Have you ever imagined that God was a retired, 60ish, Latino man with a mustache?
I hadn't either. That was before I received a pre-natal massage from someone matching this description.
You definitely picture an Enrique Iglesias-type when you book a massage from a male masseuse, but I don't think that's usually what you find. I had to stifle a giggle when I saw who was going to be doing my massage. Chris likes to pretend that he gets jealous when I get a massage from a guy but I knew he wouldn't care about this one.
So, yes, this massage was wonderful and I will definitely be going back to this guy. Not to mention that, because of him, I felt my little one kick for the first time. (And for the first time, I was sure it wasn't just gas.) The masseuse was rubbing my back and I felt three little thuds, resembling "Knock. It. Off." Apparently little one is not a fan of massage.
Too bad I am, and I'm going to keep going to see him! These tension headaches are NO joke and I must do everything in my power to stop them before they get ugly. Between massages and the chiropractor, I'll make it.
It's amazing what no longer matters when you feel your baby kick for the first time-it doesn't matter that you told your husband not to flush the toilet until you get home with a plunger, and he doesn't listen so it overflows and makes a huge mess. And it doesn't matter that the dog peed on the floor while you were standing right next to him. And it doesn't even matter that you've been sick for 8 days anymore.
AND when I was driving home, I heard Garth Brooks' new song, "Mom", and obviously started bawling. Duh.
I'm on top of the world tonight.
That won't stop me from complaining about being sick now. After all, what do my readers come for except to read my complaints?
I was at work the other day, day 7 or so of being sick but steadily feeling worse. Throughout the day I started sneezing, coughing, and sounding all the more plugged up. I was supposed to work the following day but I ended up calling in. Why would I go into work sick, around sick people? Does that help anyone?
No. So I stayed home. And thank goodness I did, because I was so weak, and tired, that I nearly passed out. I coughed so long and hard that Chris had to sleep in the other room. I think I was out of bed for a total of 5 hours the entire day.
Do you know how bad it sucks to be pregnant and sick?
You constantly live on the edge of a dangerous cliff named "Will THIS make me pee my pants"?!
Every cough, every sneeze.
Don't worry, only SOME did.
Not to mention the fact that I am overly emotional anyway, I sat down on the couch by Chris last night and when I started coughing, he jokingly looked at me like he was grossed-out. I, of course, took this to heart and started bawling and through tears whined, "I'm so DISGUSTING!"
You know, your typical, emotional,dramatic, pregnant, overreaction. I've had a few of these, I'll admit.
Here's some pregnancy advice for you! If you're going to get pregnant, make sure you do it so that when you're busting out of your old bras, it just happens to be the Victoria's Secret semi-annual sale. Definitely try not to be too awkward when you're asking the fitting room girl if other pregnant ladies' boobs keep growing. Or shrink. Or whatever.
UM, she said that women can fluctuate a whole cup size in a day?! How do I not think of these things/know these things already?!
I have now classified my life into time periods.
A-Cup Era: High School
B-Cup Era: College
C-Cup Era: Pregnant
Excuse me while I revel in my ample bosom. It's like puberty all over again!
Now, a public plea for two things:
First, my friend Ashley's dog tore his rear ACLs and needs surgery. She is just out of school with lots of bills, and I know she needs help with the surgery. She has a gofundme page:
http://www.gofundme.com/jlxghw
Second, my sis-in-law's boyfriend sliced his hand open around Christmas with a saw. He is a self-employed carpenter and should he even be able to return to the work he was doing, he still has numerous medical bills now. Any help here would also be appreciated:
http://www.gofundme.com/jtqsjw
As always, thank you for reading!
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Sunday, December 28, 2014
My Baby Named Zeus
Alright, so what do we know about the Greek God, Zeus?
He is often depicted with a beard. He can control lightning and thunder. There are a couple of other factoids but they do not pertain to my child, so we will go from here.
First off, the baby's name should be Zeus. If it's a girl, we have a problem because I don't think there is a feminine version of Zeus, but here's why:
About once a month, I break out in a beard of zits. I wish I was kidding. My chin and my neck erupt into a pubescent storm of hormones. These are two areas I don't normally suffer from acne. It is quite disgusting, and makes me think of Zeus.
When Zeus gets angry, he starts storms with thunder and lightning. Now I'm not saying that we have an inherently angry baby, what I'm saying is that if he/she does not like what I'm eating, my stomach rumbles and I need to find a bathroom-quick.
I don't need to dwell on this. Most of you read my last post.
Lastly, Zeus throws bolts of lightning. Have you ever experienced the horrible phenomenon known as "lightning crotch"? This term, I am 100% certain, is a scientific term. You will just be sitting there, minding your own business, passionately daydreaming about your wonderful baby growing inside of you and how much you will love each other, and then there is a strong burst of energy like an electric fence to your hoo-ha that about knocks you off of your chair. This is a real thing, guys. Beware.
Pregnancy has been quite evil to my body. I escaped the ruckus of morning sickness for the most part, only experiencing the need to run to a restroom in the morning a handful of times. Instead I had sickness at night, feeling terrible from the hours of 5-10pm in the first trimester. It was not a "throw-uppy" type of feeling, more of just a general on-my-deathbed feeling.
The second trimester dropped this problem and moved onto another, this one much more life-altering leaving me unable to look the other way, literally.
I woke up at 2am on Friday morning (for, I don't know, my sixth pee break?) and attempted to turn my head. I found myself completely unable, my neck a solid mass of sore muscle and a pounding, horrible headache wrapping around my occipital region, like a band. I attempted to fall back asleep, hoping it would go away (how naive). I lay in bed for an hour and a half, unable to sleep, unable to move, debating if it would be wise to call in to work. I even googled, "is it bad to call in to work for neck pain?". Fortunately, the internet made me feel a wee bit better about my decision to call in. That was, until, I actually dialed the phone and the manager told me that I was the second person to call in, and there may be repercussions for calling in during a holiday week.
How hard it is to hold back that part of yourself that says, "WELL, I can't move my head without crying out in pain. It should be super easy to take care of patients for the next 13 hours. I just worked Christmas Eve (without time-and-a-half pay) AND Christmas Day, and thought about calling in, but didn't." But, being the delightful person that I am, even in terribly excruciating pain, I apologized. And then later apologized to my boss.
I'm irritated that I still felt guilty.
I had to call around to 7 salons before I found a place that had an opening for a massage that day. It was over an hour away but it just didn't matter anymore. I couldn't turn my head to look to see if cars were in the other lane. I had to rely on mirrors. That's scary.
When I got to the massage appointment, the therapist told me, "Since this is a prenatal massage, I'm sure you have lower back pain and leg pain, so we'll focus on that."
"Actually, I only have neck and shoulder pain, and I'm dying. Can we focus on that?"
She responded by telling me, "Well, we will focus on that, and if I have time, I will do your arms and legs and whatever else we have time for!"
She was very nice, and as much as she improved how I was feeling she might be my favorite person that ever lived.
So, for the next 45 minutes (entire duration of the massage), she focused ONLY on my neck and shoulders. About five minutes in, she told me that it was really bad. 10 knots just on the left side, 7 on the right. One right along the ligament from my neck to shoulder that was so big it felt like a growth, and it burst like an egg sac spewing more knots from itself. It was disgusting. And as much as it hurt, it felt so much better when she was done. Massages never seem to last long enough, but I'm telling you I would have done anything for another fifteen minutes.
I also picked up some lavender oil and Blue Oil from Aveda which are both supposed to help a ton with helping one relax. I think it has helped. I think oils do work wonders, but ESPECIALLY so when you believe in them. Like, half a placebo. Hint: Blue Oil is also supposed to help with hot flashes. This could be a lifetime worship of Blue Oil.
On the recommendation of another massage therapist, I took a bath that night complete with bath fizzies, 6-to-8 cups of apple cider vinegar, epsom salt, and a couple of drops of lavender oil. I may have overdone it. I don't know that it did anything but a bath is a bath and I had time to read "Yes Please" by Amy Poehler.
I think it's kind of amazing I survived as long as I did pre-massage without completely tensing up like I did. I had to start taking Tylenol for the pain, which helped for a couple of weeks, and then I discovered a yoga routine specifically for headaches which helped a bunch after work. This worked or another couple of weeks. The chiropractor once a week helped until last week. I normally see a different chiropractor but since his wife had a baby, he wasn't there and someone else was there in his place. She stretched my neck but did not crack it, even though I asked her to, specifically. She didn't do much with my neck and I didn't leave feeling any better. A couple of days later (Friday), was the worst day of my pregnancy thus far.
Pregnancy is not fun, people. I think once he or she starts kicking, it be a reminder that all of this is quite worth it. In fact, soon it will be a nearly constant reminder that this is all worth it. And it should happen at any time! I'm currently 17 weeks along and in three weeks we will get to see our little one on the sonogram again. Last time we saw he/she, they were just a little blob on the screen.
