halfway home

these two irresponsible teens are having a baby.  oh wait. . .we aren't teens anymore.  in fact, we're considered somewhat over the hill. . .

but today marks the 20-week point in my pregnancy, which means we are halfway home.  we had an ultrasound today which confirmed our suspicions that we are having a girl!  although we'd be happy with a healthy baby of either gender, we were both semi team pink, so we are thrilled to say the least. 

it's nice to have an answer to that big question so it's easier to shop for this little mystery person.  not that i'm a huge pink person who is going to adorn the baby and the nursery in head-to-toe pink.  but it certainly is easier to make purchases once you have an idea of what you're working with. 

it also helps us with the whole naming business which i find to be challenging.  there are plenty of names i'm inclined toward, but finding one that my spouse and i both agree on is a bit more difficult.  fortunately, we seem to be more on the same page about girl names, than we were about boy names.  so that's good.  but you'll never learn the name here yet. . .we don't plan on sharing names until after she's born.  i'm just not up for getting everyone's opinions on the matter.  because everyone's got an opinion!

here's a belly shot from today.  i swear, it doesn't photograph nearly as grand as it looks in person.  especially after the rather large celebratory mexican lunch we had after going to the doctor.  i think i've mentioned my latest craze. . .it's all about the ground beef taco and cheese enchilada combo at casa vega.

is it normal that all i want to do now is shop?  oy. . .trying hard to show restraint. . .at least until i get paid!

on a random side note.  my husband has been acting a little strange.  he started making these smoothies that involve spinach, broccoli, carrots, bananas, grapes, mango and milk all in the same concoction.  i say yuck!  but he says "it's for my health.  they say the greatest gift you can give your child is your health."  well i can't really complain about that line of thinking.

countdown

who can work on day like today.  i'm going to see my favorite people tomorrow and i'm too excited to focus on the tasks at hand!  in about 24 hours, these three musketeers will be reunited.

 and i'll also get to see these two

and this one

and hopefully this little free spirit will show up too (with furry side kick)!

and we'll do lots of lounging and lunching.  can't wait!

bell pepper

i'm now 18 weeks along. according to sources, my baby is now the size of a bell pepper.  my belly is pushing out more every day.  i have started wearing maternity jeans and baggy shirts.  i don't exactly look pregnant. . .more like i ate too much.  and ironically, i have been eating too much, so maybe that's why it's poking out! 

my sickness has passed (for the most part) and now i am hungry.  ravenously hungry.  i'm eating anything and everything.  i'm craving the worst possible foods and eating them.  i made Adam take me to Olive Garden to eat lunch the other day.  Olive Garden is not somewhere we would typically go.  and what did i order?  the Tour of Italy!  this isn't just one item off the menu. . .but three!  fettucine alfredo, chicken parm AND lasagne. 

i'm also a big fan of cheeseburgers right now.  in particular, i'm loving the Big Wave Burger from Islands.  simply divine. 

we went to dinner with friends on Saturday night and ordered a chocolate milkshake WITH dinner.  everyone gasped. 

oh. . .and don't get me started on mexican food.  if you watch the TV show Flipping Out, you've probably seen Casa Vega. . .a restaurant they are renovating.  well that's my destination of choice right now.  yuuuuuuum. 

so i take my 150 mg Zantacs twice a day and i eat.  don't worry, i'm also craving lots of fruit.  so in addition to all this crap, i'm also eating tons of strawberries, blueberries, grapes, apples, bananas and watermelon.  oh i'm so happy to be eating again.  food has always been my friend and i'm so happy to be reunited and back in love. 

here are the latest belly shots.  i swear i look a lot bigger in person than these photos are showing. or at least i feel a lot bigger anyway.

nursery rhymes

well i'm back!  see. . .all i have to do is say i'm going to do something in a public forum and i do it.  amazing what a little accountability will do for a girl!

anyway, a few weeks ago, my mother and the oldest of my nephews visited us for the weekend.  the goal was to give the nephew a little Hollywood style 16th birthday getaway. . .while simultaneously allowing me a little mom/daughter bonding time.  my mom and my sister live near each other.  i mean, they live really near each other.  like all you have to do is skip across a field to get from one house to the other.  so they see each other daily.  yes, i'm very jealous of this!  so whenever i can coerce my mom into a visit, i do.  i don't even try to coerce my sister.  she won't get on an airplane for anything. . .not even me.

