Week 26 - Top Ten List: You know you’re pregnant when…

You know you’re pregnant when… 

1.  Your button flies off your spring jacket (Subway commercial style).  And bending over to pick it up almost doesn’t even seem worth the effort.
2. You realize after going to the bathroom for the 10^th time in 4 hours at work that you haven’t zipped your fly in 3 months – because maternity pants don’t HAVE flys (or have fake ones)!
3. Your biggest concern every morning is having enough food stashed in your desk or work fridge to last you through the day.
4. You find yourself coming out of a gas station at lunch with a roll of Tums, Hot Tamales, and a Pepsi Freeze, and think, one of these has GOT to either wake me up or soothe my heartburn, and I’m willing to take my chances!
5.  You cry watching almost every show on TV, including but not limited to: The Office (come on, Michael is leaving!), Bethanny Getting Married, Pregnant in Heels, the local news, and several commercials I won’t mention to save my dignity.
6. You start surveying your friends with kids – do YOU practice the 5 S’s?  (Swaddling, side/stomach positioning in parents' arms, shushing, swinging, and sucking)
7. EVERY time you hang out with anyone with kids it turns into a Morse Interview session and only ends when we’ve crossed the line into TMI-land, or when you are sufficiently terrified of what is to come.
8. You realize your 3-story office has not one elevator, but TWO!  And that you are now the #1 customer.
9. You have to do laundry religiously every week so that you can wear one of your five pairs of maternity pants.  (Because they are NOT fun to shop for!)
10. You are DYING for warmer weather so you can expand your wardrobe options to waist-free dresses and capris!

Blooms, babies and baseball!

Blooms

I just can't get enough of our brand new garden alongside the house!  We have almost all the flowers up now - lots of tulips!  Purple allium are going to be the last to bloom in the back closest to the house.  Don't worry, as soon as these wilt, our peonies on the opposite side will steal the show!  I love spring!

Babies

Saturday night we got to hang with our goddaughter Quinn for the evening!  Eric really got into reading her books and he even put her to bed. 

It just melted my heart to hear him practicing his lullabies over the baby monitor.  (BTW, he hums any words he doesn't know.)  :)

Baseball

And of course it was opening weekend for the Iowa Cubs, so we went to the Sunday 1:00 game, hoping for sunshine and a taste of warmer weather.  We went early enough we were among the first fans to get free t-shirts.  Here is Eric with his first brat and beer of the baseball season! 

We didn't make it to the bitter end - it started raining in the 9th inning and it was hovering at 50 degrees, so we made a run for it.  I think we got out at the right time - it went into 11 innings and our Cubbies lost.  Oh well, it was fun to go and I'd rather be cold at the game than hot and swollen! 

Week 24 - All about Eric

Eric is the star of this blog post, and you'll see why.  We are into week 4 of our pre-natal class, and our last class is coming up next week.  In a mood to bargain, I made a deal with Eric that since I watched a video of a live birth (that was not animated), something I REALLY was hoping I wouldn't have to do, he would put on the "empathy belly".  Now, let me preface this by saying that no other man in our class has volunteered to put this thing on.  But Eric, ever the good sport and lover of a happy audience, did willingly put on the empathy belly.  I believe they said it was 35 pounds, and they wedge this thing that looks like a sack of marbles inside so that it presses on the bladder.  He took it all in stride, and lapped up all the laughter and smiles.  He even wore it for close to 45 minutes, after which looking at him with boobs really started to bother me more than him!  What a guy.

Also we interviewed a pediatrician this week.  Eric's "dad's book" said that was something we should do, and he even prepared a typed up list of questions to ask.  I think the pediatrician was so impressed that she could have tried to run off with him (depite her 4 carat diamond ring).  And I think he probably wouldn't have put up too much of a fight with the amount of schmoozing and borderline flirting going on.  She was exotic and drop dead gorgeous, after all.  I asked him as we were walking out if he needed a moment alone with her, and he said oh, sure!  If he wasn't truly the best husband I could ask for, I may have just taken the car and left him behind!  :) 

Fun Saturday update!

As I sit in 80 degree weather just having finished an ice cream cone, I happen to be thinking life is GRAND.

My morning started with an impromptu visit to a church garage sale with LeAnn.  Not only that, everything was 50% off!  So I got a 6-12mo dress and sweater for baby Morse, and four books.  I've never been super into finding the hidden gems at garage sales, but I might be turning over a new leaf, because, folks, I found something that made me gasp when I saw it.  None other than our FAVORITE book growing up and one I had searched high and low for a few years ago.  There's a Mouse About the House!!  There it was, practically untouched, and ready for me to snatch it up!  I won't even mention that I think I got it for less than a buck!  I am still shocked I found it, and in such good condition!  My mom's version is getting slightly tattered, but those are the signs of good books.

 Next I came home and discovered our red tulips are in bloom!  HURRAY!! 

Then Eric and I went and picked out paint for the baby's room during the big Sherwin Williams sale.  It will be Sunbeam Yellow.  Here's the fabric that will be leading the theme (from the Bumble line at Babies R Us) and the paint swatch.

Now I'm going to grab a book and get some Vitamin D while it's nearly 80 degrees outside!  Yay for spring!

Week 23 - Registered and Registered!

Well it's been a busy week!  Monday we went over and got officially registered for Baby Morse's daycare.  The verdict?  Generation Next!  We are thrilled!!  We really got a sense that this was the right fit for us, between the staff and the activities, and the facility itself.  That and it comes highly recommended from my co-worker Melinda!  :)  Here is a small sampling of some of the things our daffodil will get to do as she gets older.  We are just thrilled to be sending her somewhere they provide creative and structured days!

Dr. Suess Birthday Party (The children watch the Movie Green Eggs and Ham, listen to Dr. Seuss stories throughout the day and eat green eggs and ham, green beans and green applesauce!),
Book Fair, Egg Hunt, Water Play, Donuts with Dads morning, Movie/Pajama day and making popcorn balls, Field Trip to Apex Athletics Center, Recycled Art, Bowling, and Guest from the Racoon River Nature Lodge!  Hey, sign ME up!

The other registration we got done this week was our baby registries at Target and Babies R Us!  Eric and I took a list of guidelines from Nikki and made a pretty good dent.  He was so proud we got over 60 items on our list only to find when we returned the scanner, we were the only people in their log who had done under 100 items.  So we may have a bit more ground to cover... but it's nice to have that one checked off!

We are also working on discussing our Birth Plan, which has sparked many interesting conversations!  I had another check-up today, where we heard that heart beating strong as ever and definitely could detect lots of movement!  And of course the list of to-do's rolls on... one funny thing we did today was get some wrist guards for my pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel.  You know it's bad when you're willing to wear THESE to bed at night!  I am just the object of attraction these days, let me tell you!!

After these 5 months of pain and numb hands, I'll do anything!  Today when I woke up it felt like my right wrist was broken!

We are really enjoying all the preparation, and learning lots in our classes  - stay tuned, I think I'm finally going to get Eric to put on the empathy belly before those classes end in a couple weeks!  :)