I need to start playing the lottery

I know this is completely not baby related, but it's my blog and not everything is about my little plum.  Sometimes mommy just needs to vent  :)

While at the gym last night I had to deal with yet another annoying gym patron, and it really got me thinking.  If I had $1M I would totally open my own gym and not let the following people in.

1. The man who walks into the gym surrounded by a huge cloud of cologne.  Why do guys feel the need to bathe in that stuff before heading in for a workout?  And if he didn't just put it on and that is the remnants of what he put on earlier that day - well I feel sorry for the people that had to be around him all day.  Pungent cologne mixed with the hot sweaty atmosphere inside the gym adds up to a not pleasant workout experience for anyone.
2. The teeny-bopper who spends her entire "workout" (I use that term loosely) with a cell phone glued to her ear while talking and giggling loudly.  This person is especially annoying if she is taking up a treadmill and walking a 20 minute mile. Seriously? Go do that outside and leave the treadmill for someone who is actually going to break a sweat.
3. The chick who comes in with her hair all done, wearing dangly earrings, and has her ipod and water bottle perfectly coordinated to match her cute little outfit. Again, I can't take this person seriously as far as someone who is interested in working out. They are clearly at the gym to look cute for the meatheads that are pumping iron.
4. The dude who tries to look all important and is constantly talking on his phone so loudly that to drown him out I have to crank the volume on my ipod and risk permanent hearing damage.  Really dude?  If you were that important of a person you would probably make enough money to not have to come to this piddly little gym to get in your workout.  Nice try.
5. The grunters.  These are the guys that sound like they are in the middle of a pretty serious bowel movement while they are over there lifting weights.  I realize that sometimes a little noise is necessary, but if you really have to grunt that loud then maybe you should back off a few pounds on the weights before you pop something.  More often than not I think they are just trying to look like studs and draw the attention of patron #3.
6. The hoverers.  This is the gym patron who will stand there and stare at the people on the treadmills waiting for one of them to get off so they can use it. This patron is especially annoying if they then get on the treadmill and walk at a pace of less than 3 MPH.  If you are going to walk at a snails pace you might as well do it outside in the fresh air instead of having to breathe in the cologne fumes of dude #1.
7. The excessive sweaters who clearly can't read the sign that tells them to wipe down the equipment after use.  There is nothing more disgusting than going to use some equipment and finding it covered in a puddle of someone else's body fluids.  Those bottles of disinfectant and the towels are there for a reason - use them.
8. The karaoke singers.  I know lots of people listen to music while working out - myself included.  I don't have a problem with that.  It's when that person decides to start belting out that Madonna song that they are listening to that I start to have a problem.  I realize you are really into your tunes, but please spare the rest of us your tone deaf warbling.

Those are just a few of my pet peeves at the gym.  I would blame it on the hormones making me more moody and less patient, but in all honesty that's just me - hormones or no.  But until I hit the Powerball jackpot and have the funds to open my exclusive gym I'll just have to suck it up and workout with these people every day.  Fingers crossed that my hormones don't get the better of me and I don't start snapping everyone who annoys me with a towel.

Sometimes late is a good thing

The free bottle warmer that I scored from a friend

Among the majority of our friends J and I are kind of late to the game when it comes to this whole baby thing.  A lot of them have at least one kid with some having two or three.  Granted, I would have preferred to have gotten an earlier start, but it seems that being a bit of a slacker has it's benefits.  First off, I have lots of people to go to with questions and to compare things.  If you haven't already noticed, previously pregnant women love to share info. 

Secondly, there is the free loot.  This past Saturday I met up with my friend, Colleen, to hang out and grab lunch. They just moved into a new house and while going through stuff she put some baby stuff aside for me.  I scored a bottle warmer, a brand new wipes warmer (her daughter, Maddy, didn't fuss over cold wipes), and a fetal heart monitor. I was really hoping that I would be able to already hear baby's heartbeat with it, but the box says for use in the third trimester. Damn - I suck at being patient.  Plus she had a couple items of maternity clothes for me. Sweet - the less I have to buy the better!