Can I just tell you how horribly awful it is to say goodbye to your husband when you are pregnant? I honestly don't know how women allow their husbands to get deployed when they are pregnant. (Haha! "Allow.") I dropped Chris off at the airport for a week-long trip to Nebraska over Christmas while I stayed behind to work on Christmas Eve and Day. There were lots of reasons to be disappointed about him leaving. Mostly because he would be gone for a week, and I worried about stupid things like feeling the baby kick for the first time but him not being around to witness my reaction. Or not being together on Christmas. But most of all because something about the second trimester has made me absolutely obsessed with my husband. Not in any creepy sort of way, although the way I'm about to describe this is totally creepy.
I'm obsessed with the way he smells. I think he smells better than all the wildflowers and pizza in the world. I like to always be touching him. When we're sleeping, I always want part of me touching him. It doesn't even matter if it is my toes on his toes. I have to have it. The more pregnant I get, the cuter he becomes about it. He touches my belly and tells me "You really look pregnant." And I pretend to be super offended when really I love it. He makes me feel beautiful. Even when I look in the mirror and attempt to suck in my gut, and it doesn't move a centimeter, I still feel pretty. He's a good man, a great husband, and he's going to be an amazing dad.
And he doesn't judge me when I say I want a coffee from the drive-thru and then order a burger.
SO, needless to say, I bawled like a baby when I got to my car after leaving him at the airport. And then I cried at home. And then I teared up on Christmas Eve when he wasn't there. And then I cried when I was waiting at the airport to pick him up. Because that is what I do now. I cry.
I cry. And then I pee. Because for some reason my body has decided that every 1-2 hours is enough time to pass before I pee. Even if, when I pee, it's the equivalent of 1/8 cup.
It's weird that I'm kind of like a giant baby with all the crying and peeing.
Alright, well, I'm done boring you for the evening. As always, thanks for reading.
He is often depicted with a beard. He can control lightning and thunder. There are a couple of other factoids but they do not pertain to my child, so we will go from here.
First off, the baby's name should be Zeus. If it's a girl, we have a problem because I don't think there is a feminine version of Zeus, but here's why:
About once a month, I break out in a beard of zits. I wish I was kidding. My chin and my neck erupt into a pubescent storm of hormones. These are two areas I don't normally suffer from acne. It is quite disgusting, and makes me think of Zeus.
When Zeus gets angry, he starts storms with thunder and lightning. Now I'm not saying that we have an inherently angry baby, what I'm saying is that if he/she does not like what I'm eating, my stomach rumbles and I need to find a bathroom-quick.
I don't need to dwell on this. Most of you read my last post.
Lastly, Zeus throws bolts of lightning. Have you ever experienced the horrible phenomenon known as "lightning crotch"? This term, I am 100% certain, is a scientific term. You will just be sitting there, minding your own business, passionately daydreaming about your wonderful baby growing inside of you and how much you will love each other, and then there is a strong burst of energy like an electric fence to your hoo-ha that about knocks you off of your chair. This is a real thing, guys. Beware.
Pregnancy has been quite evil to my body. I escaped the ruckus of morning sickness for the most part, only experiencing the need to run to a restroom in the morning a handful of times. Instead I had sickness at night, feeling terrible from the hours of 5-10pm in the first trimester. It was not a "throw-uppy" type of feeling, more of just a general on-my-deathbed feeling.
The second trimester dropped this problem and moved onto another, this one much more life-altering leaving me unable to look the other way, literally.
I woke up at 2am on Friday morning (for, I don't know, my sixth pee break?) and attempted to turn my head. I found myself completely unable, my neck a solid mass of sore muscle and a pounding, horrible headache wrapping around my occipital region, like a band. I attempted to fall back asleep, hoping it would go away (how naive). I lay in bed for an hour and a half, unable to sleep, unable to move, debating if it would be wise to call in to work. I even googled, "is it bad to call in to work for neck pain?". Fortunately, the internet made me feel a wee bit better about my decision to call in. That was, until, I actually dialed the phone and the manager told me that I was the second person to call in, and there may be repercussions for calling in during a holiday week.
How hard it is to hold back that part of yourself that says, "WELL, I can't move my head without crying out in pain. It should be super easy to take care of patients for the next 13 hours. I just worked Christmas Eve (without time-and-a-half pay) AND Christmas Day, and thought about calling in, but didn't." But, being the delightful person that I am, even in terribly excruciating pain, I apologized. And then later apologized to my boss.
I'm irritated that I still felt guilty.
I had to call around to 7 salons before I found a place that had an opening for a massage that day. It was over an hour away but it just didn't matter anymore. I couldn't turn my head to look to see if cars were in the other lane. I had to rely on mirrors. That's scary.
When I got to the massage appointment, the therapist told me, "Since this is a prenatal massage, I'm sure you have lower back pain and leg pain, so we'll focus on that."
"Actually, I only have neck and shoulder pain, and I'm dying. Can we focus on that?"
She responded by telling me, "Well, we will focus on that, and if I have time, I will do your arms and legs and whatever else we have time for!"
She was very nice, and as much as she improved how I was feeling she might be my favorite person that ever lived.
So, for the next 45 minutes (entire duration of the massage), she focused ONLY on my neck and shoulders. About five minutes in, she told me that it was really bad. 10 knots just on the left side, 7 on the right. One right along the ligament from my neck to shoulder that was so big it felt like a growth, and it burst like an egg sac spewing more knots from itself. It was disgusting. And as much as it hurt, it felt so much better when she was done. Massages never seem to last long enough, but I'm telling you I would have done anything for another fifteen minutes.
I also picked up some lavender oil and Blue Oil from Aveda which are both supposed to help a ton with helping one relax. I think it has helped. I think oils do work wonders, but ESPECIALLY so when you believe in them. Like, half a placebo. Hint: Blue Oil is also supposed to help with hot flashes. This could be a lifetime worship of Blue Oil.
On the recommendation of another massage therapist, I took a bath that night complete with bath fizzies, 6-to-8 cups of apple cider vinegar, epsom salt, and a couple of drops of lavender oil. I may have overdone it. I don't know that it did anything but a bath is a bath and I had time to read "Yes Please" by Amy Poehler.
I think it's kind of amazing I survived as long as I did pre-massage without completely tensing up like I did. I had to start taking Tylenol for the pain, which helped for a couple of weeks, and then I discovered a yoga routine specifically for headaches which helped a bunch after work. This worked or another couple of weeks. The chiropractor once a week helped until last week. I normally see a different chiropractor but since his wife had a baby, he wasn't there and someone else was there in his place. She stretched my neck but did not crack it, even though I asked her to, specifically. She didn't do much with my neck and I didn't leave feeling any better. A couple of days later (Friday), was the worst day of my pregnancy thus far.
Pregnancy is not fun, people. I think once he or she starts kicking, it be a reminder that all of this is quite worth it. In fact, soon it will be a nearly constant reminder that this is all worth it. And it should happen at any time! I'm currently 17 weeks along and in three weeks we will get to see our little one on the sonogram again. Last time we saw he/she, they were just a little blob on the screen.
Can I just tell you how horribly awful it is to say goodbye to your husband when you are pregnant? I honestly don't know how women allow their husbands to get deployed when they are pregnant. (Haha! "Allow.") I dropped Chris off at the airport for a week-long trip to Nebraska over Christmas while I stayed behind to work on Christmas Eve and Day. There were lots of reasons to be disappointed about him leaving. Mostly because he would be gone for a week, and I worried about stupid things like feeling the baby kick for the first time but him not being around to witness my reaction. Or not being together on Christmas. But most of all because something about the second trimester has made me absolutely obsessed with my husband. Not in any creepy sort of way, although the way I'm about to describe this is totally creepy.
I'm obsessed with the way he smells. I think he smells better than all the wildflowers and pizza in the world. I like to always be touching him. When we're sleeping, I always want part of me touching him. It doesn't even matter if it is my toes on his toes. I have to have it. The more pregnant I get, the cuter he becomes about it. He touches my belly and tells me "You really look pregnant." And I pretend to be super offended when really I love it. He makes me feel beautiful. Even when I look in the mirror and attempt to suck in my gut, and it doesn't move a centimeter, I still feel pretty. He's a good man, a great husband, and he's going to be an amazing dad.
And he doesn't judge me when I say I want a coffee from the drive-thru and then order a burger.
SO, needless to say, I bawled like a baby when I got to my car after leaving him at the airport. And then I cried at home. And then I teared up on Christmas Eve when he wasn't there. And then I cried when I was waiting at the airport to pick him up. Because that is what I do now. I cry.
I cry. And then I pee. Because for some reason my body has decided that every 1-2 hours is enough time to pass before I pee. Even if, when I pee, it's the equivalent of 1/8 cup.
