Almost on our way

Tomorrow we head to Cleveland! We're very exited to see everyone! I also feel anxious for some reason too, though. Traveling while pregnant seems like it could be troublesome. I probably just need to get some sleep. Violet is already at my friend Tiffany's house for a little "sleepover" and we'll miss her tonight.  But she is buddies with my Tiffany's dog, Sam, so she'll have a great time.

All snuggled up!

Two days till Christmas

I am getting pretty excited for Christmas this year. And not because there's anything under the tree that I've been dying for (but I know I'll get a few goodies), but mostly because I am really looking forward to just sitting with Stephen and our pup and having a nice, relaxed holiday. I've got to get ready for work in 10 minutes, but right now I'm sitting in the living room, next to the Christmas tree (I've told you all already how much I love our tree, right?), and Violet is cuddling on my belly, and I've got a nice cup of tea, and all I can think is how perfect this is. I'm sad that we won't be near any of our family for the actual Christmas day, but it will only be a couple days till we get to see nearly everyone, and I am incredibly excited about that too. This year, Christmas means a nice relaxing day, with awesome food (we already picked it all out!), and some friends- and then family just two days later. It's going to be fabulous.
Probably one of the most exciting parts is to think that this time next year, there will be another one of us to celebrate with!
Baby Millet has been kicking quite a bit lately, which is a good sign. She's got some long legs for sure! I'm not sure if they come from me or the Millet women, because we've both got some impressive stems in my opinion. Otherwise, not a lot to report on her. I am 28 weeks as of Wednesday (29 the day after Christmas), and I have majorly popped- I have been told I look like I have a watermelon stuffed up my shirt multiple times. Everyone keeps asking when my due date is, and although I look like I have a huge bump in comparison to my overall size, I have just started my 3rd trimester. I have also been told multiple times it looks like I'm having a boy because apparently I'm all belly. Little do they know that I already had quite a period of this little girl "stealing my beauty" as they say- it's just that I got a good facial scrub and use some very nice makeup. I should probably be a Bare Minerals spokesperson.

It Does Get Cold In Texas

December is just passing me by so quickly. I finished my final paper for my online class yesterday and it is a relief to be done with the class. Mainly because I had to make time every week to meet up online with a partner in another time zone, and that could be problematic. I've got 90% of my Christmas shopping done, with only a few presents left to buy, and everything already thought out. I can't believe that Christmas itself is only 12 days away! I love having our Christmas tree up, and sitting next to Stephen every night after work with the lights on. It really is a happy place for me.

I took my glucose test a week or so ago, which tests for gestational diabetes, and I happily found out I have not contracted it. My diet has been reasonably healthy throughout this whole pregnancy, but I started to worry that I may have been a bit too lenient in my indulgence of sweets. But what is pregnancy without worry? Everything was completely fine and I passed with flying colors in the end.  I have been feeling stronger kicks from the baby recently, and I think that they are becoming more specific (if that makes any sense). She seems to be using different gestures and probably is developing her movements, which is exciting. My hair and nails have been looking pretty fabulous lately (if I do say so myself), and my bump is very round but has not taken over my body completely.

Apparently Texas does get somewhat cold in the winter, and I have been wearing a coat almost every day for almost two weeks now. Violet didn't want to go outside to do her business yesterday or this morning, so I actually bought her a dog hoodie from American Apparel.  The outlet mall where I work has an American Apparel outlet, and the dog hoodie was cheaper there than online, and I was glad to be able to inspect it and debate about the size in person. She didn't want to put it on at first, but she seems to love it after getting it on. She wore it all evening and was definitely very warm! She was unsure about running around in it at first, but got used to it quickly and was wagging her tail. We think she looks very very cute.

Family Christmas

What's new

I just got an email from my grandma reminding me that I have not posted here in a long time! When I checked, to my surprise, it has been an entire month! My apologies.

Stephen and I have been working our little tushes off- him a bit more literally than me, my tush seems to not be going anywhere anytime soon... But that is alright! My store (finally) got a manager this week, and I am so glad she's here. I just want to do things the right way and it is so much easier to do that when you have someone correcting your mistakes, having you back, and helping lighten your load so you actually have time to think once in a while!

Baby Millet is doing great- I feel her kicking all the time. Stephen finally has been able to feel her a few times (previously, she would kick then as soon as I got his hand over to feel, she would stop!) and a couple of my girls at work got to feel her too. I still pretty much look like a small watermelon is stuffed under my shirt, but that is okay with me. I can feel the changes in my body, but I still look pretty normal (with the exception of my bump!).

Stephen and I are looking forward to coming back later this month for our Holiday/Baby celebration! There's only 19 days till Christmas too! Time is really flying and I am looking forward to seeing our families. I have a OBGYN appointment on the 10th and I have to make sure to remember to get a note from her saying I am allowed to fly! I don't know that I would be detained, but I would rather not have any hassle.

I'm mostly done with Christmas shopping, and managed to avoid the holiday shopping craziness, so I feel pretty accomplished about the whole situation. My present wrapping skills may be improving also. The other day I was wrapping presents while Stephen was in the other room, and I got some really sharp pains under my ribs (Is that you kicking, baby?) so I yelped a bit and laid down on the ground. Stephen came over to check if I was okay and I was mid-present wrapping and had a particularly oddly shapped item that kept tearing the edges of the wrapping paper I was trying to cover it in, so I yelled "NO! Don't come in! I'm terrible at wrapping presents! You'll figure out what I got you!". But being the good husband that he is, he laughed and came in anyways and when he saw me laying there on the ground with tape and paper sprawled out around me he said "Do you need Life Alert? You look like one of their commercials!". He then showed me some tricks that make his wrapping so good on a present for our pup, and I think I finally am getting the hang of it. The presents I wrapped after that look a lot better!