so when my mom comes to visit, not only do we get to spend lots of quality time together, but she usually helps out with pressing household projects.  she's very skilled. . .especially at painting.  and this trip was all about the nursery.  i had already decided on a basic color scheme of minty green and sunshine yellow with pops of orangey coraly red.

it's not finished, but it came along way and i'm loving it so far!

we had a little shopping outing at IKEA as well.  that's where we picked up this simple, modern crib (Gulliver) that suits the style of our house and the room perfectly.  you may remember the quilt that i made several months ago.  it finally has a home!

i purchased this glider several months ago as well from BabiesRUs.com and the cute little chick pillow is from The Land of Nod.  the paper lantern light was discovered at IKEA by mom.  it casts the nicest sunbeam yellow light over the room at night and just ties together all of the yellow accents perfectly.  (note: taking my mom to IKEA with me is risky. . .i buy ALOT more when she's pointing out all of the cool things i should get.)

behind those window sheers, we hung a blackout shade that when drawn helps block out a lot of light.  still undecided on what i'm going to do about window coverings.  until i find the perfect thing, i'll stick with what i have.

this little nook is incomplete.  it once was a closet, but the room has two closets, so the last owners removed the doors on this one and now it's a perfect little diaper changing/dresser nook.  the bed is temporary.  it's where my mom slept when she was here, but now i like to go in there and lounge in it while looking around the nursery and daydreaming about how drastically my life is about to change or reading magazine articles about how to fight morning sickness.

right now this room is so relaxing and peaceful and just has a really soothing vibe.  but soon it will be filled with noise and activity!  anyhow, my mom still needs to come back (hint) to finish this nook.  we are going to paint the dresser, then we are going to hang shelves where i can store diapers and other diaper changing accessories.  you'll notice there's even an electrical outlet which will be perfect for the wipe warmer that my sister (the expert) claims is a necessity.

for years i've had a random little collection of stuffed animals in my closet.  i had them way before i even considered bringing a baby into this world.  and even though i had no use for them, i could not part with them.  since i was little, i've always loved my stuffed animals and felt like they had little souls.  so getting rid of them was not an option.  well now they have a home and will finally be enjoyed properly!

just another angle on the crib.

i found this cute modern print on Etsy.  it has lyrics from one of my favorite little tunes. . ."you are my sunshine."

and now what you've really be waiting for. . . duh, duh, da, duh. . . the belly!  my waist has gone from 27 inches to about 32 inches.  there is no option to suck that gut in.  i've gained 4 lbs. . .finally. . .after losing a couple.  it's definitely starting to bulge. 

and there you have it.

tomorrow!

tomorrow i'm going to try my best to write a blog.  it has been way too long.  and i've thought about writing, but i've just been too busy, or sick, or lazy.  but if i say i'm going to write tomorrow and i add it as a task on my to-do list, maybe i'll actually do it.  so check back tomorrow people!  and for the teaser. . .expect to see pictures of the newly painted nursery and my growing belly.  now if that doesn't peak your interest and keep you coming back for more, i don't know what will. . .

good night.

our girl blu

our girl blu has been with me for more than 15 years now.  it's been a challenge, to say the least, to have had the responsibility of a dog since i was 21 years old and still in college.  after college, i was flitting about. . .searching for myself in various locales.  finding apartments to rent that allowed large dogs was never an easy task, and i often found myself living in situations that weren't my first choice. . .for the love of my canine companion.  like my first apartment in KC after college. . .living in an apartment "community" in the suburbs where dogs (under 25 pounds) were allowed.  each time i took her outside, i panicked that i'd be busted for having a 65 pound dog.  but i wasn't. 

it also wasn't easy being a spontaneous young purveyor of travel and adventure while having a dog that needed my daily attention and restricted spur of the moment overnight trips.  it was especially difficult not having family around to help out when i needed an dog sitter or just someone to let the poor girl out when i was working 12 hour days trying to forge ahead in my career and make ends meet.  (shout out to my mom, for helping out when she could.)

but somehow, she and i managed.  it wasn't an easy road.  there were times when vet bills and prescriptions took priority over me getting new shoes or even dinner.  there were times when i returned from a long day of work to find the last few pieces of bread i was planning on making into a PB&J for dinner were nowhere to be found. . .stolen off the counter with only a shredded plastic bag to be found later, tucked beneath the couch. 

