What's In a Name?

A and I have been talking baby names, though not incredibly seriously before we find out the sex in September/October.

Anyway, as I wait around for the fun things to come - 12 week ultrasound and THE BIG REVEAL - I thought I'd put some of the names we like (now) here in writing. These are in order of my preferences at the moment. THANK GOODNESS A and I agree on names pretty easily. It's so much easier to have a similar style. What is our style? Old school cool, I think!

Girls

• Evelyn (nicknamed Evie)
• English
• Means "Beautiful Bird"
• Clara 
• Latin
• Means "Illustrious"
• Claire
• French
• Means "Illustrious"

For a baby girl's middle name, we are probably going with Lettie, which was my grandmother's middle name. She never liked it much, but I think it's sweet. Lettie is English, and means "joy" which is nice since my mother's name is Joyce. Double meaning! I don't think Clara Lettie sounds great, though, so we probably will be skipping Clara if we stick with the honorary middle name.

Boys

• Nathan (nicknamed Nate)
• Hebrew
• Means "He Gave"
• Gavin 
• English
• Means "White Hawk"
• Thomas
• Greek
• Means "A Twin"

For a boy, the middle name will probably be either James, for my grandfather, or George for A's grandfather. Both are amazing guys, so it will probably just come down to which sounds better with our name choice. My personal favorite right now is Nathan James!

10 Weeks!

How far along: 10 Weeks, 0 Days (DOUBLE DIGITS!)
Maternity Clothes: Enjoying my dresses. They are so comfy, and they don't look like maternity since they just have some room to grow. I'm also living in yoga pants.
Stretch marks: Nothing new, but some old ones by my boobs are darker.
Sleep: All the sleep, all the time. 
Best moment of the Week: HANDS DOWN seeing our little parasite moving around and hearing the strong heartbeat on the ultrasound Monday. BEST EARLY BIRTHDAY GIFT EVER. Seriously, the relief that has washed over me since that ultrasound is amazing. At this point, I know it would be a really rare/odd thing to lead to a miscarriage. I'm so happy baby is okay.
Miss Anything? Wine and sushi. So I had a california roll (cooked) and bought some alcohol free wine. It will probably be gross, but I'll try it.
Movement: Though I can't feel it, we got to see Baby C roll over - s/he did a complete flip while we watched. It's incredible.
Food Cravings: No intense cravings this week. I have been really enjoying s'mores pop tarts, though!
Queasy or Sick? Carsick. Long car rides aren't my friends right now.
Have you started to show? Bloat is killing me. Last night before bed I caught myself in the mirror and thought I looked 6 months pregnant. Woke up this morning and was much smaller. Bloat is a bitch.
Gender: Nope! But I'm so excited that it's getting closer and closer. 18 weeks, I think, is when my doc said she likes to schedule the anatomy scan, which is when we get to find out.
Labor signs: No!
Belly button in, or out? In!
Wedding rings on or off? On!
Happy or moody? So happy. This baby is healthy and wonderful :)

Baby C's First Pictures!

We just got back from my ultrasound, and it was AMAZING!

First of all, Baby C is right on track, maybe even measuring a day EARLY size wise. S/He has a heartbeat of 181 beats per minute, on the strong side of normal (155-195 are considered good), and is MOVING like crazy!

We watched our little parasite wiggle around and even roll over. The kid is doing flips!

My favorite part of the whole experience, besides the relief of hearing "everything looks great," was hearing the heartbeat. It sounded like a train chugging along. We MADE that. It is so crazy. The tech knew I was really nervous and on the verge of tears (hormones, what can ya do?) so the very first thing she did was play us the heartbeat. I felt tears well up even more, and I laughed and clapped my hands.

I am so grateful things are okay.

Here S/He is . . . Baby C!

Baby! 9 Weeks 2 Days

Now in 3D! S/He looks like a gummy bear!

9 Weeks!

How far along: 9 Weeks, 0 Days
Maternity Clothes: Got my Old Navy shipment in and the stuff is really cute! In fact, I'm already wearing two of the dresses. They don't look maternity at all, but they have room to grow. Plus the fabric is awesome :) 
Stretch marks: Nothing new
Sleep: I'm pretty much a zombie and tired at all times.
Best moment of the Week: We went to our annual very fancy birthday dinner with A's cousins and it was great. My favorite part was that, since we told them I was expecting, they gave me a special virgin drink pairing while the rest of the group had wine. It was so nice to have fancy drinks that were baby safe.
Miss Anything? I definitely did MISS the wine, though, watching my dinner mates drinking the good stuff.
Movement: Nada
Food Cravings: I NEEDED a baked potato for dinner. NEEDED it. I had it, and it was the best decision ever.
Queasy or Sick? More queasy the last week than before, I think. I actually threw up after getting bloodwork on Thursday morning. I also noticed my palate has changed quite a bit, as things are tasting different. 
Have you started to show? Blumpity blump blump.
Gender: Nope!
Labor signs: No!
Belly button in, or out? In!
Wedding rings on or off? On!
Happy or moody? Anxious for Monday . . . we FINALLY get our first ultrasound Monday at 1:45. The wait sucks. My 28th birthday is this Friday, so it's either going to be the best gift ever, and we get to share the great news with extended family, OR the worst most depressing birthday ever. I just want this ultrasound over with.