That morning I also had an email from my oldest sister. She is mom to my two beautiful nieces and is definitely not planning on having any more kids.  She sent me the list of things that she has that I am welcome to if I want them, including:

• swing (this was my shower gift to her for the first baby)
• bouncer (good at about 4 months or when they can hold their head steady and want to stand)
• snuggli and hip hammock carriers (good for hands free closeness)
• boppy seat and tummy time mat (pink)
• bottle warmer (already have one, but it can't hurt in case one breaks)
• steam sterilizer
• head support for carseat for newborns
• Penguins onsies (great for the playoffs!)

I told her I'd take it all.  Obviously we will be getting our own big items (stroller, car seat, crib, etc), but I have no problem getting all these other little items secondhand.  It saves us money and it helps others clean out their houses. Win-win all around!

Now for this weeks check in:

How far along? 12w2d - baby is the size of a plum. Which reminds me, I really need to get to the grocery store to stock up on some more fruit.

Weight gain/loss: 3.7  lbs according to my scale this morning. My weight is really still fluctuating (must not have had as much salt yesterday). I'm happy I'm in the accepted range of weight gain for 1st tri.

Maternity Clothes: No - all clothes still fit just fine. I did buy some new bras, though.  And I scored some free maternity clothes from Colleen.

Symptoms: How I love thee, Miralax.  Cement bowel is under control.  I have very little in the way of symptoms at the moment - not that I'm complaining!

Gender: I am still leaning towards pink. J on the other hand seems to think we'll be team blue.  We'll see.

Sleep? Still sleeping great, but I can't stop yawning during the day. 

Best moment this week? Having the NT scan and getting to see baby for a good 30 mins up on the screen since s/he refused to cooperate so the tech could get the measurements. I could not stop staring the entire time.  It was also good that we finally got the measurements and everything looked good.  The other best part is how excited J is getting. I love catching him staring at the u/s pic on his iPhone - it makes me smile every time I see him looking at it and makes me love him that much more.

Movement: Well, we saw him/her move during the u/s, but I won't be able to feel it for a while still. I can't wait for that to start.

Food cravings/aversions: I've been craving sweets the past couple days. I still have never had an instance of I-want-this-and-I-need-it-now-or-I'll-die, though.  Still no aversions, but I haven't tried any smoothies lately, so I might still hate those.

Belly button in or out? In and feeling pretty normal.

What I miss? I still really miss the ability to crack a beer while watching my team play.  It was kind of nice this past Sunday, though. No one was drinking when we went out to watch the Steelers (me) and Cowboys (J) at Wild Wings, so I didn't feel left out.

What I am looking forward to? Starting to actually show and look/feel pregnant.  My symptoms have all but disappeared and that has me a little nervous.

Milestones: Having the NT scan, seeing and hearing baby's heartbeat (wonderful), and getting some great u/s pics and good news at least as far as the nasal bones go.

What I'm nervous about: The results of the bloodwork from the NT scan.  I know it's not a diagnosis and is really only a screening, but I really want to get good results. I'm also nervous that I am not feeling much right now and that makes me worry that something is going wrong.  I know I should be happy that I am having a relatively easy pregnancy thus far, but it's hard not to over analyze things.

Here's what things look like at 12 weeks.  Pretty much no change from my normal body:

Baby W is already not listening to mom and dad

Today was the NT scan and I have to admit that going into it I was a bit of a nervous wreck.  I was telling myself that everything would be fine, but of course in the back of my mind was that fear.  Mostly I just wanted to see the baby and the heartbeat to know that everything was ok.

On the way to the appointment I was chugging water like a champ. We got in there and I hopped up on the table. Kelsey (our tech) commented on my nice full bladder once she had squeezed the goo on my belly  and started looking around.  It took just a second and the image of Baby W popped up on the screen. She instantly commented on the heart beat and brought it up for us to hear. Music to my ears!  It measured at 164 bpm which she said was great.  Huge sigh of relief.

Then she started trying to get the important measurement, but baby was having nothing of it.  S/he was nice and curled up, arm behind the head, legs in the air, chin tucked in.  Every once in a while we got what looked like a little wave as if to say "Go away with that wand - I'm relaxing here!"

Kelsey had me kind of roll side to side to see if I could get baby to move.  Nope. So she dug around with the u/s wand, trying to get baby to shift and stretch out.  My full bladder was not thrilled. After about 10 minutes she had me go empty my bladder hoping that would stimulate baby to shift. While in the restroom I did a little jumping around in the hopes that it would wake baby up and get him/her moving.  Hopped back up on the table and the nurse was there to do the finger stick and get the blood drops. I was thinking "Great - all this sitting still is probably letting baby settle right back in for a snooze."  My calisthenics in the bathroom were wasted.