It's weird that I'm kind of like a giant baby with all the crying and peeing.
Alright, well, I'm done boring you for the evening. As always, thanks for reading.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Chili's
Listen up here, people. This blog post is gonna get real. It's really gonna put it all out there. I promised myself that I would be HONEST when I was blogging throughout this pregnancy, and this will be one of the worst. I'll save the ugliness for the end.
Spoilers aside, I am exhausted. We are still down to one vehicle, so Chris had to pick me up last night from work. People took WAY too long for report, so I made him sit in the car for half an hour. I felt terrible. I convinced him to go to Chili's for dinner with me. I ordered a burger and honestly, I was so tired that I just quit eating because it was too much work to lift my burger to my mouth. I wish I was joking. I'm supposed to work four days in a row next week, and I honestly don't think I can do it. This was the first time I felt REALLY pregnant. I am so glad to have a couple of days off.
Veteran's Day was spent together, a nice change since Christopher was on duty ALL day last year. We went out for a couple of our meals that day; I like to make sure that waiters/waitresses are properly tipped because often times that with free food, we forget we should still tip on the full amount. :) We had our second baby appointment so we went to iHop for brunch before the appointment. We were in a rush, but totally could have taken our time. My doctor was in a delivery and nearly an hour and fifteen minutes late. The time didn't seem to take too long, though, with Christopher being my entertainment until the doctor got there. It was worth the wait because for the first time, we heard our baby's heartbeat. We saw it at out last appointment, just a tiny flicker on the screen. It was so neat to hear it, although the radio was loud in the exam room and our doctor asked, "Do you hear it?"
"No, I hear Usher."
"Oh. Well listen again."
Then I heard it loud and clear. Nothing else mattered. I asked Chris, "Do you hear it, honey?" He did. He was in love, just like me. I could tell by the sound of his voice.
This is where my beautiful words melt away and I tell you what happened after lunch. This is your final warning to STOP here and not read further, because if you are a bad, "judgey" person you will honestly never look at me the same again.
Moving on.
There is an event on base in early December for Chris' squadron and their spouses. I get to wear his flight suit and see what he does all day. I even get my own patch with a "call sign" on it.
That rotten husband of mine decided that he would have my patch made with the call sign, "Chili's" on it. And this is why. We went out to Chili's for our second meal of the day. Chris ate for free and I got some lunch as well. Lunch was good. I thought my sweet potato fries were a little underdone but I can't complain too much. (Considering I eat everything in sight most days.)
WELL, on the way home, I told Chris I didn't feel well and started crying. He asked, "What's wrong". I looked at him and said, "I honestly don't know if I am going to throw up or crap my pants." He said, "What should I do?" I tried to (but failed) to say nicely, "Get me home. Don't talk to me. Don't touch me. And DON'T get in my way."
When we got home, he jumped out of the car and ran to open doors for me, but to no avail. I did not make it to my destination.
I am sorry to say that my husband witnessed something I didn't think he would see for another 70 years or so.
It was so unfortunate. And when our baby is an awful teenager, crying that he or she hates me, I will tell him what he put me through while he (or she) was just the size of a fig.
Spoilers aside, I am exhausted. We are still down to one vehicle, so Chris had to pick me up last night from work. People took WAY too long for report, so I made him sit in the car for half an hour. I felt terrible. I convinced him to go to Chili's for dinner with me. I ordered a burger and honestly, I was so tired that I just quit eating because it was too much work to lift my burger to my mouth. I wish I was joking. I'm supposed to work four days in a row next week, and I honestly don't think I can do it. This was the first time I felt REALLY pregnant. I am so glad to have a couple of days off.
Veteran's Day was spent together, a nice change since Christopher was on duty ALL day last year. We went out for a couple of our meals that day; I like to make sure that waiters/waitresses are properly tipped because often times that with free food, we forget we should still tip on the full amount. :) We had our second baby appointment so we went to iHop for brunch before the appointment. We were in a rush, but totally could have taken our time. My doctor was in a delivery and nearly an hour and fifteen minutes late. The time didn't seem to take too long, though, with Christopher being my entertainment until the doctor got there. It was worth the wait because for the first time, we heard our baby's heartbeat. We saw it at out last appointment, just a tiny flicker on the screen. It was so neat to hear it, although the radio was loud in the exam room and our doctor asked, "Do you hear it?"
"No, I hear Usher."
"Oh. Well listen again."
Then I heard it loud and clear. Nothing else mattered. I asked Chris, "Do you hear it, honey?" He did. He was in love, just like me. I could tell by the sound of his voice.
This is where my beautiful words melt away and I tell you what happened after lunch. This is your final warning to STOP here and not read further, because if you are a bad, "judgey" person you will honestly never look at me the same again.
Moving on.
There is an event on base in early December for Chris' squadron and their spouses. I get to wear his flight suit and see what he does all day. I even get my own patch with a "call sign" on it.
That rotten husband of mine decided that he would have my patch made with the call sign, "Chili's" on it. And this is why. We went out to Chili's for our second meal of the day. Chris ate for free and I got some lunch as well. Lunch was good. I thought my sweet potato fries were a little underdone but I can't complain too much. (Considering I eat everything in sight most days.)
WELL, on the way home, I told Chris I didn't feel well and started crying. He asked, "What's wrong". I looked at him and said, "I honestly don't know if I am going to throw up or crap my pants." He said, "What should I do?" I tried to (but failed) to say nicely, "Get me home. Don't talk to me. Don't touch me. And DON'T get in my way."
When we got home, he jumped out of the car and ran to open doors for me, but to no avail. I did not make it to my destination.
I am sorry to say that my husband witnessed something I didn't think he would see for another 70 years or so.
It was so unfortunate. And when our baby is an awful teenager, crying that he or she hates me, I will tell him what he put me through while he (or she) was just the size of a fig.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
More Pregnancy Tell-Alls
My mom sent me an article the other day about a some mother-runner who runs 40-60 miles a week, 8-minute miles, at 8 months pregnant or something crazy like that. What stuck out in the article for me (besides the immediate drop in satisfaction with my week's 13 miles run), was that if I don't run for 1 week or greater, I might as well stop running because a pregnant body changes so much in that amount of time you won't be able to continue.
Um, ok, whatever silly article.
A couple of days later? Suddenly all of my joints are popping like bubble wrap, hips included. Hello, sciatica? What is this shooting pain down the right side of my rear, making me bend over with a hand on my back in my best elderly impression? No. This can't be happening.
The other surprising new symptom? Dizziness. Orthostatic hypotension. God forbid I spring out of bed, because if I do, I won't get very far. Luckily, something, or some dog is never far away.
The 239th Marine Corps Birthday Ball is this weekend in Corpus. We've got a dogsitter, a hotel, and great friends to spend it with. I'm wearing my dress from my cousin's wedding this summer. It should have enough wiggle room for this expanding belly of mine, still be comfortable, and look decent next to Chris. When the boys are in their blues, I feel like I become more like a...well-placed accent piece. I mean, Chris in his blues? My favorite.
We've been down to one car since selling the Jeep last week. I remember thinking, "Oh, this won't be a problem! It will be so easy to figure out who needs the car and when!" Wrong. Cranky-pants had to pick me up from the nail salon yesterday because I had gone to get my toenails done for this weekend. He had explained to me previously that he could just paint them for me. I asked if that included the massage and callous removal, he said it wouldn't. I didn't have to explain any further. Yes, so, cranky pants had to come pick me up. It's funny, because I'm not cute when I'm cranky. I'm just a monster. But when Chris is cranky? He's adorable. I just want to pinch his cheeks.
He's gone all day today. Which means no car for me, not that I had plans anyway. He has two simulators AND he has to practice to be in the sword ceremony for the Birthday Ball. This puts him away all day long. I should be getting lots done, but as you can read, I'm just blogging instead. And watching MasterChef Junior, trying to figure out how to jump-start the fetus as a professional chef.
I wonder at what point "the fetus" will be referred to as "the baby" or something more? For now, the fetus sticks. It's what everyone here refers to, anyway.
Sheila and Allen have picked out their "grandparent" names. Sheila will be called "Bubbi", which is Czech and what her great-great grandmother was called. Allen will be called "Papa". They don't need to be different, I just think it will be easier than always trying to say "Grandma Lindemoen"/"Grandma Lazoritz".
