Greetings! Just a quick post to let you know that we have gift registries available at the following locations:
Babies R Us
http://www.toysrus.com/ControllerServlet?target=viewDetails®istryNumber=99414006
JC Penny
http://www4.jcpenney.com/jcp/GR2_RegistryList_View.aspx?storeRegNo=00537531&CmCatId=21476|21675
Land of Nod
http://www.landofnod.com/gift-registry/guest/viewRegistry.aspx?grid=4344081
Target
http://www.target.com/registry/baby/1K18YEBZB0MVB
The baby's nursery will be robin egg blue, green, and pink with espresso colored furniture. We do not know what we're having so the pink will be minimal unless it comes out a girl.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Riding for a Cause
This past weekend, Max and I met up with my brother and his friends in Indy for the 2009 Miracle Ride, a motorcycle rally to benefit Riley Hospital for Children. Seeing that I am 21 weeks pregnant, I realize that hopping on the back of a motorcycle isn’t the wisest choice a mom-to-be can make. But a) it’s the one and only ride I’ll be taking all year long and b) it was for charity!
As if a pregnant chick on a bike isn’t funny enough, I had to wear my maternity capri pants because I don’t have any jeans that fit right now. A total no-no in Max’s biker rule book but I didn’t have a choice. Unfortunately, it was chilly that morning, like 60 degrees chilly, so Max made me wear his tall black sports socks with my capri pants. I was a sight to behold! They kept me warm for the ride down but I promptly took them off as soon as I could. Luckily, it was an absolutely beautiful day with warm sunshine and not a cloud in the sky. Perfect riding weather!
Thousands of bikers participated in this ride, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for Riley Children’s Hospital. Whether it is a group of hardcore bikers, or the quilters club of America, it is amazing to see that many people come together for one common cause. A good cause. A very worthy cause.
We were able to ride past Riley Hospital, the true highlight of the day. Several children and their families were waiting for us along the hospital sidewalks, thanking us for our support with waves, smiles, and posters. It was heartbreaking to know that they were sick, but was such a realization as to how much they needed our support. Thousands of bikers from all walks of life, from all areas of the surrounding states, pulled together to help these kids in need. What a moving experience!
Our ride continued on and we headed to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a lap around the track. I have no idea what our top speed was, and I probably don’t want to know, but it felt fast. It was a cool feeling to be on the opposite side of that fence, to see the rubber hit the track as the professionals do. And to see so many bikers in front of and behind us, enjoying the same experience.
Here is a slide show of pictures I took during the event:
So we had a great day with great weather, great company, all for a great cause! But there was one little thing that turned out not so great. That beautiful sun… We all applied our sun screen while waiting in the staging area before taking off, as we know how easily you can get burnt while riding. Except I forgot about the small portion of my legs that were exposed and I failed to apply protection to that area. (Never mind that I have paper white legs that haven’t seen a lick of sunshine yet this year.) By that evening I noticed that they were a little “pinkish”. The next morning I could hardly walk, and by the end of the day, my legs and ankles were swollen. For two days, my ankles were invisible, my toes looked like little sausages, and wearing heels to work quickly proved to be a very bad idea. Tylenol, cold wash cloths, and elevation have certainly helped and things are starting to look a little bit more normal now. Though Im sure to have a freaky tan for quite some time. Lesson learned? Check!
As if a pregnant chick on a bike isn’t funny enough, I had to wear my maternity capri pants because I don’t have any jeans that fit right now. A total no-no in Max’s biker rule book but I didn’t have a choice. Unfortunately, it was chilly that morning, like 60 degrees chilly, so Max made me wear his tall black sports socks with my capri pants. I was a sight to behold! They kept me warm for the ride down but I promptly took them off as soon as I could. Luckily, it was an absolutely beautiful day with warm sunshine and not a cloud in the sky. Perfect riding weather!
Thousands of bikers participated in this ride, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for Riley Children’s Hospital. Whether it is a group of hardcore bikers, or the quilters club of America, it is amazing to see that many people come together for one common cause. A good cause. A very worthy cause.
