Thank God for Breast Feeding

I'm back in size 10 jeans!!! I'm fully aware that is not a small size, but this is HUGE for my ego right now. I had my doubts about breast feeding burning a lot of calories and if it was going to help, but it really has. I was over 200 lbs when I went into the hospital and I'm happy to report that I'm around 10 lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight.

Lately, Trip has been a little "off" with his schedule, so I'm not sure if that had something to do with being in Decatur for the holidays. He was so exhausted while we were home from all the attention, so he slept 8 hours all three nights. Last night, however, he was up practically all day long and still woke up at 2:00, 4:00, and 6:00 this morning. Just when you think you have things under control, we will have a night like last night.

Christmas was great and Trip got a ton of great stuff and it was such a special holiday. What a year this has been. This time last year, we weren't even really thinking about having a baby and then...bam! I'm so completely obsessed with him and I'm super bummed I only have a week and a half left of maternity leave. The good news is that I can work from home. He will still definitely have to go to daycare, but not full time. I'm so very blessed and cannot believe how wonderful a life I have! I'm looking forward to 2012 and what it will bring!!!

Best baby...ever

Last night I came to the realization that Trip is probably the best baby ever. He was officially 8 weeks yesterday and he slept 8 hours in a row. Now, I don't want to jinx anything, but I've been thinking he was close to dropping the 2/3:00 feeding for a couple of nights now. He slept from 9:30 and didn't wake up again until 5:15. I fed him for 10 minutes, put him back down and slept until 8:00!!

Yesterday I took him walking with a friend at Brookwood mall and ended up doing most of my Christmas shopping the rest of the day. Trip did great. He slept the whole time and everyone commented on how obviously cute he is :) I tried to push the limits and stop by the office afterwards and he got fussy. Maybe I just wore him out and this 8 hour sleep is just temporary but my fingers are crossed! Either way, he has been in a great routine ever since Thanksgiving. He had that growth spurt last week but that only last two days and we were back to normal.

I can't get over how much I love him and how I'm going to HATE going back to work. I have talked with my boss about possibly working from home, but I'm not sure its a possibility. I've become quite comfortable on maternity leave. Plus, having him in October was perfect. Once I got past the first 4 weeks where I was going cross-eyed, the holidays showed up and I can get out and do shopping to avoid the crowds and its soooo much fun decorating for Christmas! Plus, since he's such a good sleeper, its easy to take him around for all the holiday festivities. If I go missing again...Merry Christmas!!!

Bad blogger...bad!

Okay, so I haven't posted since probably a week after I got home from the hospital so I'm a terrible blogger! A lot has been happening and I'm getting quite comfortable on maternity leave. Even though I'm completely exhausted, I'm in love with Trip. I cannot believe he is already almost two months old!

The first week was great. I was getting up for every feeding even before he started crying, I was on a high, and I thought "oh yeah...I can totally do this". Well, then the second week came and he hit a growth spurt and my hormones crashed. Dear God, I never thought I would sleep again. He was getting up to eat every other hour around the clock. I kept reminding myself that Robyn from work said the exact same thing happened to her and that it was just a phase. I held on to my sanity, and we got through it.

At first, I was only pumping because I thought that might be easier for some reason. Well, I was wrong. Getting up to him crying, warming a bottle, feeding him, changing him, then pumping again, and washing all the pumping equipment just about killed me. About the third week after talking to some friends, they told me not to give up on nursing. So, we tried it again and he latched. Ever since then, we've been getting in some sort of a routine and I feel much better about breast feeding.

We had a great Thanksgiving in Decatur and my Dad is completely obsessed with Trip. It's the cutest thing!! He literally swatted people away to get to Trip. It was great seeing the family and letting Trip meet everyone! Plus, he slept great in the pack n' play which I was really worried about. Actually, he started sleeping six hour stretches while we were in Decatur over the holiday. I would feed him at 10:00 and he wouldn't wake up again until 4:00...it was the most glorious thing I've ever experienced. I was a new person!

Since then, we have been getting out more and more during the day. I'm actually showering before noon :)

The past few nights he started picking up the 2:00 feeding again, so I'm hoping this is just another growth spurt. For some reason he will get up at 2:00 and then wake up every two hours until about 8:00 in the morning.

All in all, he's a great baby, loves to snuggle, has the cutest damn smile I've ever seen, and loves to be rocked. I don't want to wish his life away, but I can't wait for him to start being able to play and and be more active. Although...it sure is nice to pop him in a swing and let him be for awhile.

Below are some recent pics...

6 weeks old!

one month old!!!

Off to run errands!

One of my absolute favorite sleeping pictures

Cutest pumpkin outfit made by Susan Ozier!

Right before our first doctor visit (2 weeks)

Oopsie, they are in reverse chronological order :)

He's Here!