Besides the ever-present back pain, however, I'm doing pretty alright. I'm hoping I can get my mom to help me "lower my shoulders" a bit when we come home!

Photo Proof

I've got my "I voted" Sticker and my baby bump.

The Worst Part

At 20 weeks, the worst part of this whole ordeal is not the random aches and pains. It is not the total strangers trying to give me advice. It is not the fatigue or the hunger.
It is the fact that I am starting to need maternity clothes and shopping for them is a completely disheartening ordeal. I don't want your gratuitous ruffles! I don't want your cheap fabrics! And I most certainly don't want your pants, because they are ALL too short on me. I also am not interested on spending a ton of money on something poorly made, which I will only be wearing for the next 5 months (give or take) anyways! I just need enough clothes to make it one week at a time,  for the next 20 weeks. Is there a "What Not To Wear" type show for pregnant women? Is there a thrift store I've been missing? I feel like there are secrets I've not been privy too, mostly because I'm living in a strange state and most of my friends haven't had kids yet anyways.
And one more thing. A note to the good people of ebay- No, I will not buy your pregnancy clothes from you at $10 less than the price you paid! They are mostly outdated and it's not my fault that you went overboard on your maternity clothes and only wore them all once or twice! You need to take that up with your husband and stop taking it out on me. Also, two shirts does not constitute a "Huge Lot!!!". (Yes, I really saw someone trying to sell two shirts as a "Huge Lot!!!"). And one more thing, did EVERYONE become a size large or XL when they were pregnant? Those clothes are designed to be flowy and stretchy, and they design them in your normal size... I'm still a small or medium.

There's my maternity clothes rant. I needed to get it out somewhere! I know the generations before me had their own maternity clothing challenges too! It really is a never ending dilemma!

On a positive note, however, our hot water heater is working again! They repair men came yesterday afternoon and were done with it in a half hour. I don't even know what was wrong with it, but I am SO HAPPY to be able to confidently wash dishes, do the laundry, and most of all take a hot shower! I am off to do the latter right now!

Pumpkin Spice

Today the high is 85 degrees, but tomorrow it's going to be 59 according to weather.com. This means that Starbuck's pumpkin spice lattes are even more tempting. I know I'm not supposed to have a lot of caffeine, but I've taken this very specifically to mean keep it to one cup a day, once (or twice) a week, maximum. I am trying to compensate my fall yearnings with the promise of wearing a sweater to work tomorrow and making pumpkin spice baked goods. I've already made pumpkin gingerbread cookies (I got some new cookie cutters from Target on sale, and I already had a few from the thrift store so I've been looking for reasons to use them) and I'm planning on making some pumpkin spice bread next. I ended up getting that bread machine I saw at the thrift store (only $9.99 and it's $60 on amazon!), and I love having one again! Stephen can have delicious home made toast every morning to take with him for breakfast, and I enjoy interesting flavors of bread all the time. My first loaf was a golden raisin and spice loaf. I think it's in my genes- special breads, jams, and teas are always a favorite. I read that the baby is drinking amniotic fluid for practice swallowing and digesting, and can actually taste it at this point, so I should be eating things I want her to eat. I suppose healthy, home made bread is an alright start. I still have 4 (5) months to convince her that she should inherit my love for broccoli.
Speaking of the baby, I'm 99% sure I've been feeling her kick every once in a while for the past week or two. And while sometimes this just feels like little bubbles popping on the inside of my tummy, sometimes this means pain in my ribs. When we saw the ultrasound of her, you could see already that she has long legs, so I'm not surprised. The manager at the other BCBG in my outlet mall is also having a baby, (a little girl as well!) and is due just less than a month after me. It's funny because she'll come over to talk about scheduling or other business-related things, and we always get on the topic of babies. Or finding maternity clothes. Or day care. Or any one of the thousand things that fellow soon-to-be mothers can find to talk about. Honestly, I am really glad she's there, as she's not only more experienced as a manager and can help me with any questions I have, but also is a few years older has a different perspective about the whole mother/family vs work discussion. 

Flying By

As I write this, I am 19 weeks and 5 days pregnant. I (give or take) am halfway there. That thought strikes me as almost unreal. The month of October has absolutely jetted by me.  I can't believe that November is just over a week away. My store's manager is leaving at the end of the week, and while I am not shaking in fear, I am not sure I'm ready. I know that our district manager is working on getting us a new manager, but these coming weeks could be tough. I asked Stephen if I could get a prenatal massage when my next check comes in, and he agreed. I am definitely looking forward to it! The worst part about the coming week is that I'm having trouble scheduling it. I have (until we get a new manager) taken over scheduling for the store, and, of course, no one wants to work on Halloween. I'm sure they all have plans, but I hope it will actually be a calm day for us. I made a pair of lace cat ears on a headband to wear (with all black- I'll be a cat), and we got a memo from the corporate office that we are allowed to participate in giving away candy to kids along with many other stores in our outlet mall. I think it will be fun, actually. I gave my fellow key holder, Crystal, the day off (we both are only allowed to work 40 hours per week, and have to have 2 days off per week), so I thought it would be best to have a bit of fun with it since I'm going to be there all day.
Today is my day off but somehow I have not taken the nap I was planning on. Before settling on the cat ears, I was going to be a panda (black/white dress, panda ears/hair buns), so I ventured out to the local thrift stores and was pretty disappointed.  Maybe it's just in Ohio that the thrift stores are cheaper, but I decided the prices were a bit much for me, especially with the lacking selection. I did, however, see a circus themed waffle maker (as well as a few other ones, including snoopy), a nice bread machine, and a new looking humidifier. All three of which we have been interested in getting sometime soonish (the waffle maker doesn't have to be circus themed, though). I didn't get any reaction to the texts I send Stephen about the appliances, though, so I didn't end up buying anything. By the end of two thrift stores, I just wanted to go home and eat something, so that is exactly what I did.  Then Stephen got home for lunch, which reminded me the water heater was not making hot water. I took a look, saw it was electric, then looked at the breaker box. Curiously, the water heater switch was off. I turned it on, then saw a blast of black smoke and a spark of electricity and it turned itself off again. Not a good sign... I immediately called the rental company and emailed them a maintenance request, so I'm hoping something will happen about that rather quickly. I may be heating up water on the stove and taking a bath tomorrow otherwise...
When it rains, it pours, eh?