We were able to ride past Riley Hospital, the true highlight of the day. Several children and their families were waiting for us along the hospital sidewalks, thanking us for our support with waves, smiles, and posters. It was heartbreaking to know that they were sick, but was such a realization as to how much they needed our support. Thousands of bikers from all walks of life, from all areas of the surrounding states, pulled together to help these kids in need. What a moving experience!
Our ride continued on and we headed to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a lap around the track. I have no idea what our top speed was, and I probably don’t want to know, but it felt fast. It was a cool feeling to be on the opposite side of that fence, to see the rubber hit the track as the professionals do. And to see so many bikers in front of and behind us, enjoying the same experience.
Here is a slide show of pictures I took during the event:
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| Make a Smilebox slideshow |
So we had a great day with great weather, great company, all for a great cause! But there was one little thing that turned out not so great. That beautiful sun… We all applied our sun screen while waiting in the staging area before taking off, as we know how easily you can get burnt while riding. Except I forgot about the small portion of my legs that were exposed and I failed to apply protection to that area. (Never mind that I have paper white legs that haven’t seen a lick of sunshine yet this year.) By that evening I noticed that they were a little “pinkish”. The next morning I could hardly walk, and by the end of the day, my legs and ankles were swollen. For two days, my ankles were invisible, my toes looked like little sausages, and wearing heels to work quickly proved to be a very bad idea. Tylenol, cold wash cloths, and elevation have certainly helped and things are starting to look a little bit more normal now. Though Im sure to have a freaky tan for quite some time. Lesson learned? Check!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Week 20
What an exciting week of our pregnancy! Beginning around week 18 or so, I began to feel the baby’s movements. I first noticed the little flutters late at night when I was scrunched up at the computer. Apparently Baby needs its space! The next night, like clockwork, I felt it again. As the days progressed, the movement grew a little stronger and more frequent. I never knew when it was going to happen but I anxiously waited for it to tell me it was there. I would be in meetings at work and the flutters would come, making it hard to pay attention! I feel them more regularly now and they are most definitely stronger than before and more noticeable.
Friday was the onset of week 20 and we have already had several momentous occasions. I went shopping and bought my first maternity clothes! My goal was to make it to 20 weeks in my normal clothes and I did…barely. As I was in the fitting room another new mom-to-be was in the room next to me, excitably chatting away with her family about how big she was feeling, bla bla bla. The mother told her, “Get used to it, you have six more months to go!” I thought to myself, she’s only three months along and she’s buying maternity clothes? Wait a minute…Im five months and just now forcing myself into these things… Shortly after that a little toddler lifted the curtain to my fitting room and showed the store just exactly how big I really was at five glorious months!!
Monday night, as I lie in bed, exhausted from a busy holiday weekend, the baby starting moving. The movements were getting strong enough that I was pretty sure they could be felt from the outside of my belly too. I patiently waited and sure enough, it was strong enough to be felt by hand. I called Max in and he lay down, placed his hand on my belly, and waited. I couldn’t help but giggle and when I did, he jumped back, thinking that my belly laugh was the baby! We tried again, and Max was able to feel the baby kick for the first time. I think he was partly astonished, partly freaked out. He could only take a few kicks before resorting back to his cave.
Tuesday morning we had our scheduled ultrasound and check-up appointment. Our first ultrasound at around eight weeks or so, was pretty amazing as we were able to see the first sign of life and hear its thunderous heartbeat. I was excited for our 20 week ultrasound as I knew we should be able to see our first real glimpse of the baby. The instant she plopped that tool on my belly our baby’s image was right before us. Max later said that he couldn’t breathe when he first saw it…he just couldn’t believe it! We were both astonished with the detail that we were able to see, its brain, heart chambers, of course its little fingers and toes. The funniest thing of all was that the little booger’s legs were crossed and stretched clear up over its head! Within the first few moments of the ultrasound, the baby waved at us! It was plain as day, a little wave of the hand to say ‘hey, I’ll see you guys in a few months!’ It later rested its hand on its thigh, then moved it up to its forehead as if to say, ‘gosh, what a day!’ What a little ham!