I've got my temporary nursing license ready to go, just in time as my compact license from Nebraska expired. Now on to the next part of the getting [yet another] nursing license in another state. Luckily, Texas is a compact state. Unfortunately, they need more from me to get the permanent license. I will probably use the temporary as long as possible before getting the permanent license. With the baby coming along, I probably won't be working past early May, of course that depends on how I feel and how we're doing on our Jeep payments. ;)
It would also be very hard to go back to work in the few short months here before we move on to the next place. I want to be home with the baby! At least for a few months. Chris understands. He'd be a stay-at-home dad if he could. It looks Chris will "wing" here in Texas in about August or September, and depending on space at the next step, we will move whenever they have space for him! It sounds like our friends that are in the Navy often end up sitting around for a couple of months waiting for the next step. Chris and I are ready for the next step. Now. South Texas is pretty gross, although I admit the weather is fairly nice here. We are supposed to get rain for the next three days, though, which is unfortunate, considering we sold the Jeep and Chris had to rescue me from the rain last time it rained like this. I will probably be at work for the next couple of days, though, so it shouldn't affect us too much.
Now that I'm further into MasterChef Junior, I've decided that they should have MasterChef Pregnant, and just watch all the to-be-moms gag over raw chicken as they try to decide what might sound good to other people, let alone themselves.
I'm now bawling because all the little kids went to hug another kid because her chicken was raw and she is totally going home.
HORMONES.
Um, ok, whatever silly article.
A couple of days later? Suddenly all of my joints are popping like bubble wrap, hips included. Hello, sciatica? What is this shooting pain down the right side of my rear, making me bend over with a hand on my back in my best elderly impression? No. This can't be happening.
The other surprising new symptom? Dizziness. Orthostatic hypotension. God forbid I spring out of bed, because if I do, I won't get very far. Luckily, something, or some dog is never far away.
The 239th Marine Corps Birthday Ball is this weekend in Corpus. We've got a dogsitter, a hotel, and great friends to spend it with. I'm wearing my dress from my cousin's wedding this summer. It should have enough wiggle room for this expanding belly of mine, still be comfortable, and look decent next to Chris. When the boys are in their blues, I feel like I become more like a...well-placed accent piece. I mean, Chris in his blues? My favorite.
We've been down to one car since selling the Jeep last week. I remember thinking, "Oh, this won't be a problem! It will be so easy to figure out who needs the car and when!" Wrong. Cranky-pants had to pick me up from the nail salon yesterday because I had gone to get my toenails done for this weekend. He had explained to me previously that he could just paint them for me. I asked if that included the massage and callous removal, he said it wouldn't. I didn't have to explain any further. Yes, so, cranky pants had to come pick me up. It's funny, because I'm not cute when I'm cranky. I'm just a monster. But when Chris is cranky? He's adorable. I just want to pinch his cheeks.
He's gone all day today. Which means no car for me, not that I had plans anyway. He has two simulators AND he has to practice to be in the sword ceremony for the Birthday Ball. This puts him away all day long. I should be getting lots done, but as you can read, I'm just blogging instead. And watching MasterChef Junior, trying to figure out how to jump-start the fetus as a professional chef.
I wonder at what point "the fetus" will be referred to as "the baby" or something more? For now, the fetus sticks. It's what everyone here refers to, anyway.
Sheila and Allen have picked out their "grandparent" names. Sheila will be called "Bubbi", which is Czech and what her great-great grandmother was called. Allen will be called "Papa". They don't need to be different, I just think it will be easier than always trying to say "Grandma Lindemoen"/"Grandma Lazoritz".
I've got my temporary nursing license ready to go, just in time as my compact license from Nebraska expired. Now on to the next part of the getting [yet another] nursing license in another state. Luckily, Texas is a compact state. Unfortunately, they need more from me to get the permanent license. I will probably use the temporary as long as possible before getting the permanent license. With the baby coming along, I probably won't be working past early May, of course that depends on how I feel and how we're doing on our Jeep payments. ;)
It would also be very hard to go back to work in the few short months here before we move on to the next place. I want to be home with the baby! At least for a few months. Chris understands. He'd be a stay-at-home dad if he could. It looks Chris will "wing" here in Texas in about August or September, and depending on space at the next step, we will move whenever they have space for him! It sounds like our friends that are in the Navy often end up sitting around for a couple of months waiting for the next step. Chris and I are ready for the next step. Now. South Texas is pretty gross, although I admit the weather is fairly nice here. We are supposed to get rain for the next three days, though, which is unfortunate, considering we sold the Jeep and Chris had to rescue me from the rain last time it rained like this. I will probably be at work for the next couple of days, though, so it shouldn't affect us too much.
Now that I'm further into MasterChef Junior, I've decided that they should have MasterChef Pregnant, and just watch all the to-be-moms gag over raw chicken as they try to decide what might sound good to other people, let alone themselves.
I'm now bawling because all the little kids went to hug another kid because her chicken was raw and she is totally going home.
HORMONES.
Monday, November 3, 2014
9-Month Growth Spurt
Well, truth be told this will be a backdated blog post, to
September 24th, in fact. The day that will forever go down in
history as the day I peed on a fifth stick that agreed with the other four,
that Chris and I had indeed done it.
Well, that, and then made a baby. I don’t mean to be vulgar! I’m just in disbelief. I don’t feel very different even with a miracle inside of me. I will admit that I got a weird cramp in my leg today, and a bit nauseous the other night, and have craved pickles and chicken alfredo, and once burst out crying for no reason, but other than that I have felt pretty normal. Oh, and then there was that day that my nose started running and I was definitely not sick. Profusely.
The one large thing that stuck out that made me think, “Hmm…I feel different”, was when “Horse With No Name” came on the radio and I didn’t change the radio station. My mom would vouch for me-I hate, hate, hate that song. I scream until someone turns it off. When I heard this the second time this week, I even hummed along.
I know, it’s disgusting.
I have my first doctor’s appointment tomorrow, just to confirm that the pee tests don’t lie. Chris is able to go with me, thank goodness. I’m sure they will just do some bloodwork so it won’t be exciting for Chris but it’s important for him to be there for me! He might not be able to come to a lot of the later appointments, so it’s important that he goes while he can. And afterward, we are going out for a “fancy” breakfast. Probably at iHop.
Mama needs some French toast. Oops. There’s another craving for you.
We’ve already established that Chris has been forbidden from suggesting any type of food in my presence UNLESS that specific food is sitting right in front of me.
The hardest part of this, so far, is knowing that my LAST beer was a Corona. I bought a six-pack the night before I took the first test and had one. Not great. I mean, it’s Corona. Anyway, took the test the next day and realized that my last beer for quite some time was a Corona. I could have done SO MUCH BETTER had I known/had some insight.
It will all be worth it in the end. I pray that our little one makes it to that important 12-week mark so I can share our news with all of you, but I realize that a lot of things can happen and it’s all in God’s hands. We were honestly only trying for two months, so it’s a miracle in itself that this happened so quickly.
For now, we’re just letting the news sink in, and waiting for our appointment tomorrow to confirm this. I go home for Kerrie’s wedding next week, and I’m going to have to come up with quite a lie to avoid the alcohol. J
September 26th, 2014
Normally, if I were not pregnant, I would be an absolutely PMS-y monster, but instead I regularly have fits of the giggles. I was trying to type up this entry when Chris stole my computer. He likes to read what I write (and then make fun of it). I yelled at him for stealing the computer and interrupting my creative juices, so then he told me he would type for me. This is what happened:
Well, that, and then made a baby. I don’t mean to be vulgar! I’m just in disbelief. I don’t feel very different even with a miracle inside of me. I will admit that I got a weird cramp in my leg today, and a bit nauseous the other night, and have craved pickles and chicken alfredo, and once burst out crying for no reason, but other than that I have felt pretty normal. Oh, and then there was that day that my nose started running and I was definitely not sick. Profusely.
The one large thing that stuck out that made me think, “Hmm…I feel different”, was when “Horse With No Name” came on the radio and I didn’t change the radio station. My mom would vouch for me-I hate, hate, hate that song. I scream until someone turns it off. When I heard this the second time this week, I even hummed along.
I know, it’s disgusting.
I have my first doctor’s appointment tomorrow, just to confirm that the pee tests don’t lie. Chris is able to go with me, thank goodness. I’m sure they will just do some bloodwork so it won’t be exciting for Chris but it’s important for him to be there for me! He might not be able to come to a lot of the later appointments, so it’s important that he goes while he can. And afterward, we are going out for a “fancy” breakfast. Probably at iHop.
Mama needs some French toast. Oops. There’s another craving for you.
We’ve already established that Chris has been forbidden from suggesting any type of food in my presence UNLESS that specific food is sitting right in front of me.
The hardest part of this, so far, is knowing that my LAST beer was a Corona. I bought a six-pack the night before I took the first test and had one. Not great. I mean, it’s Corona. Anyway, took the test the next day and realized that my last beer for quite some time was a Corona. I could have done SO MUCH BETTER had I known/had some insight.
It will all be worth it in the end. I pray that our little one makes it to that important 12-week mark so I can share our news with all of you, but I realize that a lot of things can happen and it’s all in God’s hands. We were honestly only trying for two months, so it’s a miracle in itself that this happened so quickly.
