Pregnant Women Galore

Jeramy and I went on a tour of our hospital's birth center on Sunday. I don't think I've ever seen so many pregnant women in one place ever...not even at Target which is always dangerous pregnant when you are down on your luck in the conception department. I almost felt uncomfortable as I stared at all of these very large bellies, especially considering that mine really paled in comparison to theirs. Anyhow, the tour was quick, and all of the facilities were very nice. As we stood around one of the patient suites with the nurse describing the various features, I was very close to tearing up. To think that in a matter of months I might be occupying such a room giving birth to Spot is almost unbelievable. But luckily I maintained my composure. I mean what would all of these other women think if somebody burst into tears in the middle of a simple tour?

After feeling rather calm for quite some time, I've found myself becoming increasingly nervous over the past week. I'm not sure why exactly. I think it started with some cramping I had, which more than likely was constipation related. It has subsided, but now I find myself anxious because I haven't felt Spot moving yet. I know that at 18 weeks that is perfectly normal. But unfortunately logic does not seem to be winning any the arguments I've had with myself lately. I'm trying to stay busy but this approach has had varying success.

Here is the latest belly pic. I don't think that I look any bigger than I did two weeks ago (crap...that triggers the worrying again...ack!)

Halfway through the Weekend

I can't believe I haven't blogged all week. I wish I could say it has been because I'm oh so busy. But that is hardly the case. Rather I haven't had anything thought provoking or interesting to write about...but of course that has never stopped me from blogging before. Even now all I really have for you are pictures.

First, as promised, here is my first finished object for Spot:

Pattern: Tiramisu Blanket
Designer: Alicia Paulson
Yarn: Blue Sky Organic Cotton in Brown
Ravelry Link

I still haven't been able to get a photo of this blanket that does the color justice. It is a really rich chocolate brown but the picture above makes it look washed out. I still need to add a ribbon that will go around the edge just before the scalloping. If it's a boy I'm thinking of a turquoise blue and if it's a girl I'm thinking of a deep pink. After I add that, I'll post it again and maybe I'll finally get a good picture of the color. I really need photography lessons, I guess!

If you recall some of my posts from the fall, maybe you'll remember me lamenting about gardening and my lack of a green thumb. Well the daffodils and tulips I planted are in bloom and looking quite lovely. (But please ignore all of my hubby's junk in the background).

17 Weeks

I find the reality that I am 17 weeks pregnant shocking. I mean that's like actually pregnant. We're talking baby bump and maternity clothes pregnant. Well into the second trimester pregnant. Listening to the heartbeat pregnant. The big ultrasound looming ahead pregnant. And I'm finding it amazing, especially given that there were several times in the fall when I wondered if I'd ever know what it was like to be pregnant.

Over the weekend, I actually went into a maternity store to buy maternity clothes for *gasp* me. Honestly I felt like a bit of an imposter as I looked around at all the women with much larger bellies than me. But over the past week the Bella Band was getting increasingly annoying as it rides up in back, and while my work slacks will hold out for another week buttoning my jeans is simply not an option. So I bought a new pair of jeans and a few shirts. And after buying some maternity clothes I almost wish I was pregnant all the time. I mean why don't all jeans come with an elastic waist band??? And unlike those hideous elastic waisted, tapered-legged things my mom used to wear when pregnant, these actually look stylish too. Plus my pear shaped body is naturally designed for an empire waist, so I welcome the excuse to make such a style the basis for my entire wardrobe.

Also this weekend, I finished crocheting the brown baby blanket. I need to weave in the ends, and then I'll post a pic. The only last thing to finish is adding a ribbon, which hopefully we'll do after the big ultrasound on May 15th. That's less than a month away!

Is Your Baby out Yet?

This question was posed to me by the five year old next door the other day. I had to chuckle...

Deadliest Catch

The highlight of my evening last night was watching season premiere of Deadliest Catch. I know. I live an exciting life indeed. Although I haven't watched this show religiously, I do find it fascinating. I mean who are these crazy people who actually want to make a living by forgoing sleep for hard labor aboard a small ship in the freezing Bering Sea? Why does the Captain make the most money when he spends most of his time taking it easy in comfort and warmth at the helm of the boat? Since these are often family businesses, how does one survive in such a confined space with family members for an extended period of time? And what is with all of these superstitions anyway? As one who enjoys fishing I understand this concept (e.g. don't drink the first beer until you've landed the first fish). But refusing to drop crab pots for hours because nobody can find you a cup 'o' noodles...what gives?!?!