We didn’t find out the sex of the baby, but it was oh so tempting. Very few things in life can be left as such a surprise, so we’re waiting. Or rather, I told Max we were waiting! But he swears that the technician referred to the baby with male pronouns and he saw…it’s “stuff”. I saw nothing of the sort. Later, with the doctor, she listened to the heart beat and exclaimed “I don’t know, it sounds like a girl…” I guess we’ll all just have to wait until October to see who was right.
Until then though, enjoy the pictures from our 20 week ultrasound.
Notice how Baby's legs reach up to its head!
Im not sure which way is up in this photo but Baby's legs are crossed.
Baby's legs are still up.
Baby's foot!
Baby's mouth is open. Nurse thought it was taking a drink.
So, we think that the baby's big head is from daddy and the chicken legs are from mommy! Poor kid!
Friday was the onset of week 20 and we have already had several momentous occasions. I went shopping and bought my first maternity clothes! My goal was to make it to 20 weeks in my normal clothes and I did…barely. As I was in the fitting room another new mom-to-be was in the room next to me, excitably chatting away with her family about how big she was feeling, bla bla bla. The mother told her, “Get used to it, you have six more months to go!” I thought to myself, she’s only three months along and she’s buying maternity clothes? Wait a minute…Im five months and just now forcing myself into these things… Shortly after that a little toddler lifted the curtain to my fitting room and showed the store just exactly how big I really was at five glorious months!!
Monday night, as I lie in bed, exhausted from a busy holiday weekend, the baby starting moving. The movements were getting strong enough that I was pretty sure they could be felt from the outside of my belly too. I patiently waited and sure enough, it was strong enough to be felt by hand. I called Max in and he lay down, placed his hand on my belly, and waited. I couldn’t help but giggle and when I did, he jumped back, thinking that my belly laugh was the baby! We tried again, and Max was able to feel the baby kick for the first time. I think he was partly astonished, partly freaked out. He could only take a few kicks before resorting back to his cave.
Tuesday morning we had our scheduled ultrasound and check-up appointment. Our first ultrasound at around eight weeks or so, was pretty amazing as we were able to see the first sign of life and hear its thunderous heartbeat. I was excited for our 20 week ultrasound as I knew we should be able to see our first real glimpse of the baby. The instant she plopped that tool on my belly our baby’s image was right before us. Max later said that he couldn’t breathe when he first saw it…he just couldn’t believe it! We were both astonished with the detail that we were able to see, its brain, heart chambers, of course its little fingers and toes. The funniest thing of all was that the little booger’s legs were crossed and stretched clear up over its head! Within the first few moments of the ultrasound, the baby waved at us! It was plain as day, a little wave of the hand to say ‘hey, I’ll see you guys in a few months!’ It later rested its hand on its thigh, then moved it up to its forehead as if to say, ‘gosh, what a day!’ What a little ham!
We didn’t find out the sex of the baby, but it was oh so tempting. Very few things in life can be left as such a surprise, so we’re waiting. Or rather, I told Max we were waiting! But he swears that the technician referred to the baby with male pronouns and he saw…it’s “stuff”. I saw nothing of the sort. Later, with the doctor, she listened to the heart beat and exclaimed “I don’t know, it sounds like a girl…” I guess we’ll all just have to wait until October to see who was right.
Until then though, enjoy the pictures from our 20 week ultrasound.
Notice how Baby's legs reach up to its head!
Im not sure which way is up in this photo but Baby's legs are crossed.
Baby's legs are still up.
Baby's foot!
Baby's mouth is open. Nurse thought it was taking a drink.
So, we think that the baby's big head is from daddy and the chicken legs are from mommy! Poor kid!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Just for kicks
I recall discussions with family and friends about having kids, getting prepared to have kids, when’s the best time to have kids, all sorts of ‘what if’ types of talks. And what I remember from those discussions is one main underlying point; you can never be fully prepared. Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of steps that we feel are appropriate to take prior to making such a big commitment, but the truth is, even after you have all those loose ends all tied up, you’re still not totally prepared.
It occurred to me yesterday, as in, really started to resonate, that we will now be responsible for another human being. Fully responsible…for the rest of our lives…there’s no turning back. We don’t get to feed it buckets of sugar and send it back home with its parents after a weekend at Chuck E Cheeses. We cant send it outside when we’re tired of hearing it whine like we do the pets. Well…we could, but that’s probably not a wise choice until its at least 5 years old… What Im getting at is although we waited until we were “ready” to start a family, and although we knew what we were getting into, nothing could really prepare us for the reality of it when it finally hits home.