For now, we’re just letting the news sink in, and waiting for our appointment tomorrow to confirm this. I go home for Kerrie’s wedding next week, and I’m going to have to come up with quite a lie to avoid the alcohol. J
September 26th, 2014
Normally, if I were not pregnant, I would be an absolutely PMS-y monster, but instead I regularly have fits of the giggles. I was trying to type up this entry when Chris stole my computer. He likes to read what I write (and then make fun of it). I yelled at him for stealing the computer and interrupting my creative juices, so then he told me he would type for me. This is what happened:
Nope nope nope nope nope. Lol. Snort. Lol. LMAO. Mmmm. Lol.
LMAO. LMAO. You so funny, you so funny. Lol. One two three, bloo bloo bloo bloo
bloo bloo. Stop it lol. STOP IT. *So are you going to go tonight?* Yes. Can I
have my computer back? Lol
We are headed to a friend’s tonight so the boys can play poker. I, meanwhile, have to make a stop at Dairy Queen for ice cream so I can fill my mouth with ice cream all night so no one suspects anything or offers me a drink! Hopefully I can stay up long enough; I’m already tired and I haven’t done a darn thing today.
It is already more difficult to run. I feel heavier, and slower, and it’s harder to breathe. Also, my joints feel more loose, and my hips feel different. How is this possible after just four weeks? And now, all of a sudden, I get foot cramps. I was beating Chris last week; this week he’s beating me!
I don’t know if my general odor has changed, or grown stronger, or suddenly my nose is that of a bloodhound’s, but I don’t like the way that I smell anymore. I’m going to have to modify it. I don’t know how to put it better than that.
Today, after being on cloud nine all day, I went to Wal-Mart to get some lemonade (because water is great and all, but my taste buds want something else to drink). While I was there, I saw TWIN GIRLS have the MELTDOWN OF THE CENTURY because their mom wouldn’t buy them a bike. You know how big Wal-Mart is, but did you know I could hear them screaming at the opposite end of the store? It was terrible. I must have looked like a deer-in-headlights, pretending to be overly interested in some pens, thinking, “Oh my Lord, what have we done”. BUT it wasn’t JUST those girls-it seemed like suddenly every child I saw was crying and carrying on. I couldn’t get out of the store fast enough and into my car to take some deep breaths.
I’m glad Chris wasn’t there. He would have reacted in a bigger way.
I brought Chris a poppy seed in bed last night and asked him, “Do you know what this is?” He didn’t, and I explained that it was a poppy seed and our baby was that size. We felt sort of guilty when we threw away the poppy seed because we were enthralled by it for about five minutes.
I love that you can hold something that is the same size to truly understand what we’re dealing with.
Chris has also discovered that if he makes me mad, all he has to do is put a hand on my stomach and I smile. It's over. I have a weakness.
I’m working on the nursery. Even though it has a full bed in it right now, I’m gradually working toward the cow print/red/blue theme. Hopefully that works for either gender.
I’m a little terrified of miscarriage. There’s a chance it could happen, so whenever Chris bumps into me I yell “You’re going to dislodge it!” I’m sure it wouldn’t happen like that, but it’s fun to tease him.
September 28th, 2014
Chris and I went to Corpus Christi today with plans we found exciting. We started at Barnes and Noble, where Chris bought “The Caveman’s Guide to Pregnancy”, and I’ve caught him reading it three times today. I bought myself “The Belly Book” and “Bumpology” to read on the flight home on Wednesday. Yes, I am going home in just three short days! Which means I have lots to do before then!
The Barnes and Noble had a Starbucks, and since I now have to limit my caffeine, I had to ask the [I assume] high schooler behind the counter for the nutrition facts. She managed to find a binder (after five minutes) that had all of the nutrition facts for their drinks. I assume this content is available online somewhere, but I neglected to check the calorie and instead looked toward the caffeine. I found a coffee I could get away with and Chris got to order what he actually wanted, instead of getting something we could share. It was kind of embarrassing, and he teased me about it, until I reminded him that I am the one modifying my lifestyle, NOT him. That shut him up pretty quick.
I do think he will have to stop smoking the occasional cigar, because the smell absolutely repulses me. I also wish I could ignore the fact that he can still drink beer, because I love the smell so much I almost suck it up my nose. I would love to just dip the tip of my tongue in a cold draft. I’ll probably have to break down and have a Busch NA one of these days. Gross, right?
We met one of Chris’ friends for lunch. He is here to learn to fly C-130s. Most of the lunch, I smiled to myself, because we have this secret. His friend didn’t know that he is meeting with three Lazoritzes, even if one of us is the size of a poppy seed.
Following lunch, we went to Target to try out jogging strollers. Chris laughed at me ACTUALLY jogging around the store. He had to check out the tires/rims/other man things that did not interest me. We agreed green is an appropriate color. We also looked at all the other baby gear. Chris is not impressed with all the things we are going to have to buy for this little one. Or the clutter that might accrue. I try to behave myself, but I could not help but buy our little one this flannel today. His grandma and dad have the same one!
Notice I say, “his” like I think it’s a boy? I do.
We are headed to a friend’s tonight so the boys can play poker. I, meanwhile, have to make a stop at Dairy Queen for ice cream so I can fill my mouth with ice cream all night so no one suspects anything or offers me a drink! Hopefully I can stay up long enough; I’m already tired and I haven’t done a darn thing today.
It is already more difficult to run. I feel heavier, and slower, and it’s harder to breathe. Also, my joints feel more loose, and my hips feel different. How is this possible after just four weeks? And now, all of a sudden, I get foot cramps. I was beating Chris last week; this week he’s beating me!
I don’t know if my general odor has changed, or grown stronger, or suddenly my nose is that of a bloodhound’s, but I don’t like the way that I smell anymore. I’m going to have to modify it. I don’t know how to put it better than that.
Today, after being on cloud nine all day, I went to Wal-Mart to get some lemonade (because water is great and all, but my taste buds want something else to drink). While I was there, I saw TWIN GIRLS have the MELTDOWN OF THE CENTURY because their mom wouldn’t buy them a bike. You know how big Wal-Mart is, but did you know I could hear them screaming at the opposite end of the store? It was terrible. I must have looked like a deer-in-headlights, pretending to be overly interested in some pens, thinking, “Oh my Lord, what have we done”. BUT it wasn’t JUST those girls-it seemed like suddenly every child I saw was crying and carrying on. I couldn’t get out of the store fast enough and into my car to take some deep breaths.
I’m glad Chris wasn’t there. He would have reacted in a bigger way.
I brought Chris a poppy seed in bed last night and asked him, “Do you know what this is?” He didn’t, and I explained that it was a poppy seed and our baby was that size. We felt sort of guilty when we threw away the poppy seed because we were enthralled by it for about five minutes.
I love that you can hold something that is the same size to truly understand what we’re dealing with.
Chris has also discovered that if he makes me mad, all he has to do is put a hand on my stomach and I smile. It's over. I have a weakness.
I’m working on the nursery. Even though it has a full bed in it right now, I’m gradually working toward the cow print/red/blue theme. Hopefully that works for either gender.
I’m a little terrified of miscarriage. There’s a chance it could happen, so whenever Chris bumps into me I yell “You’re going to dislodge it!” I’m sure it wouldn’t happen like that, but it’s fun to tease him.
September 28th, 2014
Chris and I went to Corpus Christi today with plans we found exciting. We started at Barnes and Noble, where Chris bought “The Caveman’s Guide to Pregnancy”, and I’ve caught him reading it three times today. I bought myself “The Belly Book” and “Bumpology” to read on the flight home on Wednesday. Yes, I am going home in just three short days! Which means I have lots to do before then!
The Barnes and Noble had a Starbucks, and since I now have to limit my caffeine, I had to ask the [I assume] high schooler behind the counter for the nutrition facts. She managed to find a binder (after five minutes) that had all of the nutrition facts for their drinks. I assume this content is available online somewhere, but I neglected to check the calorie and instead looked toward the caffeine. I found a coffee I could get away with and Chris got to order what he actually wanted, instead of getting something we could share. It was kind of embarrassing, and he teased me about it, until I reminded him that I am the one modifying my lifestyle, NOT him. That shut him up pretty quick.
I do think he will have to stop smoking the occasional cigar, because the smell absolutely repulses me. I also wish I could ignore the fact that he can still drink beer, because I love the smell so much I almost suck it up my nose. I would love to just dip the tip of my tongue in a cold draft. I’ll probably have to break down and have a Busch NA one of these days. Gross, right?
We met one of Chris’ friends for lunch. He is here to learn to fly C-130s. Most of the lunch, I smiled to myself, because we have this secret. His friend didn’t know that he is meeting with three Lazoritzes, even if one of us is the size of a poppy seed.
