a good family! We were there for about 4 hours when it was time to head back to my parents' house (together this time) for MORE food and gifts.
My mom does an Italian Christmas dinner, so there was lasagna, sausage, meatballs, and other deliciousness. Oh, and my aunt made this chocolate peanut butter cheesecake that should be illegal. It was so good.
We told Brian's family about Buzz on Thanksgiving, but we didn't really get a chance to tell mine, so we decided Christmas would be the best time. And my mother made it so awkward. We're all sitting down for dinner and she shouts out- from across the table- "Kristen, do you want some wine?" My face turned as red as said wine and I replied, "No, mom."
"And why aren't you drinking wine tonight?"
Aw, jeez. So then I had to turn to everyone and say all sheepishly, "Because we're pregnant."
But everyone was super excited and that was all anyone wanted to talk to me about for the rest of the night. Thanks, mom. :)
We left that night exhausted, full, and happy. It was a really great day with family.
Oh, and we decided to get ourselves a bug family gift this year, and then fill each other's stockings with smaller gifts... So we got...
A DSLR!!! Canon Rebel T2i
It's a little intimidating, but I am so looking forward to using it! Both of our point and shoot cameras have crapped out on us, so I've been using my iPhone for everything... not so hot.
So now, I'm off to learn how to use all of my new toys- any tips would be appreciated!
I hope you all had awesome holidays too! What did you guys do?
Wicked
Apparently I was the only person on earth (or at least in LA) to have never seen the musical Wicked. Well as of Saturday, that's all changed!
Brian got tickets for me for my birthday- which was October 6th... December 17th was the first available show, tickets were scarce, and he ordered them almost right when they became available. No joke, this show is popular. (No pun intended. Really.)
Well, no wonder! The show is so cute, the characters are adorable, the songs are catchy, and I really like how they incorporate the actual Wizard of Oz story into the plot. Oh, and this will probably make me sound like a total dork, but I loved the set- how the scenery moved and the lighting changed. It actually distracted me a little bit because I was watching the scenes change and thinking about the props more than I was watching the actors. Maybe I missed my calling as a stage hand? Set designer? It was an all-around fun show and it actually had a deeper message than I was expecting. I'd see it again in a heart beat. (No wonder Alexis has seen it like, 86 times. Ok, maybe only 3.)
I only took 2 pictures though...
One outside the theater...
And one inside the theater...
Sorry for the crappy picture quality... I took them with my phone. Maybe Santa will bring me a new camera...
Wickedly Delicious
Soooo this whole pregnancy thing... is silly.
I've never needed to gain weight. That has never been a problem for me. In fact, for most of my life, I have struggled with my weight. Prior to becoming pregnant, I weighed the most I ever have in my entire life. Once I found out I was pregnant, I was concerned about being on the heftier side. You know, things like gestational diabetes and other various complications can occur the higher your BMI is. The average women gains 2-5 pounds in the first trimester, but I've read stories about people that have gained 13 pounds right away because they're "eating for two" now. I was worried that I might face that scenario just because, let's face it, I love to eat. Add in a couple of holidays where you engorge yourself with calories upon calories, I was nervous.
I had a doctor's appointment yesterday morning. My weight is exactly the same. This is where I am conflicted and feel silly- On one hand I'm glad that I haven't gained weight, but on the other hand, I actually want to start gaining weight. Not just to gain it, that's not my style. But I would love to see this little baby bump start to come in for some reassurance. I don't really feel pregnant yet, and sometimes that scares me just a little. Other than being tired and lacking a period, (and a couple of positive pregnancy tests) I don't really have any symptoms.
Then today, while doing some holiday baking, I had an epiphany. Usually, I am a sucker for anything sweet, especially chocolate. Well while I was knee deep in sugary goodness, I couldn't stand the smell of any of the treats I was working with.
Sugar cookies and fudge? Gross. Wait- what??
I haven't been feeling sick at all. But there has definitely been some changes in my eating habits. First, I can't eat nearly the portions I used to eat. Second, the deliciousness with which I once had no self-control now grosses me out. Like, there has been an opened bag of chocolate chips in my fridge, untouched for a couple of weeks now. That would have been unheard of a couple of months ago.
So that makes me feel better. It still makes me chuckle that I am looking forward to gaining weight though. It's definitely a new way of thinking for me. But there will be a lot of transitions and thing to look forward to in the next 29 weeks!