Once the blood part was done Kelsey spread some more u/s goo and started looking again. Yep - just as I thought - baby was back in position.  Kid - you really aren't making this easy!  We did get some good profile pictures and Kelsey said the nasal bone looked great, which is a good sign since Downs babies generally do not have good nasal bones.

Finally after about 30 minutes total of what looked like hiccuping and turning away from us the baby took pity on my (full again) bladder and decided to give us a little stretch. Kelsey was quick and caught it so she could do the measurements. 1.39 mm. I was stressing because someone on thebump said they want it below 1.3.  I was freaking out a bit for the rest of that part and while waiting to talk to the doctor.

My doctor happened to be across the street at the hospital delivering a baby so we met with another doc.  The first thing I asked about was the measurement and she she said they want it to be under 3 mm, not 1.3, so my 1.39 was just fine.  I so need to stop reading things online and freaking myself out!

So after chatting for a few more minutes were were on our way with some nice new pictures and an appointment for Oct 20th.  Now I just have to wait the 7-10 days for the results of the bloodwork and then I can (hopefully) rest a little easier.

Now for the fun part - some new pictures of Baby W

Showing the hb of 164 bpm

Waving to the camera

Nice profile pic with baby just chilling in there

Well hello there - where did you come from?

Ok, I have to admit that stepping on the scale this week has been tough.  As someone who has been very weight concious for most of my life and is terrified of weight gain I know it is going to be a struggle to watch the numbers creep up and not fall back into bad habits. But I won't do that. The health of this baby is too important and I won't let my vanity destroy it.

That being said, after a week of not working out due to being at the in-laws (and their love of all things fried) I expected a little jump in the numbers.  Unfortunately I was right.  But I think the biggest surprise has been where I think the weight has all appeared this week.  Right now it is sitting squarely in my bra.  I've always been a pretty busty gal - 32D on my 5' 7" frame.  Now I fear I am going to slowly creep  into porn star status. Or - horror of all horrors - resemble Heidi Montag (disclaimer: I am proud to report that I have never watched a single episode of 'The Hills', but it's hard to miss that fame whore and her barbie doll bits plastered all over the web).

I know J won't mind the extra fluff up top, but he isn't the one that has to lug these things around.  Last night's run at the gym had some added discomfort and I fear that soon I won't be able to run due to the added baggage up top.  I see a shopping trip in my near future for some heavy duty bras. Yeah - those don't sound sexy at all  :(

Anyway - here is this week's check in:

How far along? 11w2d - baby is the size of a lime. Of course I think of limes and I think of nice cold Coronas. I miss beer.

Weight gain/loss: 5 lbs according to my scale this morning. Ugh - that is not an easy number to swallow.  Damn you boobs!

Maternity Clothes: Nope - everything still fits fine. I have some Be Bands at the ready, but haven't had to use them yet.  I did buy some maternity tops from Old Navy (huge sale) but it'll be a while til I have the belly to fill those things out.

Symptoms: Ok, I jinxed myself last week when I said my bathroom issues were getting under control.  Cement bowel is back with a vengeance.  Also experiencing some big time breast tenderness.

Gender: I have no idea, but for some reason I am leaning towards pink.  My adorable niece has determined it's a girl, but I have a friend who thinks it's gonna be a boy.  We'll find out in about 8 weeks.

Sleep? Didn't sleep well at the in-laws,  but have been sleeping like a baby the past two nights to make up for it.  I've gotten up once a night to pee, but that's it.

Best moment this week? Told his parents and some friends up in Charlotte and it is so nice to be able to talk openly about it. Oh, and my 2 1/2 year old niece has decided that baby is a girl and has 'bought' baby some stuff (my sister bought it). I had a voicemail on my phone last night of Kayleigh trying to show me the rubber ducky and onsies that she got for us. I saved it on my phone - it was too cute to erase.

Movement: No – still have probably 6 - 8 weeks til that happens.

Food cravings/aversions: Still trying to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables.  I have a weakness for salt & vinegar chips and carbs are wonderful. No major food aversions.

Belly button in or out? In, and still kind of hard on top.