Following lunch, we went to Target to try out jogging strollers. Chris laughed at me ACTUALLY jogging around the store. He had to check out the tires/rims/other man things that did not interest me. We agreed green is an appropriate color. We also looked at all the other baby gear. Chris is not impressed with all the things we are going to have to buy for this little one. Or the clutter that might accrue. I try to behave myself, but I could not help but buy our little one this flannel today. His grandma and dad have the same one!
Notice I say, “his” like I think it’s a boy? I do.
I went a little crazy buying cloth diapers a few weeks back,
but I thought I might as well buy the baby enough in one shipment instead of
trying to do it in increments and pay shipping. So, our darling face (so far)
has two toys, a crib (free from a fellow military spouse), a flannel, and
enough diapers to cover his bum bum for quite some time.
I’m currently watching a diaper bag on Ebay that I am in love with, but not enough to fork over $200.
After that we went to Carter’s where we had to stop ourselves from buying a jumpsuit that looked like a flightsuit, and an outfit that looked like Ruby’s face on the butt of the pants. Chris was sweet enough to let me stop to get some necklaces, so I let him grab a beer. Unfortunately, someone was smoking near me. I could have thrown up. I also wanted to attack them. They are lucky I couldn’t figure out who it was. I cannot handle that smell anymore. It makes me even more ill than it did pre-pregnant.
Pre-natal vitamins are too big and they mess up my stomach. Someone mentioned to me that you will never poop the same again, not that prunes can be your best friend, EVEN if they make you gag because of the texture.
Wednesday is my Dad’s birthday. I will only be five weeks along, but I can’t wait any longer to tell my parents. I need them to be there for me in case something were to happen. Not to mention, telling dad he is going to be a grandpa is the absolute best gift I can share with him. I know that for a fact! I’m also hoping it totally shocks mom. I think it will.
September 29th, 2014
This afternoon, I gagged on my BLT. How cruel, to gag on your BLT?! One of my most favorite foods in all the land, I had to spit out before it came out any more violently. Ugh. How frustrating. Along with somewhat constant heartburn, I must keep reminding myself that this is all worth it in the end, and it’s probably going to get a lot worse before it gets any better!
I will say that baby did allow me to run seven miles yesterday. They weren’t super fast by any means, but at least I kept pushing! I will probably taking it easier for the next couple of days, until I can be sure my body can handle that.
Chris freaked out yesterday. I was washing my hair and he saw the red in the drain. He didn’t know what it meant. When I got out of the shower and found him, he looked terribly sad. I had to ask why, and he said he didn’t know what it meant. I had to reassure him that everything was fine and it was just red hair dye! Poor guy.
Hopefully, his Caveman baby daddy book will help with the questions. I’ve got tons of questions myself. It’s why I can’t wait to tell mom that we’re pregnant, so I have someone to answer questions besides my poor friend, Sarah, who will probably get sick of me fast!
I ordered Burt’s Bees for myself, for my skin, hoping that it can handle all the stretching its about to do. I am already noticing how dry my skin is! I’m also itchy all of the time. Everywhere. Sigh.
Present Day:
Over a month later and I am in the throes of morning sickness. Everyone asks me, "Do you have morning sickness?" Well, the answer is yes, it's just that I get mine at night. Usually after 5pm and then goes until I fall asleep at night. I've been lucky that I haven't actually thrown up, I just feel incredibly crappy, dizzy, nauseous, etc. Benadryl helps at bedtime and helps me sleep. I don't take anything for general aches and pains. Only Benadryl for nausea.
I was quite surprised to find out that we are going to be able to find out if we are having a boy or girl at only 10 weeks along. My next appointment is a little past that, but in just over a week we will know what we are having. I think that is absolutely crazy, but good for someone like me that is a planner and a control freak. This way I can watch sales for clothes, and adjust the nursery decor (or have mom do it, since she's the one sewing it all). Chris is like me. He NEEDS to know. This test is 99% accurate, whereas an ultrasound at 20 weeks has a much lower percentage of accuracy. I don't see why we would wait!
Chris and I go back and forth. Some days we really want a boy, others we think a girl would be so cute, but most days we have no preference. That doesn't stop me from pouring over websites, looking for every old wives' tale I can find, and testing it out.
So far:
1. Shape of belly. Is it high, big, and round? Girl. Low, sticking straight out? Boy.
Well, I was surprised that my belly just kind of popped out one day, and a lot earlier than I was expecting. It seems to be low. The sonogram tech had to dig into my pelvic bone to find anything for the ultrasound. She even commented on how low it was. I'm not sure, but OUTCOME: Boy
2. Wedding ring on a string swings in a circle? Girl. Back and forth, like a pendulum? Boy. OUTCOME: Boy
3. Chinese Gender Prediction test, based on my age and month of conception. OUTCOME: Boy
4. Cravings, sweet? Girl. Salty? Boy. OUTCOME: Inconclusive. I just love food.
5. Acne: If you have it? Girl. None? Boy. OUTCOME: Girl.
6. 71% of the time, moms know predict what they are having. OUTCOME: Boy.
7. More hair on your legs than normal? Boy. The same? Girl. OUTCOME: I'm a cavewoman, even if I shave every day. Boy.
8. If a toddler shows interest in you, you're having the opposite sex. Today a little girl flashed me a huge smile and then fixated on me. OUTCOME: Boy.
9. Mix your urine with baking soda. If it fizzes wildly? Boy. No reaction? Girl (Something to do with the pH of your urine.) OUTCOME: Girl.
10. Mayan Gender Prediction: If the age of the mother at conception and the year of conception added together are an even number? Girl. If odd: Boy. OUTCOME: Girl.
These tests are fun but I will be happy to know what the accurate answer is. I realize I need to behave myself because I now have pink and blue onesies hanging in the baby's closet. It's a little early for that, but at least there are lots of other babies in our life to pass those off to!
I take naps almost every single day that I can. I'm not much of a napper but I am telling you, once 2:00 rolls around, I'm down for the count. I've noticed that my nausea is twice as bad when I'm hungry or overtired. The other day Chris and I were running errands and it hit me at once how hungry I was. When we got to Dairy Queen and had ordered, I lay down in the booth because it's all I could do. When my shake and fries got to the table, I inhaled them. Chris cannot believe how fast and how much I can eat now.
He also can't believe what makes me cry. I haven't cried much. The usual puppy videos get me, but the other day I started crying at that video of that lady and her dog dancing to "Grease", because in my head I was thinking about how much that dog must love her, and THAT made me cry. I also started crying when I realized Chris was going to St. Louis to see his family for Thanksgiving. Although I am very jealous about that, I cried because St. Louis has this amazing pasta place with to-die-for alfredo and in my mind I was thinking that he could go there without me and that made me cry. (As dumb as that is, I just went on a search for a copycat recipe online.)
I'm telling you, hormones are RIDICULOUS.
Like my mother before me, I am showing already. She said she was into maternity clothes not long after she found out she was pregnant. I'm the same way. It may be more by choice, because I can't stand the thought of wearing anything tight, or people looking at my stomach and thinking I just ate too much that day. Sorry strangers, but I don't feel like explaining to you that my uterus is grapefruit-sized and stuffed with a green olive-sized baby. Maternity dresses have become my absolute best friends. Chris thinks I look nice and I don't feel like I have to hide anything.
Christopher and I had to sell his Jeep. We did so this past week and that was one of those weird times where I cried much harder than a normal person would have. We had so many good memories in the Jeep! Chris picked me up for our first date in his dad's car because his Jeep was "in surgery" (getting a lift kit put on). We got stuck in deep, deep snow in Randolph's countryside and had to dig out with a tiny shovel and no gloves. We slid on ice a couple of days after we started dating and he reached out to catch me and grabbed my boob. He's rescued his family multiple times in the snow-getting them to and from work and church. Once, he got stuck in the snow in Omaha and his friend Shawn had to pull him out with his little Integra. We took my brother Nick into the country once to drive through mud, and he didn't even complain when mud splashed on his arm and face. Like I said, there are a ton of good memories, but the idea of lifting a car seat into the Jeep is not something that I want to continually consider.
We sold the Jeep to a nice guy who wanted something smaller to drive than his truck, but also to be able to get dirty. His plan was to take the Jeep out in the mud, first thing. I had my fun with the Jeep the night before. We came home from a Halloween party and I went through some puddles in the park. Naturally, we got pulled over because fun isn't allowed here. The cop had pulled Chris over when we first moved here because he went the wrong way down a one-way. Luckily, he remembered us. He asked what we were doing in the park, because it closes on the weekends at 11pm. I suppose he thought we were drinking. I don't know. Well, I explained that we were selling the Jeep the very next day and we just wanted to have some fun with it. He kind of chuckled at us. Then I pointed at our house (which was 50 feet away) and said, we live RIGHT there.
He let us go.
And then we were running the next day and he pulled up behind us. We had Nalli and Bart with us and I said to Chris, great, here we go again. I think the cop must have felt badly about the night before, because he showered us with compliments about our dogs and then asked if we were going to breed them.