Let's Keep The Pink To A Minimum

Our mammogram technician was a nice but somewhat in-understandable older gentleman, but finally we gathered that it's a girl!

Cool Down

Well I'm not sure if it's allergies or if I'm under the weather, but I am very excited about the "chicken" noodle soup I'm currently making. On sunday, it was actually in the mid 50's at the warmest, and yesterday was in the 60's. Today it's supposed to be warmer, but it's very cloudy and still feels cool to me. Weather.com also told me that the pollen count in my area is pretty high, so honestly it's possible that I'm feeling a bit of both.  Today is my day off, so I plan on drinking tea and eating soup and getting some housework done then rewarding myself with a nap.
My new job has been going amazingly well. I feel like I'm really getting the hang of all the key holder stuff I didn't have to do before, and my manager is very laid back.
Only a week till we find out if it's a boy or girl! Stephen and I are betting girl, mostly because we have a few boy names we love, but girl names have been more difficult for us to decide on.

Weekly emails

I get weekly emails updating me on the baby's progress and this week is kind of exciting-

My baby has a skeleton, and finger prints, and is the size of an onion! Wow. I told my manager that I'm expecting and she was excited for me and very sweet. Unfortunately, she's also leaving to focus on school at the end of the month.  Big changes are afoot! But hopefully not for me, I love my job and the amount of responsibility I have right now is perfect for me.
Stephen told me yesterday that he's really excited to find out if the baby is a boy or a girl and it was really nice to hear that from him. His excitement comes in bursts, so sometimes they seem few and far between, and I like to see reminders from him. I just generally express a small bit of excitement every time the subject comes up.
I think that for Christmas I'm going to ask Stephen if I can buy one really really nice piece of maternity wear off ebay. I ordered a catalog from a company called Isabella Oliver and their maternity clothes are SO beautiful- I am obsessed with the look. There is also a company called Hatch which does amazing maternity pieces. Everything from those two is made of beautiful materials, in incredible colors, and amazing cuts that work during and after pregnancy. I don't intend on buying anything full price, however, because I am not looking to pay that much for one piece of maternity clothing. But having something on sale or second hand to wear to my baby shower that made me feel spoiled and beautiful would be wonderful. Not to say that I don't LOVE my new topshop leggings and long skirt. They are fabulous and I already know I'll be wearing them all the time.

Time Passes

I finally feel relaxed. For the first time in a while, I don't feel like there is something that needs to get done right now or everything will explode. I finally got my car back from the shop (3 weeks later...), my first week at my new job went great, and I'm on week two of making food ahead of time for the week so we've always got something prepared. I really love the feeling of everything being under control. Last week I made curry calzones, pesto calzones, and lasagna for dinners and lunches. For breakfasts I made cranberry almond granola and apple cinnamon muffins. This week I'm making "meat"balls and bought hoagie buns and whole wheat spaghetti to eat them with, as well as some artichoke spinach stuffed peppers. For breakfast, we're having apricot date granola and some kind of muffins, but I haven't made them yet.

This is the recipe I made the meatballs from: I used 1.5 cups of chopped up mushrooms .5 cups of veggie crumbles instead of their recipe for "mushroom meat" .
http://chubbyvegetarian.blogspot.com/2012/02/vegetarian-meatballs.html

Stephen and my 1st year anniversary is on Monday and I can hardly believe it's been a year. This time last year I had just begun living in Florida and my whole life had changed. But it's been an amazing year and I can't believe everything that has happened and everything I have done and everywhere I have been.  I think the hardest part is trying to pick a restaurant to have dinner at tomorrow night (celebrating early).

Toes and Fingernails

I had an OBGYN appointment today and it looks like everybody is doing great. I'm gaining the right amount of weight, and the baby is growing so big already. I always thought I'd be cool about the whole "seeing the baby" thing, but every time the doctor shows me on the ultrasound, I get kind of excited. Not that that is a bad thing. I got to see the spine and ribcage of the baby and it's heart pumping away! We still don't know what gender the baby is, but the doctor said she thought she might have seen something that would be a hint. We'll know for sure exactly one month from today- my ultrasound is scheduled for October 17.

 I thought you could see the spine more clearly here, but it looks blurry on the computer screen.

 Looking less like a gummy bear and more like a baby!

 

The heartbeat, which was in the 150's

Extra Special Thanks

This post is an extremely heartfelt thanks to the Millets, who on their visit with us not only were great company, but were extremely generous. They made our new washer a set! Don't they look great together!?! The new dryer is so quiet, I'm not at all afraid it will wake the baby. And we don't have to keep our hammer on top of it to whip it into shape! (Joking- we don't encourage appliance violence. We are not the Fonz, and that dryer was loud and angry when we got it.)

30 Rock and Orange Sherbert

I was laughing so hard I was crying after watching this.

1sts

I've just bought my first maternity clothes and my first baby clothes. It had begun.
I decided on some basic black leggings and a black maxi skirt. Both from Topshop and both had really high ratings on their website, so I'm hoping for the best.