What I miss? Being able to join in celebrations. I was in my friend's wedding this past weekend and everyone went out on the town afterwards to continue the party.  I was so tired (and can't drink) that we headed home. Granted, it was midnight so it's not like we bailed at 9:00, but still, I feel like I missed out on celebrating with her.

What I am looking forward to? This Thursday's NT scan. I can't wait to see the little lime again and I am looking forward to finding out that everything is ok so I have some peace of mind.

Milestones: Nothing major this past week.  I guess I made it to 11 weeks, so that's something.

What I'm nervous about: That the NT scan will show something that we don't want to see.  I'm gonna be a nervous wreck Thursday morning.

Oh - and here is a bump/bloat picture from this afternoon. I had just eaten an apple and a fiber one bar, so this is my food belly.

Wow - can't believe how thick around the middle I look.

Mommy's new wheels

My 2008 Sequoia Platinum 4WD with ALL the bells and whistles

So, while I was doing the girly thing getting my hair done for the wedding and hanging out with the bride, J was out with his dad looking at cars. I knew he was going and told him not to buy anything.  Well, at the reception he started telling me about the Sequoias that this one dealership had and how he wanted to take me up there the next day to test drive one. I could tell by the excitement in his voice and on his face that he really wanted one.

Saturday morning after only about 5 hours of sleep we headed up to the dealership with his dad in tow. I was slightly annoyed by this because we are adults, it's our car, and I didn't feel like we needed him there. Plus he is so freaking compulsive that I knew it was going to drive the sales guy (and me) insane.  We got up there, found the guy that he was working with the day before, and went for a spin.  I have to say, I was nervous about driving something so big, but it was actually pretty cool. I'm used to not being able to see around anything in my low-to-the-ground Mustang and driving this I felt like I was towering over everything.  It was pretty fun!

We get back to the dealership and park it and then the annoying part starts.  His dad is asking a bazillion questions over and over again.  He is all concerned about every little thing. I wanted to yell "It's not your car - shut up!", but I bit my tongue.  We had to go sit at the sales guys desk to get started on paperwork, but before we could fill anything out he found out there was another Sequoia, exactly the same - except with 5,000 less miles on it and no little dent that would need to be fixed.  We took a look at it and liked it, but it was more money so we figured we would have to pass.  When we finally got back to the desk to start on paperwork he got approval to sell us that one at the same price as we were going to get the higher mileage one, so we decided to take it.  That way we still have 6,000 miles left on the manufacturer warranty.

They needed to take it back into the service area to start the 160 point inspection and replace the runningboard that was damaged on one side. I think they just pillaged one off one of the other Sequoias for it.  While we were waiting of course my FIL proceeds to bombard the sales guy with more questions. I just ignored him and ate my granola bar.

J and I finally got back with the finance guy to sign all the papers and make everything official. The thought of such a big car payment for the next 66 months months makes my stomach hurt (neither of us had a car payment previously), but as J points out, we are going to have this car for 10+ years so it's better to make the investment in something nice that we love.  We got all the paperwork signed and headed out (after about 5 hours at the dealership). J and his dad would have to go back before closing to pick it up since they were still doing the inspection and putting new tires on it.

J and I went to dinner with some friends while his parents went out to grab something to eat themselves. According to his mom his dad just couldn't believe that we bought that one since we hadn't test driven it.  I guess we just blew his mind.  Around 7:00 they headed back up to pick it up while I stayed at the house and hung out with his mom. I couldn't deal with his dad's questions any more that day.  The vehicle is fine and it rides like a dream. I got to drive it back from Charlotte yesterday and I already love it. Of course, the first time I have to drive downtown on the narrow streets I might change my mind, but for now it's perfect!  Now we just have to sell my Mustang. I have to admit, I'll be sad to see it go. That was the first car I ever bought on my own and I've had it for a while now.  But, having that nice shiny Sequoia sitting in the garage takes a bit of the sting out of it.

My best friend's wedding - the result

The rehearsal was Thursday evening at 6:00 at the church. I have to say this wedding was way more complicated than ours last May. We were in and out in a total of 15 mins for our ceremony (and that included the processional and recessional!). This was a 45 minute deal with standing, sitting, a little praying, no singing (thank goodness), and lots of instructions. Good thing I wasn't the maid of honor - I never would've remembered everything.  So we wrapped up the rehearsal and headed to the dinner at the North Harbor Club on Lake Norman.  Dinner was excellent and I think I drank my weight in ginger ale.  After that we headed home and J watched the rest of his NC State football game while I went to bed.

