Amelia's Room's Progress

Baby steps are being taken. Very little ones.

Despite the fact that we have a little house, and we haven’t really been there that long, we have a lot of crap. To make room we have to sell stuff, which might be in item on my ‘To Do’ list for a (little) while…

After many, reminders from P, that were met with glares, sighs, excuses &/or growls… I finally got stuff posted on craigslist. Unfortunately, the only thing that sold was the one thing that didn’t matter if it sold. Figures. It is unreasonably hard to sell pretty much new furniture without losing a crap ton of money. It’s one thing if you have years of use out of it, it’s really lame when its mostly sat around catching dust and holding crap. Sigh.

Anyone want to buy an overpriced desk? Or nightstand?

We decided to begin moving the office anyway, so now Hubby’s computer has been relocated into the living room. Now, even though he is a head turn away from the ginormous TV, he still sits at his computer and watches HULU. Makes me giggle, silly boy. I also made him scoot the heavy overpriced desk that I used about a dozen times to the middle of the room so that I can at least get some painting done.

Thanks to Pinterest (hopefully this time it won’t come back to bite me in the butt, although I’m a little scared that I did…), I have what I want to do all picked out.

Rather than the blue & green, I’m replacing the shades of blue with purple. And instead of white, I’m keeping the former owners really pale green nursery color. All those stripes should be fun… I figure about 25% of the way done with taping and I’ll be ready to put my head through the wall. I don’t think my perfectionist tendencies are going to help me in this situation. I have my spacing figured out. Now to go ALL the way around the room & paint… and then tape some more… then paint some more…

The Plan...eep!

Volunteers are welcome. Just come prepared to deal with a perfectionist dragon lady J

Third Trimester Slow Down

First of all, I’d like to say it is not a myth. I had started to feel pretty good, I was back to doing yoga regularly, I didn't have to take a nap daily to function & my heartburn was few and far between. Unfortunately, my glorious reprieve came to a screeching halt.

I feel like I live in one of those 5-hour Energy commercials “Do you get the 3:30 feeling?” HECK YEAH, I DO! About that time every day I REALLY start to drag. Yawning, watery eyes, fuzzy brain. My productivity goes down the toilet.

I have come home, trying NOT to nap and just need to sit down a minute and take my shoes off. Next thing I know, I’ve got a kink in my neck and the clock has mysteriously jumped forward. Other days I just give up the fight & climb in bed, knowing even if I did try and accomplish anything I would just do a crap job anyway.

The falling asleep after work has really put a cramp in my yoga again too. Hard to get motivation to go or I wake up and it’s already started. Or I just forget… (I might do a lot of forgetting)

Luckily, while my heartburn is back, it is not caused by the food I eat. It happens when my stomach is empty. Doesn’t help with controlling my “Dragon Lady” as P like to call me when I’m hungry (or grumpy, or tired or annoyed…) In her best interest it’s only brought up after the Dragon has been appeased, which she normally does by keeping my candy stash very well stocked. 

The bump - Watch it grow!

20 Weeks

Amelia all dressed up for the party!

22 Weeks

Back from Vegas! 

23 Weeks

 


     Time to stop being a slacker & get back        to yoga!

24 Weeks

    More fruits & veggies... less cheese            puffs...

25 Weeks

26 Weeks

27 Weeks

28 Weeks

29 Weeks

What will it bee? The Big Reveal!

Yesterday was the day of the big reveal. Finally. The hours of waiting were coming to an end. P&S wouldn't have to worry about me being a brat (about not knowing) anymore. I would know. My friends & family would know. I was counting down the hours. 

B&K has flown in from Cali late the night before and have very conveniently for me, gotten in very close to the same time as Hubby (saving me from a midnight zombie drive to the airport). I promised B that I would wait until 8 to wake her up. At 8:15 I couldn't wait any longer. It was time for her to be awake!

She helped me and hubby clean while I stuffed random crap in the office a bedroom so that we could fill our little house with people. We were just finishing up when P arrived to finish with the decorating. Soon after S & her hubby D arrived to get food all ready. 

I helped P hang up decorations, occasionally stealing D away for his tallness. It didn't take long for the upstairs to smell delicious and look awesome. We decided the basement needed some love also. 

With decorations hung & food close behind, I went looking for real clothes (I don't think footy pajamas are appropriate clothing for a party). I was thinking about a dress that I had bought months before with the intention of a girls night on the town with P, but had never got to wear. Just my luck, it still fit with my bump & was just the right color for the party, even if I was planning on wearing a yellow bee. (Yellow was for girl, teal for boy. Since I dislike pink -  something I am going to have to get over). All dressed, B, as she has done many times in the past was tasked with making me pretty. In no time at all she had my hair curled and my make-up done. I was ready to party!