We're in love with our new baby boy!! We got to the hospital at 6:30 Tuesday morning and the doctor broke my water at 7:00. That hurt like hell. I started having contractions the night before, but they were never consistent. By 8:30 the contractions were around 3 minutes apart and getting more and more painful. I thought that an epidural wore off, so that's why they wanted you to wait to get one. That's not the case. It's on a drip, so once I realized that, we called the doctor to hook me up. The epidural is very uncomfortable, but I didn't think it was painful. It was a welcomed relief. After that, it was a waiting game. I knew going in that getting induced was going to call for a long day and I may end up having a c-section.

We did have one scare during labor where Trip's heartbeat dropped down below 70, so they had to put me on oxygen. I absolutely loved my first nurse, but the only complaint is that she didn't walk us through what was going on when the scare did happen.

I was only progressing about 1/2 cm at a time and was showing some effacement throughout the day, but he never dropped. The actual labor part was a lot of sitting and waiting around and chewing on ice chips. The not eating part kinda sucks. Once I hit 5 cm, I stayed there for well over three hours and then the pressure started. Apparently there is nothing the epidural can do about pressure, so it was constant pain. I thought for sure that meant he had dropped and I was going to progress significantly. That was not the case. The second nurse was not helpful at all and just kinda shrugged and told me that he was doing okay. I could have punched her in the face.

By about an hour and a half of constant pain and pressure, the doctor came down to check me again. She said I was still at 5cm. Poor Michael. That hour and a half he was great, but I knew he was freaking out. I just had tears running down my face and couldn't get any relief. The doctor said we had two options. The first was a c-section because there was a good chance we might be trying "to fit a square peg in a round hole" and so he might not drop and he might not fit in the canal. The second was waiting it out another hour or so to see if he did progress. I couldn't do it anymore. I'm glad we went ahead with the c-section, because once they got in there, he hadn't even turned to the right position to drop and he was stuck.

Once they prepped me for surgery, it was a welcomed relief. I was just ready to get this show on the road. Michael, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck. They wheeled me in, drugged me up, and I was ready to go. They actually began the c-section before they brought Michael back there. It was very quick and Trip was born not 5 minutes later. I was so weak, so hungry, and so loopy from the pain meds, I was very nervous I might drop him once they handed him over. Once I heard that first cry, I was so relieved and so happy. I could see him on the monitor and he looked perfect! He was born at 7:46 (yes, 13.5 hours of labor), weighed 7 lbs 8 oz, and was 19 inches long.

I don't respond well to pain medication, so I threw up a few times during labor and a few times in recovery since I was on a morphine pump. I was on a liquid diet in recovery until the following day around lunch. That was awful! Trip slept in the room with us and pretty much slept the entire night. We were both pooped :) Breast feeding started out slow and could be very frustrating at times, but I think we've gotten the hang of it. We are home now, in love with Trip, and as happy as ever. He sleeps most of the day and has a lot of "activity" at night. Everyone is healthy, so life is good!!

Here are a few pics...

Trip and his momma

Proud papa

Hello world!

Beautiful baby boy

One happy family :)

Tomorrow

Holy moly, mother, tomorrow is the big day. I went to the doctor this morning and I will be induced first thing tomorrow!! I had prepared myself for bad news, but I am 2 cm dilated and 40% effaced. He still hasn't dropped at all, but the doc feels comfortable inducing if I was too uncomfortable...which I am. Turns out tomorrow she is on call and had a spot available, so she put me down! Eek! I've been "ready" for quite some time, but now that it's here I'm freaking out a little bit. We've done everything we can possibly do to prepare and I can barely get around anymore I'm so big. I finally get to meet him tomorrow! Our lives are never going to be the same. Wow, I'm going to be a mother.

We check into the hospital at 6:30 a.m. and they are going to break my water at 7:00 and start me on pitosin to help get the contractions going. I'm not allowed any food or drink (besides water) after midnight tonight and she said I probably won't have him until tomorrow night. It's kind of nice being able to plan and get everything completely ready, Sam dropped off at Jared's, and the bags completely packed before the big hospital trip.

This morning while I was waiting to see the doctor, I went in for the ol' pee-in-a-cup. When I looked in the mirror, I realized that I had ripped my maternity jeans down the front crotch area. You could see my big scary granny panties. At that point, I just threw my hands up and I was completely done with the whole pregnancy. I didn't even know people could rip maternity jeans, but apparently I can. Every stranger I see the past week has given me the "oh god, you poor thing" look. It's really nice of them, but it just reminds me of how big I really am. Oh and I got on the scale and I was like 4 lbs heavier than last week!! At the end of the day, I'm glad the big day is tomorrow so I don't gain any more weight!! I'm out of control!!!

There's a lot going through my head right now. Will I be a good enough mother? Will I be able to stand the labor? Will we form an instant connection? What the hell have I gotten myself into?! And so on and so on. I'm very excited to meet him. I can't imagine what he looks like, except I have a feeling he is going to have a TON of hair. Mommy is a big hairy wildabeast :) Anyways, this time tomorrow there is a good change he'll be here!! Pictures to come!!