And for the baby, I got two onesies with vegetable puns on them from Gap. I couldn't resist.

The bump is here to stay

It has been becoming increasingly clear to me that I will actually end up needing some maternity clothes. I had been trying to deny this fact, but now, as I wake up every morning with a bump that is not just a "Chipotle baby", I realize that I will not actually be shaped the same as I am now throughout this whole event. I have determined that the place to start is with a pair of maternity leggings. The only problem is I'm not sure where to go from there. I want thick leggings that aren't going to fall down on me, will wash well, and are long enough. I'd put down a little money since I'm probably going to be wearing these every other day or so... but I don't want to spend a fortune. Especially since I've been a bit of an expensive date lately...
But the good news about that is I got a job as a key holder making good money at the BCBG outlet in Round Rock and I could not be more excited. All the more reason I need to be looking fresh all the time. Who is going to listen to a badly dressed key holder? I'm going to be working a lot more, but I'm just excited because our money worries are going to be less worrisome. Especially if we're smart and keep working hard.  I know Stephen is already working hard, and may even get a promotion (if he's lucky) before the baby comes that would mean a bit extra on top of that before the baby comes. He's working hard and I want to work hard too.

Fighting the Urge

Well, I'm officially in my second trimester. This development is really as of a couple days ago, but I suppose I'm just not realizing. I still happily slept almost all day on Saturday, and relaxed on Sunday as well. I think that the biggest thing that has changed is my cravings. I was craving pretty healthy stuff, but now I want cupcakes and jelly beans and ice cream and milk shakes. And pasta with red sauce and lots of cheese.  My urge to go to sonic is getting pretty serious. I'm trying to convince myself to just make a banana chocolate milkshake from ingredients here at home, but we don't have any ice cream, so it feels like it might just be a poor substitute. But then again, I have gained very little weight, since last time I went to the doctor, and now that I'm in my second trimester, I'm supposed to be gaining weight. The "I'm going to have to lose this later" part of my brain is in a pretty big fight with the "eat while your pregnant and supposed to gain weight" part of my brain.

What I would give for a latte...

Maybe I can treat myself to a decaf (and I always said there was never a situation in which I would drink decaf over regular).
So last night Stephen and I had a taste for pizza. It's possible that is because I just babysat and had some spending money, or perhaps because I haven't done any serious grocery shopping in a considerable amount of time and there is very little fresh food in the house.  We thought about getting one delivered, but decided on going to Cici's. This turned out to be a great/ awful idea. Cici's was having a customer appreciation day, and we both got buffets and a drink for $10 and change. But we did have to wait in a line (yes, it's still blazing hot at 6:30 every night) that later in the evening, someone actually fainted in. Once we got in, the pizza was hot and delicious, so everything worked out. But this morning, ugh. This morning, I haven't even eaten because I still feel all the pizza mushing around in my stomach. And I have an interview that could possibly lead to my for-the-moment "dream job". But I gotta get myself into fighting shape if I want to go in and get an assistant manager/key holder position at the BCBG outlet! I think this is why I'm longing for a latte- they always were my go-to to get myself into gear before the baby. Old habits die hard. I'm probably just nervous and excited. I've already picked out some good "belly minimizing" outfits and how I'm going to do my hair and all that jazz. I tried on all of my dresses yesterday, and almost all of them still fit.  My face has been pretty tough lately, though- I don't think I've ever been so oily in my life! It's funny to me too how my cravings come and go. The other day I wanted cupcakes SO BAD, so I made a ton, and now half of them are still sitting in the fridge. They are delicious, but Stephen is not looking to put on any weight (the Army makes men so weight-conscious, it's almost funny) from cupcakes, and I am just not as interested. But there have been hard boiled eggs, and apples with almond butter, and cheese cravings, and now I just want my belly to settle down. I'm thinking toast/ a bagel, and some applesauce, and water. Maybe some oatmeal later.

Stephen recently became the assistant to the officers (or some such title) at his brigade headquarters, and yesterday was his first day without the guy who trained him on the job. He occasionally jokingly complains about his "desk job", but every day he comes home and tells me about how he got stuff done and was really well organized, and how people told him he was doing a good job. I'm glad to know that he's not killing himself, and is doing something that he really has the opportunity to be good at. If anything, the only bummer is that he's working with people at least a couple ranks above him, so the relationships have to remain professional. Unfortunately, we probably won't be getting invites to their Christmas parties.

Weekend Update

This past weekend the Millets came down and visited us. It was an awesome weekend. I think everyone can agree when I say that we did tons of fun stuff, but also had some time to relax. We took them the one of the Alamo Draft House Theaters, where we saw Paranorman (I thought it was kind of intense for a kids movie- especially in the middle, but it ended up sweet in the end) and ate dinner (the theaters have a whole menu to order off of and "bars" in front of every row of seats. The next day, we took Violet out with us and went to a park and went to dog friendly parks and restaurants and shopping centers. She got so much attention, and loved every minute of it. We also visited the Whole Foods Headquarters, a quirky toy store, West Elm, and a 50's inspired bowling alley/restaurant/ bar/ karaoke place where we played pop culture trivia. My mom and dad would be so proud- I got us one question purely because of their love for Star Trek. It was about an android with yellow eyes, a daughter named Lal and a pet cat. I got the answer- it was Data. Stephen and John did a lot of the answering, but we all helped with something. Peggy was our Mork and Mindy expert. Also, this place's karaoke binders were huge. We didn't know where to start, so half the time we were just looking for the next song to sing. It was super fun, though. I had a couple amazing ginger beers that tingled in the back of my throat (that's how you know it's real ginger!). The last day they were here, we had a little cookout at our house and just hung out. It was really sad to see them go, but I look forward to visiting after the baby is born and hanging out more.
I haven't been craving sweets much in my pregnancy, with a few exceptions, but today I can't get enough. I made cinnamon chocolate cupcakes with cinnamon honey cream cheese frosting as a result of watching a few too many episodes of "DC Cupcakes" today while folding laundry. I made a lot of cupcakes... but somehow I think I'll manage to eat them. Perhaps to my determent.