Same goes for the whole pregnancy experience. Every day I look at my body, part in awe and part…what the heck happened there?! You just cant quite prepare yourself for what you don’t know is physically possible of happening. Prior to being pregnant, I didn’t know that you could feel the baby move at such an early stage. I always assumed it didn’t happen until later, when the baby was much more developed. At 18 weeks people are just now starting to notice that Im pregnant and yet, I felt its first kicks! Now that I know what it is, I anxiously wait for the little flutter that only I can feel at this point. All of the reading about feeling the baby move, all the ways that people have described it, didn’t really prepare me for what I was about to feel. The feeling of joy!
It occurred to me yesterday, as in, really started to resonate, that we will now be responsible for another human being. Fully responsible…for the rest of our lives…there’s no turning back. We don’t get to feed it buckets of sugar and send it back home with its parents after a weekend at Chuck E Cheeses. We cant send it outside when we’re tired of hearing it whine like we do the pets. Well…we could, but that’s probably not a wise choice until its at least 5 years old… What Im getting at is although we waited until we were “ready” to start a family, and although we knew what we were getting into, nothing could really prepare us for the reality of it when it finally hits home.
Same goes for the whole pregnancy experience. Every day I look at my body, part in awe and part…what the heck happened there?! You just cant quite prepare yourself for what you don’t know is physically possible of happening. Prior to being pregnant, I didn’t know that you could feel the baby move at such an early stage. I always assumed it didn’t happen until later, when the baby was much more developed. At 18 weeks people are just now starting to notice that Im pregnant and yet, I felt its first kicks! Now that I know what it is, I anxiously wait for the little flutter that only I can feel at this point. All of the reading about feeling the baby move, all the ways that people have described it, didn’t really prepare me for what I was about to feel. The feeling of joy!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Four-legged Fury Kids
To be honest, this baby isn’t our first child. We have pets, and yes, we consider them our kids too. Pets do that don’t they; they sneak into our hearts and become a part of the family before we realize what’s happened. We have Calli Cat and Mandy Girl, step-sisters if you will, and they live up to every bit of that stereotype. Over the past five or so years we’ve enjoyed watching them grow from kitteh and puppeh to “adults” (what adult eats underwear?!) and we’ve witnessed their efforts of learning to “like” each other.
Watching two different animals, each with its own master, grow with a bit of fondness for the other, has been… entertaining to say the least. But with a new baby on the way, a human baby, we wonder just what kind of response this will evoke from each of them. One, I predict, will care less and head out side where she can go back to hunting things. The other, will probably have a seizure. But over time, I'm sure they will adjust and make this new creature a part of their family just as we have done for them (and their many, many, MANY offspring). So when I watched this video I first thought it was simply cute. Upon watching it again, it struck a chord with me that the relationships with our pets really can be amazing (or pathetic). Why else do we cry when watching Where the Red Fern Grows or in modern times, Marley and Me? Enjoy the video, and then go hug your “kids”!
Watching two different animals, each with its own master, grow with a bit of fondness for the other, has been… entertaining to say the least. But with a new baby on the way, a human baby, we wonder just what kind of response this will evoke from each of them. One, I predict, will care less and head out side where she can go back to hunting things. The other, will probably have a seizure. But over time, I'm sure they will adjust and make this new creature a part of their family just as we have done for them (and their many, many, MANY offspring). So when I watched this video I first thought it was simply cute. Upon watching it again, it struck a chord with me that the relationships with our pets really can be amazing (or pathetic). Why else do we cry when watching Where the Red Fern Grows or in modern times, Marley and Me? Enjoy the video, and then go hug your “kids”!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Music to our ears
Tomorrow will be week 16. Some days it feels like its been a lot longer than that but just the other day I was looking back at development pictures and couldn’t believe how far we’ve come already! It seems like only yesterday that the baby was a little tadpole. Now it is about four inches long, has fingers and toes, and looks like a baby. It has been so exciting to watch the development!