Nursery

I finally posted pics of the nursery!!!!! Everything is pretty much ready to go, just waiting on Trip to arrive :)

No end in sight

I went to my third weekly appointment this morning and the status?? Zero progress since last week. I'll be honest...I cried for a solid hour. I know I'm less than two weeks away from my actual due date, but he hasn't even dropped. The way the doctor made it sound was that he isn't coming anytime soon. I'm just at a whole new level of frustration right now. I'm sick of talking about it, I'm sick of sleeping on my side with 8 pillows around me, I'm sick of getting tired after walking 10 feet, I'm sick of gaining weight, I could go on and on.

After saying all that, I need to back-track and talk about a conversation I had with an advertiser last week. I have been complaining a lot lately. I put a call into a company on Friday and she knew I was pregnant and due pretty soon. She's been so sweet and sounded really excited for me. She asked me how I was doing and I told her I was so sick of being pregnant. Well, come to find out, she and her husband are traveling to Honduras this week as part of an adoption process. They have been married 18 years and have never been able to conceive. I felt terrible. Here I am whining and complaing and God really did smack me across the face and told me to get over myself. It's amazing how you get caught up in your own problems only to later realize, your problems are really small in comparison to others. I'm growing a friggin miracle right now and I should remind myself of that every single day. Today I had a minor set-back in that train of thought :)

I'm still rockin' 1 cm, but I'm going to try and stay positive. He just isn't ready yet. He's stubborn like his father. Tonight, Michael is going to pick up some spicy food and we're going on a very long walk with Sam. For my mental health, I've got to start doing something to get the process going. Plus, let's be honest, 50 lbs isn't going to fall off on its own.

O-V-E-R It

I'm so unbelievable tired of being pregnant. Today I'm 37 weeks and 1 day pregnant and it feels like I'm going on a year and a half. I had a doctor's appointment this morning and I'm only 1cm dilated and there is some softening. The doc said it was going to be awhile. I could have cried. I know my due date isn't for another 3 weeks but give me a break?! I feel like I'm walking around with a bowling ball in between my legs. I walk 10 feet and have to sit down. Sleep is done. I was wide awake at 4:30 this morning. Good news is the swelling has subsided a little bit. Lately, I've been waking up at midnight, 2:30, and 4:30 or 5:00 so I feel like that's going to be Trip's schedule for a little bit. Yaaaaaay. I just want to meet him. I want my body back! I'm about to round out 50 lbs of weight gain. FIFTY! Stop the madness!!!

Feelin the love

Lookie what Michael bought me for my push present!!!

The image is a little fuzzy, but I'm obsessed with my first David Yurman ring!! It doesn't fit my fat, swollen fingers yet, but hopefully soon! I just can't explain how great Michael has been throughout this entire pregnancy. I'm definitely feeling the love right now and I cannot wait to start this new chapter in our life together. It's funny this blog started out really sarcastic and bitter and now I'm a super big cheese ball all of a sudden.


I have had so many showers and received so many thoughtful gifts from friends and family. We are officially ready to have this baby! Well, according to the required baby products we are ready...mentally, I'm not so sure if Michael is. The car seat is in, the bags are packed, and I am just sitting on go. We have about 3.5 weeks left.


I had my first weekly doctor's appointment this Monday and I was only 1/2 cm dilated and there was a little softening, but all in all, the doc said it was going to be awhile. Trip's a little tease, because I thought for sure this kid was going to arrive early. The swelling is getting worse and worse by the day and sleep is becoming a distant memory. I'm so ready...God, I'm ready.


I'm not really having cravings anymore, but I'm so bored and cannot do anything, that all I do is eat. I've gained soooooooooooooooo much weight and its going to be so hard to drop it, but it sure has been fun putting it on. The nursery is pretty much complete, but I just have to hang some things on the wall. I've got to post pictures soon!!

Belated Post

I have been such a bad pregnant person and forgot all about the blog! Well, a lot has been going on since the last post and I can't really wrap my head around everything. I'm 34 weeks along and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! Susan threw me another baby shower this past weekend and we completely racked up. It was great seeing Michael's family and we are so blessed to have such thoughtful people in our lives. Trip's wardrobe is better than mine and Michael's combined. I'm scared at how spoiled this little guy is going to be...not really :) We got clothes, bottles, a sound spa, bibs, hooded towels, diapers, blankets (one hand-stitched by Michael's aunt....gorgeous), and a lot more. Oh and Mom's "man friend" Bob Butler gave me a very generous gift card to Ulta so I can go pamper myself. I'm SUPER pumped about that! Mom hand-made curtains for the nursery and they look absolutely amazing!! Not to brag, but I'm pretty sure this is the cutest nursery ever. Just saying.


Pregnancy has taken a turn into a not-so-fun-zone. The swelling. Dear God, the swelling. I can only wear two pairs of shoes and I don't even remember what my ankles used to look like. My ass is the size of Jupiter and I can no longer see things that I used to. Sad.