Realizations

This morning, I was very feeling very down about my situation. But this evening, I'm feeling a lot better. My mind was quiet enough this afternoon to take a nap!
I talked to friends, and Stephen, and my mom, and I not only feel a lot more sure about following my instincts, but also a lot more at peace with the situation. I have a plan, and I know how I'm going to get the ball rolling.
I also got an out-of-the-blue message from an old acquaintance that really hit the nail in the head. I couldn't believe how much I needed to hear what she said, and I am very thankful that she took the time.
I was unhappy with certain aspects of my life, and I was feeling overwhelmed and scared about the future, but I feel a lot more confident about meeting the challenges and changing what was making me unhappy.
I really do feel a lot more like it's all going to be okay.

No Idea

Is worry a symptom of pregnancy? Nausea, backaches, fatigue, worry?

Almost Too Much

I am still fitting into most of my clothes. Most of them. Almost. I am wearing a pair of jeans right now that  have always fit like slim skinny jeans. But never before have they fit so snug. Well, perhaps after a Chipotle dinner, but that is an exception. I almost used the old "hairband through the button hole and hooked around the button" trick, but I tried and succeeded with the button itself. I felt pretty accomplished until Stephen joked that he saw the button making a strained face. I still feel pretty good about it- and told him that we should go run our errands before I got to big to fit in these jeans. (they are mostly his errands and I am doing him a favor by coming with him so he's not stuck while his oil gets changed!)
I went to a class about genetic testing on Tuesday, and while I have read about these types of tests in some of my pregnancy books, I was not sure I fully understood. They can do two types of tests: definitive and non-definitive. The definitive tests collect DNA directly from the baby, which usually entails sticking a needle in your belly, one way or another. The non-definitive tests are mostly blood tests or testing from my DNA, which will give you stats but no definite facts about the baby. So basically, you can get facts if your willing to have a needle getting near your baby, or you can get blood tests and have ideas about what might be going on with your baby, but nothing for sure. I wished that Stephen could have gone with me but after taking the class, I decided for myself that I wanted none of the testing. I thought about the blood tests, but then if a warning sign does show up, what would we do with it? I'm not interested in the needle-in-the-belly tests, not even just for my own discomfort, but also they also increase the chance of miscarriage. And on top of that, if I knew something was wrong with my baby, what would I do with that information? What could I do about it? Really, nothing. I would rather take my chances- which, by the way, are very favorable for with my age and health in consideration. Stephen agreed with my after I told him all this after the class. And I called my mom too and she gave me a similar opinion. Apparently they had suggested "counseling" for her when she was pregnant with me, because there were some warning signs, but she had told them that God would have his way, regardless, and I was born (and still am) very healthy. I would rather just not get worked up about things I can't control. Plus, medical professionals consider normal ultrasounds to provide sufficient information, and other tests are just for the parents' consideration. Too much information, if you ask me.

First Sighting

There's our baby, in all of it's glory! We're debating on if it looks more like a gummy bear or a turtle. I'm glad it has all of it's limbs, and it's kind of nice to see that I'm not just imagining all this. I only have gained a few pounds, which makes me happy after all the eating I've been doing, but it's a healthy amount, so everybody's happy. The doctor said I might not really start showing till as late as 7 months because of my stature. That's good because I'm still fitting into my clothes, but annoying because I have to explain that I have to go to the bathroom every 30 minutes because I am, in fact, pregnant. Everybody's healthy and I found out my blood type (O+, which is the same as Stephen, actually). And our semi-official due date is, indeed, March 13. Which is, coincidentally, both Stephen and my father's birthdays. We're very happy and excited!

The second picture shows the baby's heartbeat (super fast by grown person standards, but totally normal for a developing baby).

Lemon Ginger Honey Pregnancy "Tonic"

Lemon Ginger Honey Pregnancy "Tonic"
Feel free to adjust ingredients to taste. This recipe is something I based on a combination of the lemon honey "tea" my mom used to give me when I felt sick (just hot water, lemon juice, honey, and a spoonful of sugar) and this "hangover cure": http://vkreesphotography.com/spicy-ginger-soda-a-hangover-cure/ .


2 cups of water
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 TBSP agave syrup
6 inches fresh ginger, chopped and peeled
pinch of chili powder (optional)
lemon juice
soda/seltzer water


Combine water, sugar, honey, agave syrup, ginger, and chili powder in saucepan. Bring to boil then reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Strain mixture and put in refrigerator to cool. Take puppy for to the park for a bit (optional).  When ready to drink, mix 1 part syrup with 1 part lemon juice with 2 or 3 parts soda/seltzer water (depending on how strong you want it) over ice.