 but there were also times when i was alone in a new city. . .not knowing anyone. . .and blu was there to snuggle up on the couch and watch TV with me.  or all the times we went for walks, runs or hikes or explored new rivers or lakes together. . .just the two of us.  there were endless sunny days, playing frisbee in the park for hours. . .and several not so sunny days in Portland tromping through the mud and muck.  and of course there were all those nights, sleeping alone in new apartments in unfamiliar places when i felt safe knowing she was by my side and would at least sound tough should any intruders come around. 

when i met my husband, he was not a dog person.  he said he was, but all i had to do was introduce him to blu to know he was not.  oh, he was nice to her of course, but in that non-dog person kind of way when they just pat them on the head instead of getting in there for a good face licking or romp on the floor.  after touching her, he promptly went to wash his hands.  i was concerned we might have a problem.  but this all changed quickly.  i had to leave town for a few days and adam offered to watch blu. . .the true test.  i returned to a completely different scene. . .adam and blu spooning on the couch.  it hadn't taken him long to fall for those sweet brown eyes.  and now he's more of a sucker for the chocolates than i am! 

sweet, sweet blu. . .who ended up with me through destiny.  it still amazes me that she still chugs on.  but boy am i grateful! 

ol blu isn't getting around as well these days.  there are no more hikes or frisbee in the park.  we seldom go for walks and never further than just down the block.  she no longer jumps up on the bed looking for extra comfy spot to nap.  in fact the last few months have been a struggle.  she has a really tough time getting those back legs up under her enough to get up.  she's never liked being alone, so we frequently hear a signal bark when she's accidentally been left alone, ordering "please come get me".  to which we respond with a little lift around the waist and a little help getting steady until she can walk away unassisted.  i know it is not long until we must make the decision that her time has come.  and it is with that sad realization that i post in honor of my girl blu today. 

she's never been into getting her picture taken.  often when you try to snap a shot of her, she'll quickly look away from the camera in disgust.  but here are some of my favorite photos of her over the years.

cravings

well it's about time for an update.  last week was filled with appointments.  first we had the 12-week visit with our OB/GYN.  everything looked good there.  then we had the NT scan with the perinatal specialist.  not everyone goes through this line of testing, but my OB likes to send people like me there as a precaution since i'm of "advanced maternal age" and all.  (just love to say that because i find it so comical.) 

that was a pretty fun visit actually.  they use a super advanced 3D ultrasound and you get to see alot more detail than at the regular OB.  we saw just about every little bit and bauble of that baby. . .including arms, legs, hands, feet. . .even eyes and a nose.  from the initial reading, everything looked A-OK.  the baby's heartbeat is a solid 146 bpm.  we received a follow up phone call with the rest of the results from the lab today and those came back normal too.  so we feel relieved about that.  here's what she looks like (as of last thursday). . .she's laying on her back, head on the left and body to the right.  she's only about 3 inches long, but as you can see, she's pretty much already got all of her basic parts.  (and i keep referring to her as a she because the dr's initial guess is a girl!)

i continue to fight nausea, but it has definitely gotten better.  although i typically throw up a few times a day still, as my sister pointed out, it's acute and not pervasive.  uhhh. . .yea, what she said.  and i'm definitely having an easier time eating and have expanded my menu a little more beyond apple sauce, crackers and mashed potatoes.  sometimes food even tastes good again and i'm having little cravings here and there.  like tonight!  i pulled a craving right out of the archives. . .one of my favorite meals from my youth. . .good ol' Kraft macaroni and cheese with tater tots and fish sticks.  unfortunately, my husband wasn't as thrilled about my "home cooked" meal and high tailed right out of here to grab something else on the way to a meeting.  i didn't take it personally. . .too much.

daisy was thinking my dinner looked (and smelled) pretty good.  here is her "i'm not begging, but don't i look cute enough to give a bite" look.

for dessert. . .i'm thinking i'll have my new favorite treat. . .dove miniature ice cream bars.  if you haven't tried these, i highly recommend you do.  but be careful.  they are very addicting.  ask my husband who sneaks away to hide and eat several at a time without me knowing.  i wised up this last time and got two boxes: one for me and one for him.  that way he can't eat them all and leave me high and dry!

so that's the news for now.