Yeah, because we would add to the ridiculous stray population in Texas when there are already a ridiculous amount of dogs being put down at the local shelter. And that's the only thing dogs are good for.
NO! They are family members that don't need to worry about anything but being dogs! Ugh. I was so irritated. But I realize he was going out of his way to somewhat apologize to us. And then fact check, because he asked if we sold the Jeep. We assured him that we did, and he was on his merry way.
He's nice, and I'm sure that Chris and I stick out somehow, but I was rather irritated him at this point. But also thankful he didn't give us a ticket.
Back to pregnancy talk, because that's how my mind works now. It is 1.) All over the place and 2.) Constantly revolving around pregnancy, being pregnant, and food.
I haven't found that anything (food-wise) completely turns me off. I thought that I had lucked out, because normally I'm not picky and there isn't anything I absolutely won't eat. Actually, Chipotle and I have "consciously uncoupled" (Thanks, Gwyneth) because we don't get along, but other than that it's just the general disapproval of food that bothers me. I will be in the store, something will sound DELICIOUS and I MUST HAVE IT NOW. So I buy all of the ingredients. By the time I get home, it sounds terrible. Food cravings come in very quick waves and I move on quite quickly.
I revolve around food. Plain and simple. :)
I’m currently watching a diaper bag on Ebay that I am in love with, but not enough to fork over $200.
After that we went to Carter’s where we had to stop ourselves from buying a jumpsuit that looked like a flightsuit, and an outfit that looked like Ruby’s face on the butt of the pants. Chris was sweet enough to let me stop to get some necklaces, so I let him grab a beer. Unfortunately, someone was smoking near me. I could have thrown up. I also wanted to attack them. They are lucky I couldn’t figure out who it was. I cannot handle that smell anymore. It makes me even more ill than it did pre-pregnant.
Pre-natal vitamins are too big and they mess up my stomach. Someone mentioned to me that you will never poop the same again, not that prunes can be your best friend, EVEN if they make you gag because of the texture.
Wednesday is my Dad’s birthday. I will only be five weeks along, but I can’t wait any longer to tell my parents. I need them to be there for me in case something were to happen. Not to mention, telling dad he is going to be a grandpa is the absolute best gift I can share with him. I know that for a fact! I’m also hoping it totally shocks mom. I think it will.
September 29th, 2014
This afternoon, I gagged on my BLT. How cruel, to gag on your BLT?! One of my most favorite foods in all the land, I had to spit out before it came out any more violently. Ugh. How frustrating. Along with somewhat constant heartburn, I must keep reminding myself that this is all worth it in the end, and it’s probably going to get a lot worse before it gets any better!
I will say that baby did allow me to run seven miles yesterday. They weren’t super fast by any means, but at least I kept pushing! I will probably taking it easier for the next couple of days, until I can be sure my body can handle that.
Chris freaked out yesterday. I was washing my hair and he saw the red in the drain. He didn’t know what it meant. When I got out of the shower and found him, he looked terribly sad. I had to ask why, and he said he didn’t know what it meant. I had to reassure him that everything was fine and it was just red hair dye! Poor guy.
Hopefully, his Caveman baby daddy book will help with the questions. I’ve got tons of questions myself. It’s why I can’t wait to tell mom that we’re pregnant, so I have someone to answer questions besides my poor friend, Sarah, who will probably get sick of me fast!
I ordered Burt’s Bees for myself, for my skin, hoping that it can handle all the stretching its about to do. I am already noticing how dry my skin is! I’m also itchy all of the time. Everywhere. Sigh.
Present Day:
Over a month later and I am in the throes of morning sickness. Everyone asks me, "Do you have morning sickness?" Well, the answer is yes, it's just that I get mine at night. Usually after 5pm and then goes until I fall asleep at night. I've been lucky that I haven't actually thrown up, I just feel incredibly crappy, dizzy, nauseous, etc. Benadryl helps at bedtime and helps me sleep. I don't take anything for general aches and pains. Only Benadryl for nausea.
I was quite surprised to find out that we are going to be able to find out if we are having a boy or girl at only 10 weeks along. My next appointment is a little past that, but in just over a week we will know what we are having. I think that is absolutely crazy, but good for someone like me that is a planner and a control freak. This way I can watch sales for clothes, and adjust the nursery decor (or have mom do it, since she's the one sewing it all). Chris is like me. He NEEDS to know. This test is 99% accurate, whereas an ultrasound at 20 weeks has a much lower percentage of accuracy. I don't see why we would wait!
Chris and I go back and forth. Some days we really want a boy, others we think a girl would be so cute, but most days we have no preference. That doesn't stop me from pouring over websites, looking for every old wives' tale I can find, and testing it out.
So far:
1. Shape of belly. Is it high, big, and round? Girl. Low, sticking straight out? Boy.
Well, I was surprised that my belly just kind of popped out one day, and a lot earlier than I was expecting. It seems to be low. The sonogram tech had to dig into my pelvic bone to find anything for the ultrasound. She even commented on how low it was. I'm not sure, but OUTCOME: Boy
2. Wedding ring on a string swings in a circle? Girl. Back and forth, like a pendulum? Boy. OUTCOME: Boy
3. Chinese Gender Prediction test, based on my age and month of conception. OUTCOME: Boy
4. Cravings, sweet? Girl. Salty? Boy. OUTCOME: Inconclusive. I just love food.
5. Acne: If you have it? Girl. None? Boy. OUTCOME: Girl.
6. 71% of the time, moms know predict what they are having. OUTCOME: Boy.
7. More hair on your legs than normal? Boy. The same? Girl. OUTCOME: I'm a cavewoman, even if I shave every day. Boy.
8. If a toddler shows interest in you, you're having the opposite sex. Today a little girl flashed me a huge smile and then fixated on me. OUTCOME: Boy.
9. Mix your urine with baking soda. If it fizzes wildly? Boy. No reaction? Girl (Something to do with the pH of your urine.) OUTCOME: Girl.
10. Mayan Gender Prediction: If the age of the mother at conception and the year of conception added together are an even number? Girl. If odd: Boy. OUTCOME: Girl.
These tests are fun but I will be happy to know what the accurate answer is. I realize I need to behave myself because I now have pink and blue onesies hanging in the baby's closet. It's a little early for that, but at least there are lots of other babies in our life to pass those off to!
I take naps almost every single day that I can. I'm not much of a napper but I am telling you, once 2:00 rolls around, I'm down for the count. I've noticed that my nausea is twice as bad when I'm hungry or overtired. The other day Chris and I were running errands and it hit me at once how hungry I was. When we got to Dairy Queen and had ordered, I lay down in the booth because it's all I could do. When my shake and fries got to the table, I inhaled them. Chris cannot believe how fast and how much I can eat now.
He also can't believe what makes me cry. I haven't cried much. The usual puppy videos get me, but the other day I started crying at that video of that lady and her dog dancing to "Grease", because in my head I was thinking about how much that dog must love her, and THAT made me cry. I also started crying when I realized Chris was going to St. Louis to see his family for Thanksgiving. Although I am very jealous about that, I cried because St. Louis has this amazing pasta place with to-die-for alfredo and in my mind I was thinking that he could go there without me and that made me cry. (As dumb as that is, I just went on a search for a copycat recipe online.)
I'm telling you, hormones are RIDICULOUS.
Like my mother before me, I am showing already. She said she was into maternity clothes not long after she found out she was pregnant. I'm the same way. It may be more by choice, because I can't stand the thought of wearing anything tight, or people looking at my stomach and thinking I just ate too much that day. Sorry strangers, but I don't feel like explaining to you that my uterus is grapefruit-sized and stuffed with a green olive-sized baby. Maternity dresses have become my absolute best friends. Chris thinks I look nice and I don't feel like I have to hide anything.
Christopher and I had to sell his Jeep. We did so this past week and that was one of those weird times where I cried much harder than a normal person would have. We had so many good memories in the Jeep! Chris picked me up for our first date in his dad's car because his Jeep was "in surgery" (getting a lift kit put on). We got stuck in deep, deep snow in Randolph's countryside and had to dig out with a tiny shovel and no gloves. We slid on ice a couple of days after we started dating and he reached out to catch me and grabbed my boob. He's rescued his family multiple times in the snow-getting them to and from work and church. Once, he got stuck in the snow in Omaha and his friend Shawn had to pull him out with his little Integra. We took my brother Nick into the country once to drive through mud, and he didn't even complain when mud splashed on his arm and face. Like I said, there are a ton of good memories, but the idea of lifting a car seat into the Jeep is not something that I want to continually consider.