Today I had a regular four week check-up. Though this was my third appointment it was our first time meeting the doctor. We really liked her which was a huge relief! And I liked her even more when she told me it was okay to eat deli meat and soft cheeses! There’s a lot of hype about how pregnant women shouldn’t eat deli meat, which was a huge disappointment because I love many types of deli sandwiches. In fact, early on I was eating Subway every other day because it sounded so darn good. Still does in fact, so I'm happy that I can feel good about eating it again.
All of my blood work came back with a clean bill of health and I don’t have anything in my history to be worried about. I'm a rather boring patient I'm sure. I was looking forward to being able to hear the baby’s heartbeat again, just for reassurance sake. As if my growing tummy hasn’t been proof enough but hey, it could have been due to some bad deli meat for all I knew! But the doctor picked up the baby’s heartbeat right away at a whopping 160 bpm. Ive only heard the heartbeat three times and each time it takes my breath away and catches me off guard. Some people enjoy the sound of the ocean, wind blowing in the trees, birds chirping. But I think my new favorite sound is that of my baby’s beating heart. I’ll try to remember that when it’s screaming at three in the morning for no apparent reason.
Today I had a regular four week check-up. Though this was my third appointment it was our first time meeting the doctor. We really liked her which was a huge relief! And I liked her even more when she told me it was okay to eat deli meat and soft cheeses! There’s a lot of hype about how pregnant women shouldn’t eat deli meat, which was a huge disappointment because I love many types of deli sandwiches. In fact, early on I was eating Subway every other day because it sounded so darn good. Still does in fact, so I'm happy that I can feel good about eating it again.
All of my blood work came back with a clean bill of health and I don’t have anything in my history to be worried about. I'm a rather boring patient I'm sure. I was looking forward to being able to hear the baby’s heartbeat again, just for reassurance sake. As if my growing tummy hasn’t been proof enough but hey, it could have been due to some bad deli meat for all I knew! But the doctor picked up the baby’s heartbeat right away at a whopping 160 bpm. Ive only heard the heartbeat three times and each time it takes my breath away and catches me off guard. Some people enjoy the sound of the ocean, wind blowing in the trees, birds chirping. But I think my new favorite sound is that of my baby’s beating heart. I’ll try to remember that when it’s screaming at three in the morning for no apparent reason.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
"How are you feeling?"
Though we were nervous, being able to share our pregnancy news with family, friends, and coworkers has been a joy and a relief. Keeping a secret for three months is difficult, especially when you throw in obstacles such as dinners with coworkers, holidays, the fact that you’ve lost your job and you’d really like to enjoy the world’s largest margarita but cant. Most everyone was pleasantly surprised to hear the news, especially those who apparently thought we would wait another five years! Though everyone’s reaction has been a bit different, I am overwhelmingly surprised at the one common response from 99% of them…”how are you feeling?!” I feel fine…why, do I look bad? Omg, I do don’t I, I suddenly look pregnant and sick don’t I? So my face is broke out and my hair is more unruly than usual, but really, I feel fine.
I know that I am a fortunate one, of a select few who suffers very few ramifications of the first trimester of pregnancy. For that, I am truly thankful! So I realize that because there are so many women out there who have to endure various “things” associated with pregnancy, it is very common to ask how one is feeling during the course of their nine months. It’s only natural and I now find myself wondering, in retrospect, is that what I’ve said to expectant moms when I heard their news? Probably.
I had a lunch meeting today to which the salesperson said to me upon finding out I was expecting, “Well, you sure don’t look it!” Thanks, I thought, for not asking how I was “feeling.” May it be no surprise that the salesperson was a man.
I know that I am a fortunate one, of a select few who suffers very few ramifications of the first trimester of pregnancy. For that, I am truly thankful! So I realize that because there are so many women out there who have to endure various “things” associated with pregnancy, it is very common to ask how one is feeling during the course of their nine months. It’s only natural and I now find myself wondering, in retrospect, is that what I’ve said to expectant moms when I heard their news? Probably.
I had a lunch meeting today to which the salesperson said to me upon finding out I was expecting, “Well, you sure don’t look it!” Thanks, I thought, for not asking how I was “feeling.” May it be no surprise that the salesperson was a man.
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