I also have to give props where they are due. Michael has been absolutely incredible throughout this whole process. The hormones have reared their ugly head. Instead of getting angry and upset, he has been the most thoughtful, loving, doting husband I could ever imagine. The other day I was changing and found a card in the drawer. Inside was probably the sweetest note. Below are some highlights:

"I want you to know how much I love you and how proud of you I have been throughout this pregnancy. I know it's been rough on you and that it's not real "fun" anymore but I want you to know that I will be there to support you in everything you need through the last 6 weeks. I'll be your maid, chef, gardner, masseause, ... whatever you need. You are going to be the most wonderful, loving, caring mother because that's the type of wife that you are. In 6 weeks you'll give me the greatest gift I could ever get. I can't wait for Trip to meet you because I know that he will love you as much as I do. I love you with all my heart!"

Love this guy!!!! I just can't get over how lucky I am.

It's also been quite funny seeing Michael get nervous about the upcoming arrival. The other night I started having Braxton Hicks contractions. They aren't painful, but I had several in a row that sort of took me by surprise. Michael started yelling "do I need to start the car and take you to the hospital?! Where's the labor book?! I wrote down '5-1-1'...what does that meaaaan?! Does it mean a contraction every 5 minutes for an hour?! Are you messing with me?!" I cannot wait to see his reaction when I actually go into labor. It's very comforting to see him so nervous about everything. He's going to be such an amazing father.

Shower and Nesting

This past weekend my friends threw me a glorious shower! I've never felt so loved! The girls went above and beyond the call of duty and I'm so grateful to have them in my life. The food was enough to feed an entire wedding reception, the decorations were soooo stinkin cute (all from Etsy, thank you Nicole), the flowers, the drinks...everything was amazing. Michael and I got a ton of great stuff for Baby Trip including a floor gym, fold away bath tub, a baby bjorn, blankets, toys, and enough clothes to last a lifetime. Coach brought me all of her nephew's old clothes (a rubbermaid bin full). Between her and Nicole, Trip is set!

I've definitely hit my nesting phase this week. The day before yesterday, I freaked out about our front yard. I didn't even bother changing out of my work clothes, grabbed a shovel, and started digging up weeds. Michael pulled into the driveway, yelled at me to get inside that I was being crazy for being out in this heat, and told me to sit down. I then wanted to clean the bath tub and, again, he told me to sit down that he would take care of that later. Well, I sat down all of five minutes and took off to the nursery and started putting away all the baby shower gifts. Now that I have this burst of energy, I hope I can get a lot more done. I ordered fabric to make curtains for the nursery this morning and cannot wait to see the final result! Pictures to come...

Updated Nursery

This weekend Michael and I went home to celebrate Mom's birthday and we ended up racking up ourselves. We picked up the new changing pad along with the refinished baby dresser. They turned out great!!! Mom also repainted the chandelier and my old baby bookcase, but unfortunately there wasn't enough room in my car for everything. Below are some pictures of the updated nursery...

Crib and bassinet

Changing table and dresser

We still have a ton left to get for the nursery as you can see, but it's such a relief to add more furniture and put it all together. I'll have my first baby shower this weekend and cannot wait to see everyone! Presents will be nice too :)

I'm 30 weeks along and it's really starting to sink in how soon Trip will be here. Last night he was moving so much, I had to call Michael over to check it out. My entire stomach rolled several times--it was the freakiest thing!!

Updated Belly

I'm huge!

Queen for a day

This post I have to give props to Michael for one of the best weekends I've ever had in my life. A few weeks back I suggested that we go to a Braves game because I had never been to one (well, one that I remembered going to). Last week Michael came home and told me that he bought us two tickets for a game and booked a room at the Ritz Carlton in Atlanta for this past Saturday night. I could hardly believe it! We haven't so much been in a rut lately, but we have been comfortable not doing much of anything, especially during the weekends. I was so excited I could hardly stand it.

Friday night Michael put together the crib and it looks absolutely gorgeous. I think it's finally hit Michael that this little guy will be here before we know it. Saturday morning we got up and dropped Sam off at Jared's house and hit the road. We got to Atlanta around 2:00 their time, checked in, and then walked a few blocks down to a micro brewery for lunch. Lunch was great and Michael was pumped because he got to have his first Dog Fish Head 90 minute IPA. I snuck in a sip and have to say, it's probably one of the best beers I've ever tried. After lunch, we were going to do a little shopping, but it started pouring and I started feeling bad, so we just went back up to the room.

Well, I had never stayed at a Ritz before and it was so over-the-top. You walk in and you're greeted by around 10 different people offering to help you in any way possible. The room was amazing, the sheets were plush, there were feather pillows, and a great view. I took a little cat-nap and then we got ready to go to the game. The Braves game was so much fun and we had great seats. Plus, it was a night game so it wasn't too hot and I really was able to sit back and enjoy everything...especially a hot dog and pretzel :)

After the game, it took us awhile getting out of the parking lot, so we didn't get back to the hotel until around 11:00. We ordered room service just because we felt like it. It was glorious.

The next morning, Michael got up early and snuck out to get us Starbucks. Michael was incredible. Everything was about me and doing stuff that I wanted to do, and making sure I was comfortable and happy. After the coffee, we got dressed and went downstairs to the most elaborate breakfast buffet. There was an omlet station! We were super cool once again and had our breakfast on the terrace of the Ritz.