My amazing friends / party planners!

Our parents had already shown up at this point, and it was pointed out that we did a horrible job of coordinating with the ferry schedule. It was either show up an hour early or 15 minutes late. Oops. Note to self for next time. 

People started trickling in and S pointed out that we couldn't eat cupcakes (which were locked in the car so neither me or my F-in-Law could poke our fingers into them to find out early) until everyone had eaten. I started the parade of delicious food & drinks. It was so great to have so many family members there!

Finally as the food was winding down & the house was stuffed (so much for the basement decorations). We were all comfy & cozy upstairs or outside (thank you sunshine). S finally announced it was time for cupcakes!!!! I frantically tried to get my childhood BFF KP on skype as well as a few other people. We ended up giving up on multi-call video and putting a few people on speaker phone. Able to join in even from far away. :)

It was very hard to coordinate 20ish people to not eat their cupcakes before the "big reveal" but it worked out. 2 yellow cupcakes were found! Even though, apparently S accidentally slipped just before while explaining and said just a few feet away from me "There are two cupcakes with yellow frosting inside." The important part was neither Hubby and I or F-in-law heard.  

Congratulations went around, pictures were taken, fb posts were made, texts sent & smiles were abundant. It was a joyous frenzy! 

I couldn't stop smiling, despite the fact that my face hurt. I finally knew. The little wiggle worm is no longer an it. She is a she. 

She is my little Amelia Mae Woodward. 

Week 19 - What baby wants, baby gets.

19 Weeks with Ultrasound :)

Tuesday I had my appointment with Dr. O following my Ultrasound. This was the first time that I went to the doctor without a feeling of panic following me. It was pretty sweet!

I had seen my baby & been told that it was developing perfectly. 

Of course, this appointment involves lots of waiting, but I was able to sit and enjoy being there amongst other pregnant women in all stages.

Here are the stats:

The heartbeat was in the 150 range, and it was wiggling around so there were big woshes that interrupted the beats. 

I have gained my recommended 6 lbs thus far, and can expect to gain about a pound a week from here on out. Of course, making heathy food choices is very important. 

I am measuring in the 45th percentile. 

Peek - a - boo

My feet are definitely slowly disappearing, and putting on my shoes is becoming difficult. I'm  having to do the sideways foot on my knee rather than bending down. It makes the bows on my shoes crooked. It has been a really weird adjustment to get used to. 

You can barely see the really awesome green detail on my new shoes! ... well, I can't. 

And then. THE ARE ALL THE FOODS. 

When I have to go to the doctor, I have to drive past 2 Wendy's.  Every time I have to convince myself that I do not need it. This usually involves holding my breath and white knuckling the steering wheel. 

On the way home Tuesday, I was really close to stopping. It would be an early diner, but Sean was out of town... but I had left over stuffing from the stuffed peppers that P and I had made (an late homage to week 18's veggie of the week) and we had had used the extra to make meatballs. All I needed was some sauce and I had a easy diner...sigh. 

After passing Wendy's I started to dream of McDonald's french fries... and It was right next to Thriftway...I could get my sauce and have spaghetti & meatballs for lunch...

But P reminded me that French fries do not make diner... Although S thought it sounded like a plan. She pointed out that P has not been pregnant before & doesnt understand. I should have listened to her. MMMMmmmmmm

After picking my sauce, I might have somehow ended up in the candy aisle...which is also home to the chips. After a quick perusal of the fruity candy options, I turned around and saw something that made me instantly drool. Puffy Cheetos [Insert Homer drool here] - despite the fact that I have always, well, up until this point, found crunchy Cheetos to be far superior. 

I didn't even make it to the car before the bag was open. And I might have sat in my car and Nom-ed on them for a good 5 minutes before going anywhere...And I might have ended up having spaghetti for lunch the next day... It was worth it. 

This has not been my only 'successful' shopping trip. When I went to the grocery store with P to get more party things I might have put some of my own things in the basket. 

First it was the kiwis... mmmmm. I haven't had it in a long time, and it's just so delicious. And healthy. 

Then it was the Red Vines... and the Twizzlers  I had an experiment to conduct! AND they were both on sale. 

Next came the Cheetos Puffs. Two bags. They are 2/$4. And Hubby was coming home. What if he ate them?

Then the were the bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs. Totally necessary. K is coming into town, and there is history side trips to purchase & nom on them. 