I haven't quite figured out how folks come up with ideas for these reality type shows anyhow. I mean were a bunch of executives sitting around a table one day when one piped up saying "Crabs! We've got to do a show about Crabbing! It'll be the next big thing!". I asked Jeramy about this, and he told me that a new show called Ax Men is coming out about loggers. Huh? I mean what exactly is exciting about logging? But despite my overwhelmingly exciting social calendar I'll probably watch it. So I'll let you know.

After Deadliest Catch, my friend Jenny came over to watch American Idol. Well mostly we chat while listening to and critiquing the occasional performance. (Usually I just agree with Simon). She had first ultrasound photos to show me as she is also pregnant and due a month after me. Besides sharing a first name, we are pretty similar in that we went to school together since seventh grade and have been married to our high school sweethearts for nearly a decade. So needless to say, it's pretty exciting to be pregnant with our first babies together at the same time. I'm envisioning so many good times raising families together in the future. It almost makes me glad it took an extra year for me to get pregnant...almost...

This, That and the Other

I lack a theme for today's post, hence the title. I'll try not to ramble too much...

We got our one warm day of the spring on Saturday. It was beautiful but kind of crazy at the same time. Friday it was in the 50's, Saturday it hit 79, and then Sunday it was back to the 50's. But I managed to take full advantage of the day by doing some much needed yard work. I trimmed the grape vine for the first time in a couple of years, mowed the lawn both front and back, and weeded the flower bed out front. Jeramy helped here and there, but mostly he tried to rest up since he's been sick with yet another cold. I was feeling quite proud of myself by the time it was all done, despite the mild sunburn. My fair skin and the sunshine really do not mix without the intervention of sunscreen.

This morning I had my 16 week OB appointment. While the last four weeks haven't been all rainbows and sunshine, they did pass rather quickly. And while my nervousness about this pregnancy has decreased, it was very reassuring to hear that heartbeat again. Spot was a bit uncooperative though, and kept moving around on Dr. C. I'm sure this is only a sign of things to come. I really haven't gained much weight so far...just one pound since week 4. However, Dr. C has not said anything about it, and I should stay on the lower end of weight gain anyhow given my starting weight. I'm definitely eating, but I'm just being careful not to use pregnancy as an excuse to indulge too much. It is hard to believe that the big, gender-determining *fingers-crossed* appointment is exactly one month away.

On a completely different note, my husband has been annoying me with his proficiency at Jeopardy. Perhaps it seems strange that I would find this upsetting, but it is. Over the past 14 or so years, Jeramy and I have easily fallen into our roles. I've got the book smarts while Jeramy has the street smarts. In high school I was near the top in our class and somewhat of an overachiever. Jeramy did the minimum required and took extra classes to graduate early because he hated school. I'm a white collar worker with a graduate level education. Jeramy is blue collar and completed an apprenticeship as a Pipefitter. I like to read, write, knit, crochet, cross-stitch and enjoy the occasional intellectually stimulating conversation. Jeramy likes riding motorcycles, covering his arms in tattoos and prefers conversations that center around cars.

So I guess what upsets me and my competitive nature is that given all of this, I should be smarter than him. But apparently I'm not...at least in terms of how Jeopardy defines intelligence. Perhaps this is not really about intelligence though. I think we are both bright enough, but in very different ways. My theory is that Jeramy's smarts have two characteristics that lend themselves well to this TV game show:

1. He is quick to pick up on the hints hidden in clues

2. He has an uncanny ability to remember useless facts

So given this, Jeramy is the one who figures out that the TV show creature made to resemble Australian rabbits that breed incessantly are the Tribbles from Star Trek. He figures out that the fastest snake in Africa is the Black Mamba. He even takes a wild ass guess and proclaims that the Cleveland Indians have the largest wide-screen TV in baseball. It is just bizarre to listen to him spout off these answer after answer. I mean where does he come up with this stuff?

Well enough whining about how I fail to measure up to my husband for today.

Well if you insist...

Here is the belly shot at 15w5d...

A Belly

Having a belly is nothing new to me. My weight has fluctuated quite a bit over the past several years, but I've certainly never fallen into the category of skinny. Although I'm pear shaped and carry most of my weight in my hips and thighs, I could not have called my belly flat and still kept a straight face. So I've been curious...anxious really...to see when I'd begin to start showing. I should have been taking pictures, but silly or not, I've sort of steered clear of documenting my starting belly size with anything permanent. So instead I've relied on constant profile checks in the mirror and self assessments where I wondered whether my belly was always that big or whether it was any bigger. I've also relied on the occasional belly rub or tap to ascertain whether my belly is still as flabby as usual or whether there is any increased firmness. Despite all this, the only firm conclusion I've reached is that I stand a fair chance of looking like an Oompa Loompa while pregnant.