So the wedding was on Friday night at 7:00. I drove up to her house around 4:00 to get my hair done since I had no idea what to do with it. Her tattooed hair/makeup girl worked her magic pretty quickly (I had already spent almost 2 hours curling my hair back at the house) and I got dressed in my dress that still fit just fine. Then I drove the bride to the church and we hung out with all the girls in the bridal party in the bridal suite while we waited for the guys to show.  The flower girl was about the cutest thing ever - and such a ham!  I can't wait to see some of those pictures.

The ceremony itself was nice. Thankfully we got to sit for a bit of it so it wasn't too painful.  I had new shoes on and may have picked heels a little to high.  On the ride to the reception in the limo they broke out the bubbly while I sipped my Sprite in a champagne flute.  We were introduced, they did their dance, and then it was time to eat. I was starving and loaded up on the grub - meaning I was kind of stuffed afterward.  After dinner was cake, more speeches, and some dancing.  I didn't really join in the dancing due to the late hour (dinner was at 9:00) and my aching feet.  The reception ended around midnight (yeah - kind of late) and those of us that remained lined up with some sparklers for their big exit. I think some people met them out afterward, but I was beat and we had a 40+ minute drive back to the in-laws house so we headed out.  We didn't get home til almost 1:00 AM and I still had to dig dozens of bobby pins out of my hair. It reminded me of the Looney Tunes Witch Hazel where she always had hairpins flying out of her head.  I got them all out, attempted to brush my hair, gave up and hopped into bed. It was a very long day - even if I wasn't pregnant!

Here are some pictures - I sucked at having my camera out  :(

Me and J after dinner

The MOH, bride, and me

"We thought maybe he couldn't have kids" (Telling his family)

Yep - that's the reaction we got from my MIL last night when we told them.  J had bought a collage frame and we put the u/s pic in the middle and gave it to them.  Don't get me wrong, she is excited, but I guess since he's 38 and never had a scare they thought maybe this day would never come.  She got a big smile on her face when she saw the picture, so I know she was hoping that this day would be coming soon.

My FIL is a man of even fewer words than my dad so he didn't have much to say. We did get a "Congratulations" out of him, though.  My BIL was happy to hear it and I think he is excited about being an uncle. I did ask him not to put anything on facebook about it since it is still somewhat hush-hush.  He has a bazillion "friends" on there and I really don't want the news getting out through him instead of us.  Here's hoping that he actually listened to me when I asked him that.

I scheduled the 1st tri combined screening (NT Scan) for next Thursday. I am really hoping that J will be able to make it. I wanted an appt late in the day, but all they had was 1:00.  I'll just take a late lunch and work the rest of the afternoon from home that day.  I am excited for the appt since we'll get to see the little lime again (I figured I wouldn't see him/her again til the big reveal at 20 weeks), but I am also nervous. I know the odds are that our baby is perfectly healthy and there is nothing to worry about.  But there is always that little doubt gnawing at the back of my mind - like this is too good to be true and something has to go wrong.  Or it could be that it's the fact that I'll be shelling out $475 for the test - stupid HDHP!  But, our baby and our peace of mind is worth it.  So now the countdown begins towards next Thursday. Luckily I should be pretty busy the rest of the week with work and the wedding that these days should fly by.

And for the record, my in-laws have been very nice about letting me work and not being all up in my business. So obviously I overreacted about how hard it would be to get through this week.  I'm still a little confused about what they do all day, but they are leaving me to my stuff so I can't complain.  And Princess is keeping her distance from me so far.  Lucky for me (and her).

My Best Friend's Wedding

I won't  be trying to steal the groom, though  :)

So we leave today to go up to Charlotte. I am in my best friend's wedding this Friday and J signed up for some training for work so his company will pay for our travel.  I have mixed feelings about this since we will be staying at his parents house the whole time. I really wanted to get a hotel, at least for the night of the wedding, since the wedding is in Huntersville and his parents house is in Matthews (a good 45 min ride).  He didn't want to, so now I am going to be stuck trying to work from his parents house on Wed and Thurs while he is at his training.  Yep - that's right - I will be stuck at their house with no car all day. With his parents.  Who don't work. And have absolutely no hobbies that get them out of the house.  Unless you count sitting on the back patio to smoke.  Um - yeah. Kill me now.

