Catchy new blog title? Cool password for a secret hideout?
As I coasted through the second trimester, I knew this was coming. The third trimester has arrived. Don't get me wrong, I still feel pretty good and I don't think I'm quite ready for it to be over. I've just been more comfortable in my life.
Just this past week I've started having trouble getting comfortable to sleep. Hmm, do I want to lay on my left side, or my right side? The boxing octopus at 3 am really doesn't help. I'm always happy to feel her moving, but mama needs some sleep! Then I had my first experience with acid reflux. I won't go into details, but it was nearly very traumatic. So now it's pretty much left side for sleeping. The ground is getting further and further away, which is unfortunate since I can't seem to hang on to anything. It's like bending over with a basketball in your lap, that kicks you.
Ok, enough complaining. Good things about the third trimester...good things...hmmm. Oh, people will do stuff for me. That's always nice. And my maternity pants fit now without the Bella Band (it's like a tube top for your belly, simply indispensible for the second trimester). My internal heater has started working, so I don't have to carry jackets everywhere (Note: this will soon make it to the complaint list).
Probably the most exciting thing is that I now have constant entertainment. If I'm bored, I can just watch BV! That would be BellyVision. I spent about 15 minutes on Thursday just watching my belly move. It's still just bumps right now, but she's pretty strong. She's surprised me a few times.
I'll have more updates as things progress. Until then, love and Octopus hugs!
April 26, 2009
April 10, 2009
Is that an elephant?
So, I've been getting some grief because I've been saying that I feel big. Everyone keeps pointing out that it's all downhill from here. I'm not saying I feel huge, just big. Bigger, to be exact. My feet are long gone from my sight and nearly from my reach. It's getting harder to get up, almost impossible from the floor. And I keep hitting myself in the belly with stuff, because I don't expect it to be there.
On the belly note, I have a story from a short time ago when I wasn't even this big. So the GC (gas chromatograph = big expensive analytical equipment) that I work with has a panel of buttons on the front of it. One day I'm writing data in my lab notebook and I hear beep beep-beep beep. "what the heck?!?" Then a little window pops up on the computer that "Settings have been changed." ....NOOOOO!!!
Everything was fine, but evidence that The Bug is already causing trouble. Perhaps a career in science? Engineering?
Happy Easter everyone!
On the belly note, I have a story from a short time ago when I wasn't even this big. So the GC (gas chromatograph = big expensive analytical equipment) that I work with has a panel of buttons on the front of it. One day I'm writing data in my lab notebook and I hear beep beep-beep beep. "what the heck?!?" Then a little window pops up on the computer that "Settings have been changed." ....NOOOOO!!!
Everything was fine, but evidence that The Bug is already causing trouble. Perhaps a career in science? Engineering?
Happy Easter everyone!
April 08, 2009
Progress!
Since we finally had a weekend with good weather, Doug was finally able to finish painting The Bug's room and install the dimmer. As promised, the "squares" are now colorful and framed in an ingenious manner, if I do say so myself. The contents of said "squares" is still TBD. What? I'm working on it, jeez. Still to come are a ceiling fan and a roller shade to make the room nice and dark for daytime sleepings. Pictures are below, with Dozer of course. He loves that room (notice his location directly in the center of the available sunbeam).
So, the room looks great, but it came with a small price. Doug scared the CRAP out of us both on Friday when he was cleaning up. I was laying down with a headache after an exhausting week at work when he comes back upstairs and says, "I got paint in my eye!" with a tone in his voice that made me leap up off of the bed. Now, I'm expecting it's a little drop and I figure it just stung which caused the distress. He's in the bathroom facing the mirror and then turns to me, and his ENTIRE EYE is covered in paint. It's IN his eye and it looks like a creepy horror movie, but lavender. I'm thinking he's going to be blind, but I know I need to get it out. I grabbed a bottle of saline, threw a towel over his shoulder and started squirting away. Of course Doug is one of those eye weenies who can't touch their eye or put in eye drops, so I'm trying to squirt the saline in the tiniest slit which is all I can get. He eventually had to stick his finger in his eye to get out the last goopy bit, but all of the paint came out. No pain, no blurred vision, his eye didn't even get red. Truly amazing, and incredibly lucky. Valspar paint, people. It's good stuff.