The piece to resistance was the Peanut Butter Panda Puff cereal. There was no way I was not leaving the store without then. I didn't care if the were $3 for a little box & glueten free & wheat free & probably tastes like cardboard. It would all be worth it for the look on Hubbies panda obsessed face. 

Not long after the Panda cereal addition, P looks in the shopping basket & notices all of my additions. Looks at me. Looks at the basket. Looks at me and says "You realize that your groceries consist of Red Vines, Twizzlers, Chocolate Eggs, 2 bags of cheese puffs, Panda Cereal & kiwis. Right?"

I couldn't help but smile and laugh. Loudly. Enough to turn heads. But i don't care. They were all necessary. Plus, they weren't hunger purchases. We had just finished lunch. :)

Thursday, on my drive to work I was very aware of the 2 sets of golden arches I passed by... and the delicious prospect of a sausage McGriddle & deep fried hashbrowns. I spent the morning completely unable to focus because it became all I could think about.

It was decided that I P would stay over & we would carpool & have McDonalds  as a birthday breakfast. I was sold.

In the morning while I was waiting for zombie P to turn into a real person I was sorting though the mail when fate gave met the reassurance that I was destined to have McDonalds for my B-day breakfast. 

I was amazing. I had the happiest mouth ever. My stomach did not agree. Tums might have been required, but it was still worth it. :)

The size of my lunch box has increased, as well as the amount of food that goes in it. Bringing a variety of snacks has always been common, although by the time lunch rolls around I typically only pick and choose from what I brought. Typically now, my lunch box is either empty or close to it. 

Each day I bring:

A Mason Jar of OJ (which is purchased at Costco)

2 breakfasts - Typically a bagel & cream cheese (varieties change weekly) & either fruit leather or currently cereal... which means an extra mason jar with milk. 

Lunch - Includes a decent sized main course and at least one snack. I have been making sure that there are leftovers when we cook & typically have a variety of fruits thrown together. 

Calcium fortified Emergen-C - Tastes like gross kool-aid, but I'm I want to make sure I'm getting enough calcium  and since milk and I are no longer friends anymore... gotta get it somewhere. 

Afternoon snack - I typically pack 2-3 fruit leathers for the day. For whenever I get a little bit hungry or need something sweet. They aren't jelly beans or skittles, but they are acceptable. 

Waiting & Scheming

Waiting sucks. Really really sucks. It would be one thing if no one knew... but knowing that someone knows & me not being on the list is not awesome. 

Despite the fact that it was Hubby's fault that we had to wait longer, it was a good thing he was thousands of miles & a 3 hour time difference away. I think that if we had to wait together, we would have driven each other crazy with our guessing. Instead, I got to work on driving P insane. I kind of behaved myself... I could have been worse. MUCH worse. 

P&S were very diligent about keeping their secret. I knew up front that P was never going to be an easy nut to crack BUT S had possibilities. I might have be able to get it out of S... If I had face to face time... I came close to convincing myself after my dr appt on Tuesday to just show up on her doorstep. Lucky for her, I had the dogs stuck at home waiting for me & lots of traffic between me and the wilderness and I might not do traffic well...

I figured I had one chance with P and I blew it too early via text message. I figured my best and only chance would be to bring up the name war & see if there were any twinkles... A very innocent mention of Amelia Mae or Elijah...but there are no twinkles visible on my phone & now she was prepared. Darn my impatience!!!

I did get something out of them. P was planning on going out to S's house in the wilderness, but T came down with the plague, so they had to divvy up the tasks. S was responsible for the reveal & P for decorations & such. After much convincing, P agreed to let me help with making the bee's that would be used for guests to cast their votes (but only because S told her that it was not a question of can... I should be helping). 

Our adventure started with the gathering of supplies & decorations (she convinced me that we only needed one confetti -yellow bees won over teal 'baby love's- & I convinced her that we needed both ceiling hanging decorations...). Supplies in hand, we got to work. Both being perfectionists, it took us a long time to get started. Lots of tests & experiments then refining...before production could even begin.

During this whole thing I kept hearing *do-doop* *do-doop* often times followed by a smile & laugh. After lots of sighing and looks on my part I had to take matters into my own hands... They were killing me!!  

Group Message: S&P

K: Your killin me smalleses!!

S responds to P only: Ugh! I feel so guilty. (Which P relays)

K: You should feel guilty! No talking your way out of that one girls...

S: I do (crying face)

K: Good

After this, P&S have a side conversation debating on what they can show me... going back and forth about what & how & who. It is finally decided that they are going to tell me about the reveal, I get to see a picture of the reveal cupcakes, but S gets to send it to me. 