We will also be telling his parents about the baby tonight.  I am interested to see their reaction.  I am also kind of dreading telling them because I really do need to work on Wed and Thurs and I have a feeling that once they know his mom will not leave me alone. She is a bit of a talker. Actually - she is a bit of a gossip.  Love her to death, but she can be exhausting.  I know his dad won't say much since he never does.  Oh, and if their dog comes near me I may have to punt it over the fence. (Ok, no - I would not actually do that, but I truly dislike their dog. A shitty little poodle. Named 'Princess'.  I kid you not).

I am excited about the wedding, though. It's my friend from college. We were randomly paired up as roommates our freshman year at Penn State and ended up the best of friends. Pledged the same sorority, disaffiliated from said sorority our senior year, lived together all four years, and although we don't talk on the phone a lot we do email practically every day. She was in my wedding last spring and I am so happy to be standing up in her wedding with her.  I just hope the ceremony isn't too long. My pregnant self isn't great standing in heels for extended periods of time anymore!

Anyway, here is my weekly check in:

How far along? 10w2d - baby is the size of a prune (which I incidentally have been enjoying over the past few days).

Weight gain/loss: 2.6 lbs according to my scale this morning. Thank you Miralax for having the desired effect and making me less miserable!

Symptoms: Nothing major. Little to no m/s, a little more fatigue than normal, and my bathroom troubles appear to be getting under control. The biggest thing right now is probably my emotions - the mood swings have gotten kind of vicious!

Sleep? Sleeping pretty well so far. I wake up normally at least once a night to pee, but haven't had much trouble falling back to sleep.

Best moment this week? Finally telling my parents and sisters. Now I can stop hiding and avoiding them.

Movement: No – that won’t happen for a while!

Food cravings/aversions: Eating lots of fruits and veggies. Carbs have been my good friend and beside the protein powder in my smoothies there is nothing that I really have an aversion to yet.

Belly button in or out? In, but still feeling kind of weird and hard on top.

What I miss? A night out on the town with friends. I had to bail on the barhopping for my friend's birthday this past weekend and felt like I was missing out.  That and watching football and not having a beer.

What I am looking forward to? Having everyone know so we can talk about it openly. There are chunks of people that know now and after tonight his family will so I won't have to worry so much about it getting out.

Milestones: Hitting double digits - I'm more than 1/4 of the way there!

What I'm nervous about: That something will happen to the baby before the next appointment and that I won't know about it.

And for your viewing pleasure - here is my 9w5d 'bump' (bloat).  Nothing really to see, but I have the pic so what the heck

There's a prune in there!

The cat is out of the bag (Telling my family)

So we told my family yesterday. I really wanted to tell them in person so we took a day trip up to Myrtle Beach (one of my least favorite places to go - I just really can't stand that city).  Anyway, since it was Grandparent's Day I bought a card for my parents and taped one of the u/s pictures inside and wrote 'Ready for round 3? (I have 2 nieces already)  Baby XXXXX due April 10, 2011'  My mom opened the card and got a big smile. She handed the card to my dad and came over and gave me a huge hug.  My dad's reaction was "Cool!".

Then we left J there with my dad and headed up to my sister's house so I could see the munchkins.  One niece, Kayleigh, is 2 1/2 and Kendall will be 9 months this Wednesday (the 15th).  We hung out for a bit and my mom looks at me and says "Well, are you gonna tell her?".  So I looked at Kendall and said "Are you ready to be a cousin?"  My sister's reaction was also  "Cool!" (yeah - my family appears to be a little lacking in the expressing emotions department).  We headed over to a local sports themed restaurant with the kiddies for lunch and to watch the first half of the Steeler game.  It's amazing how many Steeler fans there are in SC - I'm guessing everyone moves away from the 'burgh because it's just too damn cold up there.  At halftime my brother-in-law took the girls home and the rest of us headed to another sports bar (with a better tv) to meet my dad and J for the second half of the game.  J was more interested in the Panthers game which oddly enough they did NOT have on any of the TVs.  Umm - hello, this is one of the Carolinas and they are the Carolina Panthers, but whatever.  I always forget that you can smoke in restaurants and bars in other places (it's banned in Charleston and I've gotten spoiled) so we were in a somewhat smokey bar for the remainder of the game. Thankfully it was a Steelers win so it was worth it.