We sold the Jeep to a nice guy who wanted something smaller to drive than his truck, but also to be able to get dirty. His plan was to take the Jeep out in the mud, first thing. I had my fun with the Jeep the night before. We came home from a Halloween party and I went through some puddles in the park. Naturally, we got pulled over because fun isn't allowed here. The cop had pulled Chris over when we first moved here because he went the wrong way down a one-way. Luckily, he remembered us. He asked what we were doing in the park, because it closes on the weekends at 11pm. I suppose he thought we were drinking. I don't know. Well, I explained that we were selling the Jeep the very next day and we just wanted to have some fun with it. He kind of chuckled at us. Then I pointed at our house (which was 50 feet away) and said, we live RIGHT there.
He let us go.
And then we were running the next day and he pulled up behind us. We had Nalli and Bart with us and I said to Chris, great, here we go again. I think the cop must have felt badly about the night before, because he showered us with compliments about our dogs and then asked if we were going to breed them.
Yeah, because we would add to the ridiculous stray population in Texas when there are already a ridiculous amount of dogs being put down at the local shelter. And that's the only thing dogs are good for.
NO! They are family members that don't need to worry about anything but being dogs! Ugh. I was so irritated. But I realize he was going out of his way to somewhat apologize to us. And then fact check, because he asked if we sold the Jeep. We assured him that we did, and he was on his merry way.
He's nice, and I'm sure that Chris and I stick out somehow, but I was rather irritated him at this point. But also thankful he didn't give us a ticket.
Back to pregnancy talk, because that's how my mind works now. It is 1.) All over the place and 2.) Constantly revolving around pregnancy, being pregnant, and food.
I haven't found that anything (food-wise) completely turns me off. I thought that I had lucked out, because normally I'm not picky and there isn't anything I absolutely won't eat. Actually, Chipotle and I have "consciously uncoupled" (Thanks, Gwyneth) because we don't get along, but other than that it's just the general disapproval of food that bothers me. I will be in the store, something will sound DELICIOUS and I MUST HAVE IT NOW. So I buy all of the ingredients. By the time I get home, it sounds terrible. Food cravings come in very quick waves and I move on quite quickly.
I revolve around food. Plain and simple. :)
Monday, September 29, 2014
Mr. and Mrs. Dinger
There is no better excuse to go home than for your pseudo-sister's wedding to a man you can actually say is good enough for her. Kerrie's getting hitched next Saturday to the boy we all knew she would, pretty much the day we met him. You could just tell by the way she was Kerrie when she was around him. She didn't have to be anything else to make him happy.
I'm proud to be a part of their big day. I feel honored that Kerrie has asked me to be a part of this day! Hopefully she and I can go on a couple of runs or something together while I'm home. It'll be great just to spend some time with her!
I have packed and re-packed my suitcase multiple times, as usual. I am about to do it again, but for the final time, as I will not allow myself to do it again, nor do I have the time. I leave very early on Wednesday morning, and I work tomorrow, there is not a whole lot of time to do all the stuff on my list, nor pack, nor prepare food to keep my husband happy, nor cuddle the pups, or husband for that matter. Even less time to blog, SO I'm off to re-pack for the fourth and final time and then do all the things I should have done last week. :)
See you soon, Nebraska!
I'm proud to be a part of their big day. I feel honored that Kerrie has asked me to be a part of this day! Hopefully she and I can go on a couple of runs or something together while I'm home. It'll be great just to spend some time with her!
I have packed and re-packed my suitcase multiple times, as usual. I am about to do it again, but for the final time, as I will not allow myself to do it again, nor do I have the time. I leave very early on Wednesday morning, and I work tomorrow, there is not a whole lot of time to do all the stuff on my list, nor pack, nor prepare food to keep my husband happy, nor cuddle the pups, or husband for that matter. Even less time to blog, SO I'm off to re-pack for the fourth and final time and then do all the things I should have done last week. :)
See you soon, Nebraska!
Saturday, September 6, 2014
How Romance Changes
It's hard to believe that our two-year wedding anniversary is right around the corner. It honestly feels like we just got married. I suppose it's because we haven't really had time to settle? Chris moved in with me right after we got married. Two months later, we moved in with his parents. We lived there for a short seven months before moving to Virginia. Six months later, we moved to Florida. We left Florida for Texas nine months later. Thank you Marine Corps, for keeping our lives exciting.
I would say that the moves have definitely made us stronger. We communicate pretty well, and we enjoy each others' company. We have to when we are making these 1,200 mile moves every few months.
Romance is different, though. Romance for newlyweds is something. Romance after you've been married for a couple of years isn't as...sexy.
Let me explain.
When you go shopping together, romance is when you grab some toilet paper off the shelf and ask your husband, "This is the kind you like, right?"
Or when you get fixed up to go to the local DQ for a date on a Saturday afternoon.
Romance is when you see queso dip in a movie and later agree you both need queso dip.
It doesn't take much, folks, but I love it.
Now we are watching the new season of Trailer Park Boys on Netflix and drinking Oktoberfest.
We went to see "Boyhood" in Corpus Christi today. The theatre was nice. The crowd was much...older. We had to laugh because we associated with the movie because the kid is meant to be just a few years younger than us. But we overheard the elderly crowd we found ourselves among saying things like, "Boy, we sure grew up in a different time, didn't we?" or "I like those philosophical or psychological or whatever you call them movies". Chris loved the movie, I think it spoke to him more than myself. I found it good but anti-climactic. I guess I need some gut-wrenching climax in order to truly enjoy a movie. It was alright.
I start work on Monday! When I first found out I wouldn't start orientation until nearly three weeks after my interview I was so annoyed, trying to figure out how I would pass the time, but now I find myself thinking, "Crap, I had a lot more I wanted to do."
Oh, well. I should be working three-to-four days per week meaning I should have three-to-four days per week to get things done around the house and spoil the pups.
Chris has been incredibly busy. To put it morbidly, he has been studying extra hard so that he doesn't die. I wish I were kidding, but he doesn't want to make a silly mistake while he is flying that could end terribly. He faces a lot of demons every day, and I am so proud of this kid for doing what he is doing. I also realize that THIS is what he wants to do with his life, so it doesn't seem so scary.
The selections for the aircraft he wants got backed up by a couple of months, so I'm not sure he will be eligible for it. There are other options, though, so he will be happy, no matter what.
I bought my first Ebay item this week. I am, apparently, trying to fit in with the Texas vibe by buying a cowhide rug. No, I am not kidding. It was an exhilarating bidding war that I won.
There isn't a whole lot going on here! Our goal is to spend our anniversary in San Antonio. I managed to find a dog sitter, so hopefully it works out! Maybe there we can work on our romance?
I would say that the moves have definitely made us stronger. We communicate pretty well, and we enjoy each others' company. We have to when we are making these 1,200 mile moves every few months.
Romance is different, though. Romance for newlyweds is something. Romance after you've been married for a couple of years isn't as...sexy.
Let me explain.
When you go shopping together, romance is when you grab some toilet paper off the shelf and ask your husband, "This is the kind you like, right?"
Or when you get fixed up to go to the local DQ for a date on a Saturday afternoon.
Romance is when you see queso dip in a movie and later agree you both need queso dip.
It doesn't take much, folks, but I love it.
Now we are watching the new season of Trailer Park Boys on Netflix and drinking Oktoberfest.
We went to see "Boyhood" in Corpus Christi today. The theatre was nice. The crowd was much...older. We had to laugh because we associated with the movie because the kid is meant to be just a few years younger than us. But we overheard the elderly crowd we found ourselves among saying things like, "Boy, we sure grew up in a different time, didn't we?" or "I like those philosophical or psychological or whatever you call them movies". Chris loved the movie, I think it spoke to him more than myself. I found it good but anti-climactic. I guess I need some gut-wrenching climax in order to truly enjoy a movie. It was alright.
I start work on Monday! When I first found out I wouldn't start orientation until nearly three weeks after my interview I was so annoyed, trying to figure out how I would pass the time, but now I find myself thinking, "Crap, I had a lot more I wanted to do."
Oh, well. I should be working three-to-four days per week meaning I should have three-to-four days per week to get things done around the house and spoil the pups.
Chris has been incredibly busy. To put it morbidly, he has been studying extra hard so that he doesn't die. I wish I were kidding, but he doesn't want to make a silly mistake while he is flying that could end terribly. He faces a lot of demons every day, and I am so proud of this kid for doing what he is doing. I also realize that THIS is what he wants to do with his life, so it doesn't seem so scary.
The selections for the aircraft he wants got backed up by a couple of months, so I'm not sure he will be eligible for it. There are other options, though, so he will be happy, no matter what.
I bought my first Ebay item this week. I am, apparently, trying to fit in with the Texas vibe by buying a cowhide rug. No, I am not kidding. It was an exhilarating bidding war that I won.
There isn't a whole lot going on here! Our goal is to spend our anniversary in San Antonio. I managed to find a dog sitter, so hopefully it works out! Maybe there we can work on our romance?
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