After we checked out, we wanted to stop off at IKEA on the way home because it's awesome and Michael had never been before. We were like kids in a candy store. We got a few kitchen things and bought a stand-up lamp for our living room. We plan on coming back when we actually have money, a game-plan, and measurements. I still don't think Michael understands how much I needed that weekend getaway and how much I appreciated everything he did. It was a great babymoon!! I feel rested and ready to get this show on the road :)

It's on like donkey kong

I passed the sugar test! Whoop whoop!! It's completely cruel to make a pregnant girl fast, so to celebrate I picked up a foot long sub, starbucks, and a cookie after it was all said and done. It was glorious!

I feel like I've hit warp-speed in my pregnancy and in just a few days I will be in the third trimester. Sooo friggin weird! This past weekend my dad came into town and we had such a nice visit. He, Jared, and Michael played golf Saturday and we grilled out that night. On Sunday, we went shopping and dad bought us a bad-ace glider that reclines. In theory, the nursery is coming along swimmingly, but I still only have the changing table and crib mattress in there so far. We are going to pick up the crib tonight and the glider should arrive in a few weeks. My mom is working on the dresser right now and said the chandelier is painted and ready to go. I can't wait to put everything together!

I went and visited a friend last night who had her little girl less than two weeks ago. I think I've officially got baby fever and it has kicked in that I'm going to be a mother in a few months. It was so good seeing her. Even though she's been paving the way for me and giving me all the dirty details about what's to come, I think I'm ready. Her little girl has her nights and days mixed up and their lives are completely different, but I can't wait for my turn. Tootles!

Fail

This weekend Michael's mother came into town and we did a little shopping for the baby's crib. After a long day of registering and shopping around, we found a crib! I'm so grateful to have such generous in-laws!!! It was a pretty stressful day all-around because we had a hard time matching the crib to the furniture that my mom has refinished. It's a gorgeous crib...

As far as registering goes, that was a whole different level of stress. I found myself just staring at products wondering which brand to choose and even what products were used for what. I mean, really? A nipple guard?

Lately, for some reason, I've been surrounded by creepy boy babies/kids. True Blood is one of our favorite shows of all time and there is a little boy baby that is possessed or something, but he writes creepy things on walls and has a super weird doll that follows him around. We also watched Insidious over the weekend..."it's not the house that is haunted, it's the boy". This is not helping the whole bad mother/ugly baby/weird baby/tragic dream situation.

Two of my friends had babies last week and I was just reminded of how fast this pregnancy has gone. It seems like they just told me the news, and I'm starting to have a little anxiety of how soon Trip will be here. I had my first sugar test this morning and I failed...miserably. I was supposed to stay below 140 and it was 165. I have to go back for the three hour test Monday and I'm also anaemic. I think I've been getting into the mint chocolate chip ice cream too much because I've never had any problems in that department. If I have to curb my carb and sugar intake from here on out, I just don't know if I can cope. Trip was measuring at 27 weeks, so I'm not sure if that means I do have gestational diabetes because he's big, or that I'm just ahead of schedule. That little guy has been moving like crazy and I love it. I can't wait to meet him!!

Needy

This is going to be a short-and-sweet post, but I just have to laugh at myself at how needy I've become. I know I've really popped out there...I mean, my belly is huge. But, I was heating up my lunch the other day at work and the old lady that sits next to me asks, "So, how much weight have you gained so far? I know it's none of my business, but..."


Okay, no...it's not your business. Why do people, especially people who have had children, ask these questions??


Friday was pay day so I decided to treat myself to a manicure and pedicure. Lately, if I feel blue or fat, I tend to spend money to make myself feel better. I walked in and the Chinese girl goes, "ohhhhhhhh!!! You look so good!! How you feel?!" She started working on my toes and then she goes "ohhhh you look great!! Honestly, you can't tell you're pregnant from behind" I tipped her 30%. I told Michael that he really needs to tell me how cute I am (which he already does) every single day from here on out :) This could turn into a really dangerous cycle.

Trip Update

This past weekend was the 4th of July and all-in-all it was pretty uneventful. I had a slight panic attack when I realized I was six months pregnant, hadn't read a single parenting book, our house was a wreck, the nursery was completely empty, and I had no idea what I was doing. Soooooo...we decided to take a step at a time and start cleaning out all the stuff in our house that we don't need/use anymore. We cleaned out closets and I tossed a ton of clothes in bags that are going to the salvation army. We moved furniture around and cleared out the nursery closet to make room. Storage is an issue in our 55 year old house, so we wanted to make sure we made enough room as possible. I have a feeling Trip will have more stuff than I do.

I went to Decatur to pick up the changing table from Mom and it looks great. She refinished an old computer desk and hand-painted knobs. We ended up dropping off our old dresser to be refnished as well, so I'm counting my blessings that I have a handy mother that can do all this for us. Mom and I ended up taking a trip over to Babies R Us on Saturday afternoon and we both felt completely overwhelmed in that store. I bought a set of baby hangers, but I could have really gone nuts if I had the money.