J and I headed home with instructions from my mom to call my other sister that night and tell her. She knew that my sister would be calling her and asking about me since she already suspected that I was pregnant due to my drinking water when I went out to dinner with her a few weeks ago.  Plus she is the one who had the dream that I was pregnant and totally called me out on it over text.  So we got home and I texted her the picture of the u/s with the message 'Ready for your next niece or first nephew?' then I called her and we talked for about an hour.  I know she is happy for us, but I can also sense some sadness in her.  I know it's hard for her that her younger sister is married and now going to have a baby. That makes me sad.  She truly is my best friend and I want nothing more than for her to be happy.  I'm hoping that when I go out to AZ to visit her in a few weeks that everything is ok.

All in all it was a good weekend and it was great to finally  let my family know.  Next up - we tell his parents tomorrow night when we head up to Charlotte for a few days for the wedding I am in on Friday.  Fingers crossed that they are happy for us - and quit that disgusting smoking around me.

Pulling out all the stops

Again, I know that no one wants to know about my bodily functions (or lack thereof), but it's what's on my mind so here it is.  After one day of somewhat relief from my cocktail of Milk of Magnesia, Phillips Stool Softener and mineral oil I am back to feeling like I ingested some Quikrete and it has set up nicely in my bowels.  I am not sure what is up with my body.  I have eaten more fiber than you can shake a stick at and my colon just laughs at me.  It's as if it's down there saying "Nice try, but I am enjoying making you miserable so I think I'll just hold onto everything here."  Evil bastard.

After last night I have had enough. I woke up several times to pee, but that isn't what really woke me up. My full bladder seemed to be pushing down on my bowels and THAT is what jarred me awake.  Still no relief though.

So this morning I made a little stop at Harris Teeter and picked up my new arsenal.  Miralax, Sunsweet Prunes (which are surprisingly good), and some Fiber One bars just for kicks.  I had already mixed some Benefiber into my smoothie, but I threw in a dose of Miralax when I got to work.  Didn't taste too bad, but had a bit of a weird smell.  I ignored it and it was down the hatch.  Two little prunes and a cup of black coffee for good measure and now I am sitting at my desk (yes, I was brave/stupid enough to do this at work) and waiting to see what happens. I'm not worried about it kicking in while at work. I'm the only female upstairs in the office today and there is actually only one other person here.  I am more worried about it waiting until 7:00 tonight when we are at The Black Crowes concert to take effect.  That could be bad.

So, fingers crossed that tonight I am sitting in my seat with an empty colon enjoying the show and not trapped in the bathroom listening to the muffled sounds of 'Hard to Handle' off in the distance!

99 things to do in life

Because I am bored and don't feel like working I thought I'd add this list (that I blatantly stole from someone else's blog, but I can't remember who. Oops!).  At home I have my '25 things to do before I die' list, but this one is a little more extensive.  The ones in bold are the ones I have completed.

1. Started your own blog


2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii (1993, 1995, and 2008)

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyworld (how sad is that?  I've never been to Disney)

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightening storm

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning (would not wish that on my worst enemy)

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight (no, not with a bunch of other girls in my underwear)

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon (I've run 3 half marathons, does that count???)

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing (the fake kind)

40. Gone skydiving (my sister took me for my 18th birthday. My dad was SO pissed)

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Australia

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling (snorkeling in Hawaii)

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud (what kid hasn't?)

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been an extra in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Learned to juggle

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Met a movie star  (Sandra Bullock and Ryan Gosling in a bar in Charleston when he was here filming 'The Notebook'

66. Lived at the beach (our house is about a mile inland, but considering I grew up in PA I count this as living at the beach)

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job (but it was a job in the mall so I'm not too broken up about it)

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone (waaaaay too many. I was an accident prone child)

78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Owned a sports car  (my 2001 Ford Mustang convertible. I'll be really sad to see it go)

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life (We rescued 3 teens that were caught in a current 100 yards offshore, one of whom only had one lung and told us to let him drown. It was one of the scariest experiences of my life)