But then yesterday I was chatting with my next door neighbor the first time in a couple weeks. She said something about me starting to show. Let's just say I was over the moon.

A Few Very Special Things

First of all, thank you all so very much for your comments after I posted about Momo's passing. I was both surprised and comforted by such a wonderful outpouring of support. I greatly appreciated it.

I've been home for a little over 24 hours and am happy to report that I'm a lot less grumpy than I was during the slightly longer than expected layover in Denver. We were able to get a flight out a few hours earlier than expected, because the folks at the ticketing counter figured out how to get around that computer glitch so that we could fly standby. I definitely savored those three extra hours at home last night. (And yeah, Uncle Barry, sometimes little league baseball jamborees in the cold Seattle rain can be advantageous when they get you home a day earlier and avoid a weather related flight fiasco.)

Our trip to Alabama was as good as such a trip could be. It was sad yet healing at the same time to be in their house surrounded by so many memories of her. I realize that everybody thinks their grandmother is the picture of angelic perfection. But I kid you not when I say that she really was one of the most wonderful and sweetest women that ever lived.

One of the things that I was reminded of during the trip was just how excited she was about Spot's impending arrival. Over the last couple of months as her health deteriorated even further, I think the thought of her first great-grandchild was one of the things that kept her smiling. And while this baby will never get to meet their Momo, she still managed to leave them with some memories of her.

She had set this quilt aside for me and was planning to give it to me when I was supposed to visit in late April. She had made it for me when I was a baby. I would like to point out the prevalence of brown in this quilt. So much for the little old lady at the knitting store who was shocked by my choice of brown for a baby blanket. (Okay so it was made in the late 70's when brown was popular...but no need to tell that little old lady that, right?)

As I mentioned she had begun crocheting sweaters, just as soon as the words "I'm pregnant" slipped out of my mouth. Jaime and I found them quickly after our arrival, as the works in progress sat next to the chair where she liked to crochet and watch TV. I remember spending many happy hours sitting next to her there during vacations working on a variety of projects while watching Wheel of Fortune or the morning news.

The girl sweater is done, with just some ends to weave in and buttons to sew on.

She had not gotten quite as far on the boy sweater. But thankfully she had taught me to crochet the last time I visited, so I should be able to finish it for her.

After being away and suddenly out of the loop for a week, it was strange to be back into the regular routine of work today. Luckily it went quickly, as there was plenty for me to catch up on. It is also hard to believe that I'm 15 weeks along today. The update at Baby Center informed me that the nose bleeds and occasional stuffiness I've experienced over the past month or so are very likely pregnancy symptoms. Bizarre. But the website went into an explanation about increased blood flow and yada, yada, yada. So I guess its true. Besides everything, you read on the internet is true, right? I've also spent an inordinate amount of time lately looking at my profile in the mirror in an attempt to determine how much of this roundness is baby-related versus pre-existing. I asked Jeramy for his opinion this morning, and he leaned heavily towards pre-existing. Honesty is really his downfall, I tell you. In Alabama last week, D-daddy went with baby roundness...what a wonderful grandfather! But of course the last time he saw me I was several pounds lighter too.

Most of my nervousness has subsided. Well except for when I get some cramping and then completely unnecessary bathroom breaks to check for spotting ensue. But I digress. We've actually gotten brave enough to start working on Spot's room. Last weekend we installed new closet doors (and by we, I mean Jeramy). He also started organizing his office while I was away as part of the effort to consolidate all of his stuff into one place. The big ultrasound is in mid-May, and I'd like to have it in such a state as to allow us to start painting once gender is identified.

Even with the increased confidence, potential belly roundness and sinus issues, I must admit that it is still all so very surreal.

Stuck in Denver

I'm sure that Denver is a lovely place. It is just that I would rather have been home today. Apparently there is this little thing called wind shears that can prevent planes from landing in Denver. So we were diverted to Colorado Springs for a tour of their tarmac and more fuel. Then we got to Denver only to find out that our connection to Seattle left 7 minutes earlier. And we couldn't get on another flight for a full 24 hours. Oh and we couldn't try flying standby because the computer wouldn't let us since we were upgraded to "Economy Plus" in order to be confirmed on that flight. And did I mention that since its an act of "God" we don't receive anything in terms of food vouchers or hotel? Jaime and I are thoroughly bored and trying to figure out how to kill 3.5 hours between when we must check out of the hotel and when we need to get to the airport.

I'll write more on our trip to Alabama later this week. Right now, I simply couldn't do it justice given my current level of grumpiness and irritation.