This is great for a hot day of pregnancy in Texas

Unsure

I went to bed last night feeling all sorts of yucky. Sore throat, tummy pain, stuffed nose, and general aches were all included. I'm not sure it's something I should go to the hospital about, but then again, I do have military health care, so maybe I should just go. I'm not sure what I'm allowed to take, being pregnant and all, but it is their job to know. I'm going to start with making a lemon/ginger/ honey drink that I got the inspiration for online. My throat hurt a bit when I woke up yesterday morning, and I had a cup of mint tea and felt much better. It's really a strange feeling when you don't know what to do about your own body.
I had my first really rough day of pregnancy two days ago. I woke up feeling especially nauseous and the trend only continued throughout the day. It culminated in me being 10 minutes late for work because of trying to prevent myself from feeling especially sick. Gladly, I work with mostly women, whom most of have had children or are at least interested and understanding.
I have nothing medical to report otherwise. My appointment is drawing close, and I am not counting down the days yet, but I am excited for it. I would really like some official answers.  When is my official due date? What teas am I really allowed to drink? How do I get one of those baby of board parking passes?
My online class starts in two weeks and I am very excited about it. I have been able to take some time off and I now feel more ready to finish my degree. I only have five classes left! The one I'm taking now called professional seminar, about resumes and cover letters and how to interview and such. Next semester I hope to be able to do my internship. There is lots of places to do a fashion internship in Austin, so that should be fun. And after I complete those, I'll only have 3 classes left, and I'll have to come back to Ohio for a semester and finish those. How do I plan to do that, with a baby, and a husband, and where will I stay, how will I pay for it, and how will I get there? I have no idea yet. I have decided that situation will be a bridge I cross when I come to it. But the end goal is a degree, which I have every intent on earning.  I'd like to have it and be able to go out into the workforce around the same time the baby can go to military day care (a fabulous system, apparently).  I'd like to be able to contribute more in our family, make some headway towards a career, and make some bigger chunks in my school/car loans!

The Tip of the Iceburg

I have a new washer. I am so pleased. I literally have not been this excited to do laundry since my mom told me if I really wanted I could put two dryer sheets in once in a while. (In retrospect, I don't think I ever did put two dryer sheets in. I just wanted to know if I could) The laundry machine is a Samsung and it plays this little tune that sounds like the ice cream man is coming. There have already been jokes about the ice cream man delivering our clean laundry. It is so big too. I used to have to separate a week's worth of Stephen's army uniforms, but now they all fit, with room to spare even. I haven't tried yet, but I'm fairly certain that I can fit our comforter in there without any problems, and that has been an issue with our last two washers. Our washer in Florida was too small and it flood the laundry room when I tried it, and our last one wouldn't even get the whole thing wet. I would eventually like to get the matching dryer, seeing as ours is loud, and old, and I'm not sure how to properly clean it out, but I am so happy with my washer that I really am not concerned right now.

I'm still not exactly sure how far along I am exactly, but in the last few days I think I may be able to feel the baby "taking over my tummy". I wake up in the morning, and while my stomach is still pretty normal, there's a firmness in my lower abdomen that wasn't there before unless I was flexing.  Then again, maybe this is all just wishful thinking that I wouldn't feel so round without reason all the time. Usually when I've been eating indulgently, I start feeling it in my hips a bit more than anywhere else. But this is definitely in my stomach. I can still fit into jeans until it comes to buttoning them. Low slung jeans are still ok, but unfortunately I only have one pair that fit that description. Not that I wear jeans frequently, but I when I do, I prefer a higher, vintage-esque rise. I know this is only the tip of the iceburg, and now I see the beauty of those Bella-Band things. I will have to invest, or make one.

Time to be Tired

I feel like I'm tired all the time. In high school, I used to sleep from 10pm on a Friday night to 10am on Saturday morning. I loved doing that. And sometimes I would take naps on top of that. Well, I can't sleep in to 10am anymore, but rare is the day that I am up past 10pm. But I suppose that's all part of this grand circus.
Our washing machine has been having problems and yesterday I walked past that part of the hallway and there was water and lint everywhere. I pronounced the washing machine dead. We bought it used, but we decided to go new for our next one. I think I'm developing a phobia of picking out large appliances, so I told Stephen it was his job. Also I had to work, and he didn't. He is much more methodical in his approach, whereas I tend to have my list of criteria and often just go price-efficient. I pretty much wanted a reasonable size tub and energy efficient, but I did end up telling Stephen to forget about the glass door, because it was completely unnecessary and he doesn't watch the laundry go around anyways.  Let alone do it. But all is said and done and it's coming tomorrow and I am oddly excited to do laundry.
My next OB-GYN appointment is over a week away and nothing has really changed in the last week. I feel nauseous, tired, and hungry, all the time. All I was craving yesterday was sweet baked goods. Cinnamon buns, brownies, cheesecake, doughnuts, or anything covered or containing caramel. But I made myself some healthy peach yogurt muffins that were just sweet enough to take the edge off. I still want all those crazy sweet things, but we don't have much butter and I can't find the yeast, or anything else I'd need to make any one of those things, so we'll see if I either break down and buy something, or somehow make it through. I'm trying not to gain too much weight here, but at the same time, when else will I have such an excuse for guilt free eating?

Ice Cream and Pickles?

Ok whoa- let the weird food cravings begin, I guess. I had been wanting fairly normal (for me at least) foods up until I just caught myself greatly enjoying a snack of honey mustard pretzel bites and raspberry keifer (drinkable yogurt).
I have been wanting strawberries (chopped up on cereal/waffles, in smoothies, exc) and hard boiled eggs, but not together.
This is probably a warning sign to brace myself. Here comes the crazy train.

Is that Irony?