There hasn't been much to report on the pregnancy end of things. Trip is kicking like crazy, which is amazing and he definitely likes mint chocolate chip ice cream. I swear he did a hurkie in there. Lately, I've been craving greens. I've been hitting up bbq joints all across Birmingham for veggie plates and it has been glorious. I also love sleepy time tea from my Keurig coffee maker. Once I got a pregnancy pillow and the tea, I've been snoring like a champ. I was really starting to get worried there for a second that I would never sleep a full night again. Below are some things I love right now:

peanut butter and apples (everyday, consistent)
coffee (I know its bad, but I allow myself one cup and it's an amazing cup of heaven)
fruits
greens
garlic bread sticks from Olive Garden
peanut butter filled pretzels
Gordo's cheese dip and chips
Ohhhh god I love the Ghiradelli caramel-filled chocolate squares
macaroni and cheese

Hate:
any large quantity of meat--this is a weird one I know. I can eat chicken and/or steak but it has to be cut up thinly sliced or shredded or it isn't happening.
cool ranch doritos--Michael's favorite chips, but they are no longer allowed in our house. The smell absolutely kills me.
Sausage--something about meat in casing...bleh, gross! The texture gets to me too.
Tyson chicken nuggets--we bought a bag from costco before I got pregnant so we have about 120 left. Oopsies. Trip may become a vegetarian by the end of all this.

So far, I'm at 18 pounds and counting, so I'm really nervous what I'll end up at the end of all this. I get heartburn every single day and I pee like a race horse, but other than that, no complaints. I'm really getting used to eating whatever the heck I want, so it may be an adjustment to get back to normal once Trip gets here.

Updated Belly

Look how hard this t-shirt is working...

Sweet Revenge

We got the little witch that was trying to break into our roof! She's trying to give me the saddest raccoon face, but it's not going to work on me. She doesn't look very pregnant, so this may be the first of many...

Shameless

I think pregnancy is designed to make you as unsexy as absolute possible.

The biggest surprises along the way are how soon things happen to your body. For example, the toot n' scoot. I've never been around children before, so all I have to go by is other people's stories and movies/tv. Everything I've seen is that the uncontrollable toots come way later, when you're 8-9 months pregnant. Nope. You have to have the finesse of the toot n' scoot. Meaning, you WILL toot in public and you will have to walk away and/or just pretend like it didn't happen. No one is safe. There is no warning. The smallest activities such as getting out of a chair, or shutting a sliding glass door, will bring on the ever-sneaky, but always feared toot.

I had another doctor's appointment yesterday and she said, "Well, the good news is that you didn't gain nearly as much weight as last time". Whew, what a relief. I was worried I was getting fat. Thanks, doc. But she assured me that I will be approaching another growth spurt in the next few weeks and then it will even out. I've been avoiding mirrors.

Sleepless nights have already reared their ugly head and I get a very sharp pain in my back if I sit too long. Whoever said the 2nd trimester is easier than the first should be slapped. But seriously, I shouldn't complain that much. I'm so excited to meet Trip in a few months and I've been having a blast getting the nursery going. I cannot believe I only have four months left!!!

Really?

The other day I was outside with Sam and called Michael out to look at our roof. I noticed a hole that had been ripped open in our roof, shingles missing, bare wood. The hole was about 8 inches long and there was a similar hole on the other side of the house. Great, WTF? It means there is a PREGNANT RACCOON TRYING TO EAT HER WAY INTO OUR ATTIC TO NEST. Sick. Disgusting. Bleh. Gross.


She isn't in yet though. He said the hole would have to be at least the size of a softball for her to get in, but he could see the footprints on the side of the house. Apparently raccoons are pregnant this time of year. I'm sorry, but there is only room for one big ol' pregnant girl in our house. Bitches be crazy.


Oh, he also informed us that we need a new roof. Okay, so we're having a baby, will have to shell out about $800 a month in day care, we just had to get our A/C fixed, we had to pay this pest guy $1400 to get rid of a pregnant raccoon, we need furniture for our bedroom, and we have to get a new roof? Well, when it rains it pours I guess. We just need a break. Thank God we're going on vacation next week to get away for a little while and relax. Sorry for the pity party. I'm a bit emotional these days if you can't already tell. The other night I cried for a solid hour because I looked like a pregnant hooker in every one of my dresses (the twins are out of control big).

Halfway There!

Today marks the halfway point of my pregnancy and the first day my stomach got in the way of shutting a door. I'm officially large.

Now that I know we're having a boy, I've tried to get my head around the nursery. Although I've already repainted my baby dresser white, in true Stephanie fashion, I've decided on some bedding which will turn all my furniture a dark brown. Oh well. I've never been accused of being a great interior decorator, so I hope I don't have a mental breakdown over this. I guarantee you...I will.

It's called Retro Owl from Carousel Designs.