How did this occur, you ask? He was putting the lid back on the can and some paint in the lip shot directly into his eye. Not on his shirt, not anywhere else on his face. Just one blob directly to the eyeball. I can't get the image of his paint-covered eye out of my head, it just gives me the willies. I'm glad to know I can be calm and functional in at least a minor emergency. Who knows what would happen if it involved blood.
We're off to Western NC for the holiday weekend. I'll try to post again when we get back. I need to remember I can do short posts instead of going on and on once a month. I'll try.
Oh, yes. I promised pictures from VA. Not many were taken, of me anyway. But here is what I've got.
Parker, Finn, and I after a delightful lunch at the aforementioned Alejandro's (see Hormones, Cravings, and Moisturizers). Don't worry, it's not a real beer. Just a birthday card mocking the fact that I cannot partake.
See? Everyone loves a good beer, even babies.
So, the room looks great, but it came with a small price. Doug scared the CRAP out of us both on Friday when he was cleaning up. I was laying down with a headache after an exhausting week at work when he comes back upstairs and says, "I got paint in my eye!" with a tone in his voice that made me leap up off of the bed. Now, I'm expecting it's a little drop and I figure it just stung which caused the distress. He's in the bathroom facing the mirror and then turns to me, and his ENTIRE EYE is covered in paint. It's IN his eye and it looks like a creepy horror movie, but lavender. I'm thinking he's going to be blind, but I know I need to get it out. I grabbed a bottle of saline, threw a towel over his shoulder and started squirting away. Of course Doug is one of those eye weenies who can't touch their eye or put in eye drops, so I'm trying to squirt the saline in the tiniest slit which is all I can get. He eventually had to stick his finger in his eye to get out the last goopy bit, but all of the paint came out. No pain, no blurred vision, his eye didn't even get red. Truly amazing, and incredibly lucky. Valspar paint, people. It's good stuff.
How did this occur, you ask? He was putting the lid back on the can and some paint in the lip shot directly into his eye. Not on his shirt, not anywhere else on his face. Just one blob directly to the eyeball. I can't get the image of his paint-covered eye out of my head, it just gives me the willies. I'm glad to know I can be calm and functional in at least a minor emergency. Who knows what would happen if it involved blood.
We're off to Western NC for the holiday weekend. I'll try to post again when we get back. I need to remember I can do short posts instead of going on and on once a month. I'll try.
Oh, yes. I promised pictures from VA. Not many were taken, of me anyway. But here is what I've got.
Parker, Finn, and I after a delightful lunch at the aforementioned Alejandro's (see Hormones, Cravings, and Moisturizers). Don't worry, it's not a real beer. Just a birthday card mocking the fact that I cannot partake.
See? Everyone loves a good beer, even babies.
March 19, 2009
BIG Changes
Hello Dear Friends.
The past month has been a busy one. I've had my 30th birthday and it wasn't so bad. We had a small party where I got lots of cards making fun of my age, some pretty flowers and an Aero Garden. I guess it's not too incredibly exciting to party with a pregnant lady, but everybody seemed to enjoy eating and hanging out for a while. It was probably best that I was in bed by 12, anyway. That's pretty late for me!
The Bug is growing, and so am I. In fact, my belly has changed to the point where I felt the need to remove my piercing. It was sticking out like a turkey timer and driving me crazy. The bead was in so tight, Doug had to get two pairs of pliers and pull the ring apart to get it out. I trust him, but I think that was scarier than having my belly button pierced in the first place. So, it looks weird, but I am much more comfortable.
I have moved up to visiting the doctor every two weeks instead of every four. I've gained the appropriate amount of weight and I still don't feel like I am any heavier, though my feet have disappeared from my view and are getting ever harder to reach. Thank you, slip-on shoes! At the last visit, The Bug was dubbed "very active" by the doctor who could hardly listen to the heartbeat for all of the moving around she was doing. For those who have never experienced hearing a baby's heartbeat with a doppler, the baby moving is actually louder than the heartbeat. I think she may be sideways, because she sure likes to kick me in the left ovary if I squish her. And poke my bladder when it gets too full. It's got to be tough to be a claustrophobic fetus. 4 more months, Girlfriend.