90. Sat on a jury

91. Gone down in a shark cage  (I have a fascination with sharks and would give anything to see a great white in person)

92. Joined a book club

93. Got a tattoo

94. Had a baby (I will in April 2011)

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

Mission accomplished

So, with this past weekend being a holiday weekend I thought there was no way that I was going to keep this pregnancy under wraps.  Especially when we decided to go out on a friend's boat on Saturday since I knew there would be plenty of drinking and my abstaining might raise some red flags.  Clearly I gave our male friends too much credit.  None of them even batted an eye that I was drinking diet Dr. Pepper (cleverly disguised with a koozie) while they were pounding Coronas.  After that we headed home to shower and then go out to dinner. I thought that might be more tricky since I would most likely just be drinking water. Nope. Still no clue. Of course the waitress kept asking me if I was sure I didn't want anything.  I was tempted to say "I would LOVE something else, but I can't have it."  Instead I happily drank my water and ate my bbq while everyone else finished their beers. 

On Sunday we went to a friend's house for cookout and I was sure it would be obvious that I was drinking my Sprite Zero while they all cracked open their beers. Nope.  Not a single comment.  Even when C went into our cooler to grab a beer and my lemonade was sitting on top.

So either the guys are really clueless, or they have figured out that we are not saying anything so they might as well just not ask.  I'm going with the first one.

I know I won't be as lucky this coming weekend. It's a friend's 31st birthday and it's girls night. I'll be joining them for dinner, but will be bailing on the bar hopping afterward.  There is no way that a bunch of girls aren't going to pick up on the fact that I am not partaking in the cocktails.  Oh well, at least it will be my built in excuse for not going out on the town after dinner.  10 weeks is a little before I wanted it to be public knowledge, but it'll have to do.

Before I forget - here is my weekly checkin:

How far along? 9w2d - baby is the size of an olive.


Weight gain/loss: 2.5 lbs. I'm not sure where it is since all my clothes fit fine.  I chalk part of it up to my inability to go to the bathroom on a daily basis, though.

Symptoms: I get really queasy if I don't eat every couple hours and the past few nights I have been ready to crash at 9:00 PM.  Other than that I feel ok.

Sleep? For the most part I'm sleeping well. Sometimes I have trouble falling asleep, though.  Did plenty of sleeping in this past weekend and it was fabulous!

Best moment this week? Having the first u/s last Tuesday and finally getting confirmation that there is in fact a baby in there.

Movement: No – that won’t happen for a while!

Food cravings/aversions: I am loving fruits and vegetables and have had a weakness for potato chips recently.  My only aversion has been my morning smoothie. The texture grosses me out.

Belly button in or out? In, but still feeling kind of weird and hard on top.

What I miss? Having a beer while watching football games. It's gonna be a long season!

What I am looking forward to? Finally getting to tell everyone. I will be so happy when it's out in the open and I don't feel like I have to hide anymore.

Milestones: Baby W is officially a fetus!

What I'm nervous about: That something will happen to the baby before the next appointment and that I won't know about it.

The good, the bad, and the expensive

Well, obviously the good is that I am pregnant and we are going to have a little bundle of joy sometime at the beginning of April.  The bad is that I am dealing with a multitude of not so pleasant 'symptoms' on any given day (but it's a small price to pay to get to have a baby).  Now on to the expensive.

I have great insurance through my company, but...   I have a high deductible health plan (HDHP) and a health savings account (HSA).  It's not a bad deal because as long as I take part in the wellness program at work my company will contribute 100% of the annual deductible to my HSA (throughout the year - not as one lump sum).  Great.  The only problem is, I have to pay for everything 100% until I reach my annual deductible ($2250).  Year to date I only have about $5 towards my deductible (I don't go to the doctor very often obviously). So - if I want to do the 1st tri screening ($475) I will pretty much have to pay for that even though it might be 'covered' because I haven't reached my deductible.  I wouldn't mind paying for it if this was January.  But it's September.   I know the health of the baby should be more important than having to shell out a bunch of cash.  But that test isn't guaranteed and it's not even a diagnosis. It's a screening. Hmm...

I'm off this afternoon to the lab to get blood drawn for my prenatal panel (ABO and Rh, HIV, CBC with differential, RPR, HbsAg, Rubella immune status, Random glucose screen, and Antibody screen).  I was going to do the CF screening, but I will have to pay for it.  That may be a gametime decision.

I guess I should get used to this kid costing us money, huh?  Hey, at least it doesn't want a pony yet.