I picked out a chandelier from a consignment shop in Homewood, and my Mom is going to refinish my old computer desk into a changing table. The dresser we are currently using in our bedroom is actually a baby dresser, so I'm going to repaint that to be an espresso brown for the nursery. That means we are finally getting new bedroom furniture!! My master plan is coming together quite nicely :)

Michael Knows Best

During a recent discussion, Michael informed me that he could register for all our baby stuff himself and that he doesn't need the help of anyone who has had a child. Here is the list that he came up with. And I quote "Here's what we need (strictly for the infant). We could register for the older baby stuff if we want to:


All the furniture (taken care of)
Clothes
Bottles and bottle accessories
Pump
Toys
Chair/glider
Diapers
Creams/wipes
Thermometer
Burping Rag
Pacifiers
Bedding (including blankets)
Stroller
Bassonet


Anything that I haven't mentioned is non-essential and we could pick up as needed. Go ahead...tell me I'm wrong."


That settles it. I just need to throw in the towel because Michael knows all-things-baby. We don't need that car seat, we'll just sit the baby upright and toss a seatbelt over him. Buy Buy Baby isn't daunting at all. They have an entire wall of pacifiers, but we don't need help. When talking about a receiving blanket, he seemed grossed out and asked if that's what they "caught the baby in". Oh I love him so much. He makes me laugh.


On a side note, our air conditioning went out last night so that's been fun. Our dog literally tried to escape this morning when I left to go to work. It was 82 degrees when I woke up...MISERABLE.

Shopping Trip

My sweet cousin, Michelle, and her boyfriend, Wes, came into town and we met up for a little baby shopping. Gymboree was having a huge sale so I got a few little things and Michelle bought him some little outfits too--Love her!!! Then, Wes took us to dinner. I feel so loved!! Little Trip/Trey is going to be spoiled...ohhhhh he's going to be so spoiled!

Little man outfit :)

I don't even have to explain why this is the cutest outfit ever. Sorry, I haven't figured how to rotate pictures on here.

Not sure if you can read this one, but it says "Introducing me". Love!





And the little baby balooga 0-3 month onesies!

Sweet Husband

I got home last night and these were sitting on our kitchen table. These are "you're going to be a great mom" flowers. I love him!!

Belly Pic

I just wanted to show what has happened in the past two weeks...the belly. Now, I'm not claiming it's a cute one by any means, but I just cannot believe how I've popped right out there!

It's a BOY!!!

The pee pee!



Profile shot!!



There's a little weenus growing inside of my belly!! He's definitely all boy because I saw the little package before the nurse even told us. Yay!! Little Trip or Trey, I cannot believe it. I'm so happy right now!! The ultrasound went great and everything looks perfect. The technician showed us the brain, heart, ribs, spine, feet, toes, fingers...everything. I drank a small cup of coffee this morning to jump-start the movement and it worked. He was tumbling around, grabbing his toes, checking out his hands, etc. It's amazing how far technology has come! I'm definitely still due Oct. 23rd and the little guy is 7 inches long and weighs about a pound. I thought I wanted a little girl at first, but I think a boy is just perfect. I can't wait to see what he looks like. Michael was the cutest little boy with dark brown curls and olive skin! It could go either way. He could pop out a ginger kid with freckles :)

I hope Michael is ready because I'm about to do some damage to our bank account. Let the shopping commence!

The Fat Kid

The biggest thing that has been happening the past two weeks has been the weight gain. Between the panting after walking 50 feet, eating TWELVE packs of sour patch kids in 8 days, this weird fat pouch on my stomach, and gaining 4 pounds in a week, I'd say I have all the symptoms of an obese kid. I refuse to post pictures of my pregnant belly until it's a cute one. Don't hold your breath. Oh, another thing is if I don't eat every two hours, I'm a big ol' B to be around. Again, sorry Michael.


I tried to be "active" one Saturday afternoon and pick up all the fallen sticks from our back yard. I made it all of twenty minutes before I had to come inside, drink some water, and have a snack. I'm even having dreams about food! Last night I had the ultimate pregnancy dream. I was on a mission to get a BMT sandwich from Subway and find both Edward Cullen and Jason Stackhouse (my sexy vampire crushes). The sandwich was first on the agenda.


I'm so excited to find out the sex in two weeks, I can hardly contain myself. I thought I was having a girl until recently. Either way, I will be excited. I just want it to be healthy. I've been pretty open about the names and think I've finally landed on the girl's name. If it's a boy, he will be Barry Michael Tidwell III (Trip) and if it's a girl she will be Olivia Claire Tidwell. It's going to be balls-t0-the-wall once I find out the sex. There's going to be some serious shopping trips and I finally get to start planning the nursery!! Whoop whoop!

Day care nightmare and my stupidity continues...