Here are my five month belly pictures. First with big brother Dozer who is pretty good at posing for the camera.
Then a more sidelong view with big sister Kaleb who apparently couldn't stand the 20 second wait and collapsed from exhaustion. The room is only about 2/3 painted, so I promise the "squares" won't remain gray/beige.
Then we had some fun with the dogs.
"Can I lick it?"
"Oh, it's a camera. Cheeeeese!"
"What's going on?"
This weekend, Uncle Harry and I are off to VA to visit the Ress family (see their blog, linked here on mine). This will be my first time meeting Finn and I'm sure there will be some fun pictures to post when I get back.
Until then,
Love and Bug Hugs.
The past month has been a busy one. I've had my 30th birthday and it wasn't so bad. We had a small party where I got lots of cards making fun of my age, some pretty flowers and an Aero Garden. I guess it's not too incredibly exciting to party with a pregnant lady, but everybody seemed to enjoy eating and hanging out for a while. It was probably best that I was in bed by 12, anyway. That's pretty late for me!
The Bug is growing, and so am I. In fact, my belly has changed to the point where I felt the need to remove my piercing. It was sticking out like a turkey timer and driving me crazy. The bead was in so tight, Doug had to get two pairs of pliers and pull the ring apart to get it out. I trust him, but I think that was scarier than having my belly button pierced in the first place. So, it looks weird, but I am much more comfortable.
I have moved up to visiting the doctor every two weeks instead of every four. I've gained the appropriate amount of weight and I still don't feel like I am any heavier, though my feet have disappeared from my view and are getting ever harder to reach. Thank you, slip-on shoes! At the last visit, The Bug was dubbed "very active" by the doctor who could hardly listen to the heartbeat for all of the moving around she was doing. For those who have never experienced hearing a baby's heartbeat with a doppler, the baby moving is actually louder than the heartbeat. I think she may be sideways, because she sure likes to kick me in the left ovary if I squish her. And poke my bladder when it gets too full. It's got to be tough to be a claustrophobic fetus. 4 more months, Girlfriend.
Here are my five month belly pictures. First with big brother Dozer who is pretty good at posing for the camera.
Then a more sidelong view with big sister Kaleb who apparently couldn't stand the 20 second wait and collapsed from exhaustion. The room is only about 2/3 painted, so I promise the "squares" won't remain gray/beige.
Then we had some fun with the dogs."Can I lick it?"
"Oh, it's a camera. Cheeeeese!"
"What's going on?"
This weekend, Uncle Harry and I are off to VA to visit the Ress family (see their blog, linked here on mine). This will be my first time meeting Finn and I'm sure there will be some fun pictures to post when I get back.
Until then,
Love and Bug Hugs.
February 22, 2009
Fine Dining, Famous People, and Baby Jail
On February 19th Doug and I had our much talked about Valentine's/Anniversary/Birthday dinner and a show date. We ate at a restaurant we had never been to in Durham called Blu Seafood and Bar which I picked almost solely because they had pistachio crusted trout with roasted grapes. I have had a variation of only one other time at Doug and Keri Petersen's rehearsal dinner, though I think it was pecan crusted with grape salsa. Doug got the shrimp and grits and we were both very happy with our choices. This was taken before dinner and after the mediocre crab enchilada.
So, dinner was good, on to the show. Doug was super sweet and bought me VIP ticket to see No Reservations: An Evening with Anthony Bourdain at the Durham Performing Arts Center which is extremely nice. Tony was in a good mood and the talk was very entertaining, he even got a few laughs from Doug. It was only about an hour long and then 15 minutes for questions and on the the private book signing. This was where things got a little disappointing.
