Sunday, January 31, 2010

names

We've been talking about names and have mostly agreed on names we don't like. Probably not that unusual. It's always easier to eliminate names rather than pick favorites.

Tonight we went through Ben's family tree to get a better idea of our family name options. I can say with certainty the baby will not be named Homer, Herbert, Wendell or Boyd. Yikes! Boy names are tough on Ben's side. I think we have more favorite girl names right now. Like I am going to tell you what they are!!

The tummy continues to grow, and we're super excited for our 20 wk check-up one week from tomorrow. I'll get a new belly pic up next week, too. Also on the must do list: get some maternity clothes!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

the waiting game

It feels like time is ticking by very slowly as we prepare for our 20 wk check-up. I'm anxious to see the doctor and get our sonogram!! What's going on in there?! And we are still leaning toward NOT finding out the sex...

I should be taking advantage of this time to start preparing for baby. But we haven't done a thing. We're starting to think about the nursery -- paint color, furniture, etc. It's mind-boggling! I remember when we started to plan our wedding and how nuts everything seemed at the time. All the stuff I thought we "needed" and how easy it was to get caught up in all the commercial craziness. We tried NOT to get too crazy with the wedding, and I am going to try the same approach with the baby. Don't get me wrong, I am super excited to plan, shop and decorate, but I also want to be practical and consider how much stuff our baby really needs.

We are definitely going to be on the lookout for gently used baby items (from furniture to clothes and everything in between) so keep us in mind for anything you are looking to sell or off-load.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

shopping

We were in Chicago for the weekend so I tried to take advantage of the opportunity to shop...
  • Nordstrom Rack: 2 pairs of shoes (I pray my feet don't grow!) and a super cute non-maternity dress I should be able to wear through spring
  • H&M: un-structured ruffle blouse (a size up from normal) and lots of accessories
  • Nordstrom: nothing! no maternity section (??) and since they rarely have sales, just wasn't worth it
  • Gap Maternity: a sweater and 2 t-shirts. Overall, I'm pretty disappointed in their selection--a lack of pants for work, dresses (2-3 styles maybe) and skirts (none!)
So far I think the best maternity section I've seen is at Target. Heidi Klum has two new lines coming out with A Pea in the Pod and Motherhood mid-Feb. so fingers crossed they have some good stuff.

Got a shopping tip? Suggestions are welcome!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

clothing, cravings, etc.

The good news is most of my clothes still fit. A few of my pants and skirts are snug, and I don't think I'll be able to button them much longer. The worst part is something fits one day and then I am scrambling to get dressed and out the door in the morning and surprise! things are bunching, gaping or bulging in odd spots. I have some maternity clothes on loan (thanks, Lynn!) and they are on standby. It'll probably only be a week or two until they are in rotation.

Food is going about as well as clothes at this point. Some things I used to love have gone on hiatus (red spaghetti sauce, salsa and cranberry juice to name a few -- something about red. It's weird). I am having some cravings, but nothing too unusual (except for the oranges which I previously hated). Cereal is a big fave right now.

We're still having fun telling friends and coworkers the news. Thank you, thank you for all the well-wishes. We've enjoyed your emails, calls and cards! I can't wait to tell the baby all about his/her extended family!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

bump watch - 17 weeks

I can still fit into my skinny jeans...for now!

After dinner (fried goodness: tenderloin and onion rings), I swear I could feel my skin expanding.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

baby dream

My mom asked me recently if I'd had any dreams about the baby yet. Nope. Then on Monday night, I DID! In my dream we had a boy. And we were calling him Pauly (like Pauly Shore - ew!). I have no idea why. I don't know anyone with that name, and I've never even thought about it as the baby's name! So weird.

Who else dreamed about their baby's sex? Did it turn out to be true or not? My mom dreamed she was having a boy (my brother). She also craved oranges when pregnant with him. As am I now. I've never even liked oranges! I could barely drink half a glass of OJ prior to pregnancy. Hmm...

bump watch - 14 weeks

Look closely -- there is a bump!

I couldn't button those last few--already gaping!

I'll get 17 week bump pics posted this weekend.

Monday, January 11, 2010

16 weeks

Big sigh of relief for my good check-up today. I was literally holding my breath as the doctor prepared to listen to the baby's heartbeat....and then there it was boom-boom-booming just like a drum corps! Incredible!! It was a little slower this time (143 bpm vs 163 bpm at our 12 wk appt).

The big ulstrasound is scheduled for the second week in Feb. I think we are leaning toward NOT finding out the sex...we'll see how we feel in four more weeks. We've been taking an informal poll among friends and lots of people are voting for us to wait...thoughts??

Sunday, January 10, 2010

2010: the year of great expectations

It's a new year and a time for new beginnings. Our family will grow by half this year: We're patiently awaiting the birth of baby Libert planned to debut in late June!

It's been a wild and completely surreal several weeks as we made our way through the first trimester. We found out the happy news on Halloween, and it was definitely a treat not a trick. I was in total denial. It was hard for me to believe in a sign on stick. Two days later morning sickness hit me like a ton of bricks and then I really started to think I was pregnant. The doctor confirmed it a few weeks later and the countdown to baby officially began.

Our 12 wk appt was pretty fantastic since we got to hear the baby's heartbeat (it was definitely real then!), and we're eagerly anticipating our 16 wk check-up tomorrow. Now we're in the fun stage of telling all our dear friends the happy news. And a baby bump is starting to appear!

I will post updates and photos here; probably not as much on Facebook, so check back for news.