It seems lately that I've been getting quite a few emails and phone calls about my resume and offering me interviews. Little do they know, that I not only am employed, but I'm not looking for any more responsibility, seeing as making a baby seems to be quite the responsibility. I have a responsibility to take naps, and eat every hour and a half, and watch more than my fair share of Netflix.  I also had put a profile up on this website called Care.com about being a babysitter/nanny, and a local couple with two very sweet boys called me and I'm starting with them on Friday! It's really nice because they tell me they will know their schedule in advance, so I can plan it out with the Gap, and they only want  me 2 days a week, or so, which is perfect. The boys are 7 months and 2 years, and were very sweet and not too rambunctious when I met them. I'm looking forward to it- plus it will be great preparation for my own future.
I finally did something about my car yesterday. I was going to let Stephen call the car dealership and give them a piece of his mind, but he kept putting it off, so I eventually called them yesterday and was nice about it. I called the local Mazda dealer and they gave me a lower estimate for the problem I was told about, so I (carefully) took it there yesterday.  They said they would check it out for themselves and get back to me today or tomorrow. Which is much better than the 4 business days plus a weekend that the other dealer took to get back to me... I'm really looking forward to having it back!
EDIT: I talked to someone at the Mazda dealership today at 11 and they said that they could have my car ready by noon tomorrow, probably. Fantastic! It'll still cost a pretty penny, but at least I'll be able to use it.
I'm pretty sure I'm gaining a healthy amount of baby weight with all the waffles I ate yesterday. I may have said this before, but when I read that your not supposed to change your caloric intake in the first trimester, I was surprised. I am literally hungry every hour and a half to two hours. I feel as if I haven't eaten all day.  I get queasy in the morning and it actually helps when I eat something.  On that note, I'm off to eat something.

Re Arranging

Well it was suddenly decided that we are having a BBQ at our house (apparently my Stephen's fellow soldiers, not Stephen) so we had to tackle the issue of seating. So we re-arranged the entire living room. I was concerned about the color schemes looking awful together, but all the muted but rich tones actually came together really nicely! I got some fabric and made a new cover for the IKEA couch/chair/bed that the Millet parents gave to us, and it matches, looks, and feels really nice.

 Yes, that Chair on the right was polka dotted at one point. Fun in a game room, but blue matches my living room better.

Like this.

Curtains would be nice, but I have some (I love that IKEA) and I just need a rod for them. Those lamps are from the Millets, just with new shades. Love them! Out bookshelf and the rug that was in Stephen's room got moved into our bedroom, and I actually think they fill up the space nicely. I was saying I was going for the "minimalism" feel in our room, but really we just didn't have much to put in there.
We were going to wait and not wreck Stephen's "Man Room" for a bit longer, but then the BBQ came up and we thought that it's better to do the moving now, rather than later when I'm too pregnant to help as much.
I've been doing alright, but feeling more queasy in the mornings. I had been making Stephen fruit and protein powder shakes every morning after PT, and I've started splitting them half and half, rather than giving him most of it and just having a little glass myself. They give me a little something in my stomach and are good to take my prenatal vitamin with, and those help a lot with the "yucky tummy", and I've termed it.
I don't know why,  but I was up at 2 last night and I couldn't get back to sleep. So what did I do? Have a bowl of cereal, of course. I was hungry! At 2 AM, why not? I think my mind was keeping me awake because I kept thinking about having everything ready for the BBQ. I decided that since I had the time, I would cook up some dried beans to put in the salsa instead of using canned beans. The cereal and that bout of bean "productiveness" helped me feel ready to go back to sleep. But by that time, Violet had sneaked into the bed, pushing Stephen into the middle, so I felt like sleeping like a plank was the only option. Not always the most comfortable. Violet will start the night in her own bed (A nice fluffy soft and cozy giant dog pillow, I might add) but she should be recruited by the British Secret Service because I am pretty sure she could teach 007 a thing or two about sneaking. And getting shoe soles out of any type of shoes (including Military boots- how does she even get down there?!?). That's her super power, I guess.
I've been smelling more, too. Violet, and a faint "heat" smell especially. I think the heat smell is just my computer or other electronics that have been on for a while. But Violet has been getting what she considers to be more than her fair share of baths and tooth brushing lately.  I can smell her everywhere and it doesn't always sit well with me. But then again, baths and tooth brushing doesn't always sit well with her.

"Et tu, Daddy? I trusted you, and you picked me up and put me in the bath!"

Oh- The car dealership called me back about my car. Apparently it's a faulty fuel pump. Which seems like something they should have caught in the checklist...that I asked to see but never got to see...

Big Whoop

Well, yesterday was my first pregnancy-related doctors appointment. As Stephen often says, however, the military is a whole lot of "hurry up and wait'. I suppose the same would be true with military healthcare. We got there over 20 minutes early, and filled out some paperwork, then were ushered into a classroom of sorts. We were the first ones there, and only 3 out of 7 or 8 people who were supposed to come to our class were actually there on time. They gave us a power point on pregnancy dos and don'ts, and then told us to schedule our next appointments and ultrasounds and head to the lab to give some samples. I will say, while I am NOT a huge fan of giving blood, every time I've done it in a military hospital, they are very skilled and it hardly hurts at all. Stephen says it's because they have the soldiers give blood so often that everyone is very well practiced. I still ask them to be gentle.

I felt a bit sick this morning when Stephen came home from PT and woke me up, but I made us a mango-peach-protein powder smoothie and ate some of the strawberry-banana bread I made the other day and am feeling much better. I've been pretty good about taking my prenatal vitamins but I think I forgot one yesterday.  They offered to give us a prescription for one at the class yesterday, and I simultaneously thought "Aw man, I could have saved $15!" and "It'd almost be embarrassing to not have them by now.". My final thoughts convened that I got to choose my vitamins, so I was happy with them. They have are all natural, and have ginger in them, so if I can get them down before the nausea overcomes me, I'm pretty well off.