It wasn't the gender... but it was something. 

That night I dreamt of cupcakes, and woke up with the overwhelming feeling of girl... and hunger. 

I was not the only one out there fishing for information. My F-in-Law, D, was convinced that he could get it out of P. I knew that it was a battle he would lose, but it would definitely provide good entertainment. 

His attempts included:

Monday - Sending her manager to her to relay the message that "D says that you have something very important to tell him."

Tuesday - Post-it note from D: I was here. I will be back. You have information.

Response post-it from P: 5 more days. You have to wait just like everyone else. I will not cave.

D: Challenge Accepted.

Wednesday: Reprieve

Thursday - P goes in for the kill...

D: Have you come to to confess?

P walks past into his office, writes on the board "I know something you don't know"

D: Now you're just being mean.

P: You can thank Krissy for that, she told me I don't have to be nice to you.

D: Ya. She's right. I'm convinced that you don't really know, I think you have a sealed envelope & your just pretending to know. 

P: If that's what you think to make yourself to feel better. You tell yourself that. 

D: I'm great at keeping secrets.

P: No your not.

D: How do you know. You should try it. Right now.

P: I have it on good authority that if you know everyone will know.

Friday - 6:30 AM: Email from D's OA, N.

Subject: Just an idea...

It wouldn't be such a bad thing if he was having a granddaughter or grandson just one day early.

The suspense is killing him.

N.

Later an IM Conversation follows...

D: I sense, that you feel the need to share.

P: Sure, let me about my day. First I woke up, then I got ready for work, then I came here and started working on drawings...

D: What color is the frosting on the cupcakes?

P: I don't know you'll have to wait and see.

D: Ah-Ha! So there are cupcakes! 

P: That was not a secret. 

Scheming Fail. Boo. 

Perfectly, Perfect

Pretty much every time I go to the doctor, I freak out a little before hand. It is hard not to after a disastrous first trip. So far with this pregnancy I haven't really had anything to worry about, but that has done nothing to stop me. 

My first 8 week ultrasound went perfectly, measuring right on schedule. The second, at 16 weeks I was extra freaking out. I had finally given up on my fear of taking baths, but after the second dip I couldn't hear it... Luckily for my sanity, my appointment was the next day, and I would get to hear the baby's heartbeat. Despite my fears, there it was steady and strong. Nothing to really fear, besides being a paranoid mommy-to-be. Yesterday was my anatomy ultrasound at 18 weeks 6 days.

P was coming along with the Hubby & I to collect the secret record of the gender (grumble, grumble, grumble). Having the two of them in the car, at least outwardly calm, really helped me out. Our common place banter, and random hilarious topics made for much better state of mind. 

We got there early - one of the topics in the car- (and got a primo parking spot too). We headed upstairs to check in. P kept me perfectly distracted while we waited (threatening not to return my awesome red plaid skinny jeans she is keeping from being lonely for the coming months. Lucky for her we are the same size person... ). Since Hubby had a work trip rescheduled  we were only having the ultrasound. I would be coming back the next week for to meet with Dr. O, which is what always takes forever. It also means we have to wait over a week instead of 3 days to find out what it is... (grumble, grumble, grumble)

We got shuffled into the room, and this time it was the ultrasound you always see on TV, except the gel wasn't cold... it was very warm! I have to hand it to the ultrasound tech's out there. I couldn't really tell one grey blob from another, with the exception of the obvious ones. She worked her way around, checking and measuring. Pointing out what each oddly shaped grey blob. 

We saw the top of the skull & its developing brain. 

We saw its face, well the front of the skull.

Arms (one thrown over it's head like it's cool). 

Of course we saw the profile... With its GIANT head & little nose.

She zoomed in and checked out its little beating heart from all angles. 

The kidneys were shown. 

Its legs & arms were measured. 

Little feet. Little wiggly feet!

She checked out its spine.

And then she was doing some peeking... I most definitely saw a butt... but I'm not an expert at these things to know more than that unfortunately!

Everything was perfect. :) Measuring perfect, developing perfect. :) :) :)

The whole time she was pushing a prodding my bump working the angles and chasing around the wiggle worm. It's crazy to know its moving all over in there... but I don't know if I'm feeling it.

There are times when I lay there focusing on my belly for odd sensations. But mostly all that does is make my heart beat all the more obvious... every once and a while I'll feel something weird. But I don't know. It's not always the same weird, so I can't tell. 

I'm sure if it stays as wiggly later as it is now and is playing soccer with my bladder, I'll wish to go back to the time when I could lay there and wonder about each sensation. 

Or maybe not.