It was pretty much of an assembly line: write your name on this card so he can personalize, have the book open to the title page, he'll look up if you want a picture, etc. So, I finally get up there and the one time he does look up for Doug, some lady is all in the way. Then the people behind me had him writing this whole long inscription and I'm feeling more and more like a dork just standing there, so Doug just takes the picture and this is the impressive shot we got:
Seriously, we're like best friends. Notice the box of Pepto on the table, apparently a constant companion. As it also turns out, the instructions should have been, "write down what you want him to write." I wrote my name as instructed and this is what I got:
I still enjoyed the evening very much, but my attitude of not getting all excited about meeting famous people was reinforced. Specifically: don't expect too much.
We certainly have other things in our lives to be happy and excited about. Grandma and Grandpa Robert came to visit this weekend. We were at DSW shopping Saturday afternoon for shoes for my apparently already enlarging feet when I got a call that our crib was in at Babies 'R Us (BRU to those in the know). It was a whole 2 days earlier than the shortest lead time we were given! Not quite the baby furniture horror stories I read about online. We hijacked or neighbor with a truck and went out to Capitol. It was amazing how many people were in this crappy little shopping center. Chuck E. Cheese and BRU were packed. I can't say I've ever seen a line to get into a Chuck E. Cheese, but we sure saw it yesterday.
I must say I am extra happy with the timing because I didn't have to help put the crib together at all! Here are the boys in the early stages of assembly.
A little further along...
It's a crib! Or baby jail as I've heard it called. I know I'm wearing the same shirt as Thursday. It's on of the few long enough to contain both my boobs and my belly and still cover the belly panel of my new maternity jeans (thanks, Mom!) I came downstairs and Doug said the jeans made me look thinner. I laughed because I'm 4.5 months pregnant! I guess it's just that now I have an excuse to have a belly.
I then had to turn sideways because I didn't "look pregnant enough" in the straight on shot. I'm wondering what sort of growth I'm going to be experiencing here shortly. It doesn't seem like I could have a half-cooked baby in there. The matenity jeans are too big, but regular jeans don't work either. I think I had better enjoy this "small" time. I have the feeling it won't be too much longer.
And finally, big brother Dozer was supervising the whole process. He even helped by taking a trash bag up during the unpacking stages. (He's not really that helpful. I tied it around his neck and had Doug call him upstairs.) Here he is practicing threatening intruders with his laser eyes to protect The Bug from danger. Good job, Bubba! Though I'm not sure The Bug will appreciate her bodyguard gnawing on bones while she is trying to sleep. We'll have to find him a quieter hobby.
In Bug news, I am definitely starting to feel her moving around from the inside. The traction table at the chiropractor seems to inspire her to engage in baby aerobics. I guess soon we'll be able to feel it from the outside so Doug can join in the fun.
Until next time,
Love and Bug Hugs
So, dinner was good, on to the show. Doug was super sweet and bought me VIP ticket to see No Reservations: An Evening with Anthony Bourdain at the Durham Performing Arts Center which is extremely nice. Tony was in a good mood and the talk was very entertaining, he even got a few laughs from Doug. It was only about an hour long and then 15 minutes for questions and on the the private book signing. This was where things got a little disappointing.
It was pretty much of an assembly line: write your name on this card so he can personalize, have the book open to the title page, he'll look up if you want a picture, etc. So, I finally get up there and the one time he does look up for Doug, some lady is all in the way. Then the people behind me had him writing this whole long inscription and I'm feeling more and more like a dork just standing there, so Doug just takes the picture and this is the impressive shot we got:
Seriously, we're like best friends. Notice the box of Pepto on the table, apparently a constant companion. As it also turns out, the instructions should have been, "write down what you want him to write." I wrote my name as instructed and this is what I got:
I still enjoyed the evening very much, but my attitude of not getting all excited about meeting famous people was reinforced. Specifically: don't expect too much.
We certainly have other things in our lives to be happy and excited about. Grandma and Grandpa Robert came to visit this weekend. We were at DSW shopping Saturday afternoon for shoes for my apparently already enlarging feet when I got a call that our crib was in at Babies 'R Us (BRU to those in the know). It was a whole 2 days earlier than the shortest lead time we were given! Not quite the baby furniture horror stories I read about online. We hijacked or neighbor with a truck and went out to Capitol. It was amazing how many people were in this crappy little shopping center. Chuck E. Cheese and BRU were packed. I can't say I've ever seen a line to get into a Chuck E. Cheese, but we sure saw it yesterday.