Well, so far not so good on the day care search. I cannot believe that there isn't an easier way to find a day care in Birmingham, AL. I have called on twenty day cares and have visited seven. The most horrifying thing that can happen when you are searching for one, is walking in and seeing the director covered in tattoos with a gold tooth and hearing:

"Wellstt I gotz 6 kidz, so you knowz, I have expuurience"

Oh and the place smelled like urine, but no worries, they lit a candle. I couldn't get out of there quick enough. On the other hand, I have walked into some with the most angelic grandmother of a woman rocking a baby in a quiet, glorious infant room, and knew I had to take my kid there. The price tag? Oh just $900-$1000 per month. That's another mortgage payment! I'm going to have to sell a kidney on the black market to keep my kid away from the ghetto day cares if that's what it take, but geez, I just want some sort of in-between!

Now, for my stupidity. This past weekend was Easter and I spent time with the family. Saturday night we decided to watch The Ten Commandments, which I had never seen before. During dinner I looked at my brother and asked, "Now, I know this is a dumb question, but were Jesus and Moses friends?" Wow. Everyone just had a look of sadness on there face and Michael made the obvious suggestion that we attend church more often. Needless to say, I'm in the market for a day care and a church, so I'm open to suggestions!

Be careful what you wish for

And so it begins. The last post I mentioned I was ready for my belly to pop out. That was TWO days ago. This morning I couldn't button my pants, so I had to get a belly band on my lunch break. Granted, I was trying to get into a size 8 and I ate an entire box of sour patch kids last night, but I put those bad boys on anyways. Being stubborn and pregnant means:

A) being super uncomfortable

B) Wearing something completely unflattering, only no one is going to tell the pregnant girl she shouldn't wear a certain size. That's just mean.


I was "freaking out" because I wasn't having any pregnancy symptoms but I just got slapped in the face with them. My feet are swollen. Swollen! I'm already retaining that much water! So, just be careful what you wish for. The doctor told me this was going to happen, I just didn't realize it was going to be so soon.

Doctor's Visit

I had my second check-up this morning and everything looks great! I heard the baby's heartbeat on the little doppler thingy and it was 156 beats per minute. I was told I don't have HIV or Syphilis. I was super worried, so that's a relief :) Juuuuuust kidding. I was very happy to hear that I can have the big ultrasound at the next visit (May 23rd) where we find out the sex!! Woo hoo!! I was anxious about this visit because I literally haven't felt pregnant at all and it was freaking me out. Once I heard that tiny heartbeat again, I felt comfortable to do the facebook announcement. Geez, what has this world come to. I have actually lost weight (only a pound, but still) in the first trimester, but the doctor assured me that I will be gaining weight in no time. I never thought I would be ready to have a huge belly, but I am. I'll be eating my words in 5 months, but right now, I just want to pop right on out there. And, I'm DYING to feel the little tadpole move around. This week it gets fingerprints and a weird coating thingy that protects the skin. It all seems so sci-fi to me, but amazing at the same time.

What was I saying?

Lately I've been stupid. Not just forgetful as the "pregnancy brain" is referring to, but stupid. The other night the power went out and Michael asked me to go into the kitchen and get a candle. I walked in and attempted to turn on the light...twice. Then, we sat down on the couch and I casually suggested that we watch a movie like it was an option. Michael had no words. Now, I've never been accused of being a genius by any means, but I'm at a whole new level. I read about pregnancy brain, but according to my readings, it wasn't supposed to start until way down the line. The more and more I read about it, I see that it won't go away either. Now, this may be women's excuse after having children and their lives get a little hectic, but I've experienced it and I hope it goes away real quick. Another fun fact is that I went the entire first trimester without any nausea. I get into the second trimester and the spins hit. People keep telling me I'm not eating enough...ha! The other night I had macaroni and cheese as an appetizer, pizza as the entree, and a root beer float as a dessert. But, if I need to eat more for my health, well by God, that's exactly what I'm going to do!

WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!

Welp, I'm pregnant! Michael and I have been married for almost two years and I'm about 11 weeks along (due Oct. 23rd). We decided if it was going to happen, it will happen, so we pulled the goalie. Apparently I'm fertile myrtle, because six weeks later we got a little surprise on that tee tee stick!

I never thought I would be the "blogger" but here I am. I had a general idea of pregnancy symptoms, but some just out-right took me by surprise. There are a couple of things that happen immediately:

1) If you are pregnant, probably one of the first signs is if you come down with the common cold and you feel like you're dying. This happened to me, went to the doctor to get the hook up on some meds, found out I'm pregnant.

2) Your boobs not only hurt, but grow right away. I'm starting out a D cup, so yay for bigger boobs, just what I always wanted.

3) Going to bed at 7:30 never sounded so good. It's all I can do to drag my ass to bed after dinner.

4) Not sure if it's in your head, but you start "eating for two" pretty quickly. No nausea on my end (thank GOD), so the weight gain is gonna be intense. Sorry, Michael :)

5) I'm turning into teen wolf. My sense of smell is insane, if there's a full moon I go bat crazy, AND my hair is growing like it's my job (and I'm not referring to long lustrous hair on my head). I'm shaving my legs every single day and my eye brows are frantically working on a merger.

6) The dreams are probably one of the best perks so far. I've now had two, yes two, very realistic dreams about Bradley Cooper.

I hope I've dropped some nuggets of knowledge. Stay tuned for more!