I've been pretty lucky with symptoms lately, mostly just tired and hungry with small bouts of nausea/dizziness, but last night while I was trying to  fall asleep,  I was so itchy I was convinced there were bugs crawling on me or something. I have a single bug bite on my ankle, but I felt it under my arms, on my back, on my neck, and on my legs. It was crazy. When I woke up this morning, I checked everywhere and there were no signs of bites or anything, so when Stephen told me it's just part of the uncomfortableness of being pregnant, I believed him. The only thing that helped me last night was Gold Bond lotion. My mom used to put it on us when we were itchy as kids, and I would protest because I thought it smelled so gross. But Stephen swears by it, so I used it, and it not only helped, but I fortunately no longer think it smells repulsive.

I'm still sore from the yoga class Stephen and I went to on Monday, but all I've been wanting to do is nap these past few days, so I really think it was a good thing to get some exercise and I really enjoyed doing something together with my sweetie. It seems like I literally just bake, nap, watch netflix, make dinner, fall asleep again. I feel accomplished if I make it out to get the mail. My car is still in the shop, and I haven't called them or heard from them, so I am a bit nervous. I hate this feeling that I have that everything I need to work isn't working. But it's really just my car and my washing machine (my washing machine doesn't spin out clothes at the end well, so they are all soaking wet). But as long as my sweetie comes home every night and we cuddle and watch netflix and eat whatever baked good I made that day (last night it was a apple-peach-mango crumble! Heaven!), I've got it pretty good. Oh, and daily naps. They are so awesome.

If My Math Is Correct

My first OB-GYN appointment is two days away, and I am getting more and more eager to find out how far along I am.  I signed up for thebump.com (I was already on theknot.com for weddings... so I just told it I was having a baby) and it sent me an email on the 18th telling me I'm 6 weeks along. I did not expect to be that far into it, but I suppose that I'm just wanting to get this thing going already so I'm not upset.  I'd rather be out of the 1st trimester and showing a bit and yelling at people to not touch my belly without asking already. It's better than feeling like I look bloated all the time, but knowing that it's not a baby, it's just me.
Yesterday was my 23rd birthday, and somehow being 23 makes me feel a bit more ready to have a baby than 22. My mother was 24 and had been married for over 4 years when I (her first) was born, but Stephen and I haven't even had out first anniversary yet. Still,  I'm not feeling too nervous about it. Stephen is going to be an amazing father. He's definitely going to be the fun one, though. I'm going to be the business. It's already obvious with out pup, Violet.

 Out for my birthday dinner in Austin

I'm think I'm going to put it on facebook that we're expecting after my doctor appointment on the 24th. My car was having engine trouble (I just bought it two weeks ago! I don't even have plates yet!) so I took it back to the dealer on Friday, and I'm hoping that they'll do the right thing and fix it or help me out. I need a car. Awkwardly, it's kind of a sporty car, and I'm not 100% sure it'd be a great mommy car, so if they shouldn't have sold it to me, maybe they will help me put my money towards something else more practical. It's a Mazda, but I bought it from a local Honda dealer, so it can only get safer, right? Luckily I am only working 1 day this week with a few on calls, so I don't have to worry about getting to and from work. I have been enjoying taking Violet on walks at the local park, and it's just too far to walk (there's no sidewalks) so it will be back to walks around the neighborhood again. I used to jog 4 or 5 days a week, but ever since I found out I was expecting, I've switched to taking Violet for long walks every other day, or so. It's relaxing but I still get my heartbeat up and get some exercise. It works.

One of Many Firsts

I believe I had my first pregnancy-hormone-fueled emotional breakdown today.
Also, I would like to strongly suggest to the publishers of What to Expect When You're Expecting (the book, not the sad excuse for a movie) that it should only come in kindle format with each month's chapter being password protected. You should be gently forewarned by a medical professional before reading your near future. A nervous first time mom to be should really not be allowed to read ahead in that book! You think that you'll just browse the next chapter or two, and before you know it you're 500 pages in and scared of things you didn't even know your body could do.
I mean, the smelling things you don't normally smell, the constant tiredness, the frequent runs to the bathroom- all these arn't do bad. Especially when compared to the declining lack of control over your own body that is soon to follow. It truly is frightening.
I'm not very far along; my first OB-GYN appointment is in just over a week.  Regardless, I am already allowing myself to indulge in ice cream, as well as apparently strong experiencing floods of emotion. Similarly, I'm not so sure what all the fuss was about, not that it's over. Stephen will be amazing with kids (and is already great with me and my crazy emotions),  our families are already excited, and I have nine months to get used to the whole idea.
Well, just under 9 months. Which currently seems both too long, and not long enough.

Unexpected Surprise

I have always been a planner. My husband says I am even over methodical sometimes. He, on the other hand, is what I would call a free spirit. Not a planner, an organizer, or a time manager. But he keeps me from getting too serious and I keep him productive and on track. It's a good match.

But sometimes, your system gets overturned. Sometimes even a planned life gets surprises.

I found out on July 9. I won't go into the whole story, but after I found out we were going to have a baby, I cried, then ate quite a bit of ice cream, then frantically tried to get a hold of my husband, Stephen. He is in the Army, so being able to contact him while he's at work can be rather difficult. When I finally got to talk to him, I couldn't even tell if he was smiling or shaking. It soon became clear that he is very excited. Our parents and families also gave us appropriately excited responses, and I'm half convinced our dog, Violet, knows as well. 

I think that the funniest part of the whole thing is that Stephen and I have the little silly details on our minds. What will I wear when I have a bump the size of a watermelon to carry around every day? How old should the baby be when Stephen reads the Chronicles of Narnia to him/her? Can we all learn a second language together, or should we try and become fluent beforehand so we speak both to the baby from the start?

None of these things really matter right now. We two are happy and healthy and are going to become three.  We have amazing families, and even though they live half the country away, we can still feel their love and support.

It's all going to work out fine.