I must say I am extra happy with the timing because I didn't have to help put the crib together at all! Here are the boys in the early stages of assembly.
A little further along...
It's a crib! Or baby jail as I've heard it called. I know I'm wearing the same shirt as Thursday. It's on of the few long enough to contain both my boobs and my belly and still cover the belly panel of my new maternity jeans (thanks, Mom!) I came downstairs and Doug said the jeans made me look thinner. I laughed because I'm 4.5 months pregnant! I guess it's just that now I have an excuse to have a belly.
I then had to turn sideways because I didn't "look pregnant enough" in the straight on shot. I'm wondering what sort of growth I'm going to be experiencing here shortly. It doesn't seem like I could have a half-cooked baby in there. The matenity jeans are too big, but regular jeans don't work either. I think I had better enjoy this "small" time. I have the feeling it won't be too much longer.
And finally, big brother Dozer was supervising the whole process. He even helped by taking a trash bag up during the unpacking stages. (He's not really that helpful. I tied it around his neck and had Doug call him upstairs.) Here he is practicing threatening intruders with his laser eyes to protect The Bug from danger. Good job, Bubba! Though I'm not sure The Bug will appreciate her bodyguard gnawing on bones while she is trying to sleep. We'll have to find him a quieter hobby.
In Bug news, I am definitely starting to feel her moving around from the inside. The traction table at the chiropractor seems to inspire her to engage in baby aerobics. I guess soon we'll be able to feel it from the outside so Doug can join in the fun.
Until next time,
Love and Bug Hugs
February 18, 2009
The Bug House at 4 Months
I don't like having pictures taken of me, but we have to document my growth as well as The Bug's. Here I am in the attic after Doug thoroughly beat me at pool. And Yahtzee. Dangit.
February 16, 2009
It's a girl!
Well folks, sorry it took some time to get this post up (Daddy was being slow on the scanner) but I finally hassled him enough. The technician seemed very sure and The Bugette (thanks Parker!) was not being shy. So to make sure we have plenty of things to embarrass her with later in life and because it occurs to me that this is the only time you can post a picture of your child's little bits on the internet without getting arrested, here is the telltale shot! The arrow is conveniently pointed at the area of interest.
Here is one from the side with a little profile action going. You can also see the spine and heart in this one and the top half of a leg with femur.
I'm going to post this last one even though it's a little creepy. It's her face, but we're seeing the bone structure so it's like a little skeleton baby. I turned it on it's side so you get the full effect. I think you see little hands on the right side and the bladder at the bottom. I'm sure that dot is just an artifact of the film, but it sure looks like an eye! (New info as of 2/17: I was looking online at other people's ultrasounds and I came across one almost exactly like the one below complete with the circle. So maybe is is her eye!)
All in all the exam went very well. She is on schedule for growth ( I don't know about me, I'm working on getting a belly picture up soon). All of the important parts were located: kidneys, bladder, brain, heart complete with four chambers and umbilical cord.
Send us your ideas for girl names! Until next time,
Love,
Christie, Doug, and The Bug
Here is one from the side with a little profile action going. You can also see the spine and heart in this one and the top half of a leg with femur.
I'm going to post this last one even though it's a little creepy. It's her face, but we're seeing the bone structure so it's like a little skeleton baby. I turned it on it's side so you get the full effect. I think you see little hands on the right side and the bladder at the bottom. I'm sure that dot is just an artifact of the film, but it sure looks like an eye! (New info as of 2/17: I was looking online at other people's ultrasounds and I came across one almost exactly like the one below complete with the circle. So maybe is is her eye!)
All in all the exam went very well. She is on schedule for growth ( I don't know about me, I'm working on getting a belly picture up soon). All of the important parts were located: kidneys, bladder, brain, heart complete with four chambers and umbilical cord.
Send us your ideas for girl names! Until next time,
Love,
Christie, Doug, and The Bug
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