Five Years Ago

Timehop just told me that FIVE YEARS AGO today, A and I (still just boyfriend-girlfriend) signed the lease on our very first little one bedroom apartment.

Man, have things changed. In five years since that moment we . . .

+moved in together

+got engaged

+I started my teaching career at a Middle School

+A graduated with his Masters

+Got married

+A got hired at his company as a temp - He still there today, full time, after many promotions

+Moved into a family rental to save money

+I changed jobs to be a High School teacher

+Bought a house

+Got pregnant! 

This has been a really productive five years! It's crazy to think about what we'll have done five years from NOW . . . we'll have a four year old, for one thing! Who knows what else!

First Appointment!

Well, our first appointment has come and gone. It was actually pretty anti-climactic.

The ultrasound machine was down, so we have to go back in Monday afternoon to see our little parasite and make sure it's doing okay. I'm still nervous for this, but I DO feel better after my exam. My doctor said my uterus is the right size and in the right location for where I should be, and everything is "textbook" according to her. I could have gone for an u/s tomorrow morning, but then A couldn't go. Neither of us want him to miss this, so we decided waiting a few days would be worth it.

Tomorrow I go to a lab for bloodwork, so really there isn't much to update on.

Monday can't get here soon enough, now! Hopefully I'll be posting baby's first pictures!

8 Weeks!

How far along: 8 Weeks, 0 Days
Maternity Clothes: Old Navy had a huge Fourth of July sale - 50% off the entire website - so I ordered a bunch of maternity stuff! I am excited for it to get delivered and look through it.
Stretch marks: No new ones
Sleep: I'm waking up a lot in the middle of the night. Naps, though, I am amazing at. I am a great napper.
Best moment of the Week: A said, "See ya later, incubator!" I laughed like crazy, and he told me he has been trying to think of cute phrases like that when I asked him if he'd just come up with it. Apparently "gestator" was also a contender.
Miss Anything? A long, HOT bath. I have had back pain this week, and I just want a long bubble bath to read in.
Movement: Nope. Just gas, ha!
Food Cravings: Still carbs. Mac and cheese is something I could eat every day.
Queasy or Sick? I've had issues in the car during the late afternoons. I've been queasy or carsick on the drive. I think it's because I need to eat after lunch at some point, because as soon as I snack I feel instantly better.
Have you started to show? Blumpity blump blump.
Gender: Nope!
Labor signs: No!
Belly button in, or out? In!
Wedding rings on or off? On!
Happy or moody? Happy, but anxious. As my first appointment QUICKLY APPROACHES, I am excited, but terrified. What if this baby stopped growing weeks ago? What if we can't find a heartbeat? I will just be so much happier when I know things are going alright in there. The good news is that having hit 8 weeks, assuming the baby has BEEN growing appropriately, my risk of miscarriage has dropped to like 2%. Woo!

Nursery Dreaming

As I wait impatiently for my first appointment (5 days away, but who's counting?) I thought I'd share some of my thoughts for possible nursery ideas.

Though I won't know the sex of the baby until 16 - 20 weeks (I have to wait until almost OCTOBER), so I can't actually START any of this, I do have two themes picked out!

For a baby boy...

We would go with a nautical theme. A's grandfather (dad's dad) was a naval officer, so ships and things are close to the hearts of his side of the family. Add to that MY family's love of boating, and it's just perfect. The nursery has lovely white wainscoting, and I think a nice navy blue would look GORGEOUS in there against it! The room would be navy, white, and with red accents. Think something like these . . .

For a little girl, I actually found I was pretty torn. I am just not the world's biggest pink fan. SO MUCH of what I have seen for girl rooms are just . . . grossly pink and purple. Not my style at all. It occurred to me to draw inspiration from my grandmother (my dad's mom) and my memories of being at her house as a little girl. I remember her always talking about how lucky it was to have ladybugs in the house, and she would get really excited when she found one. So for a girl, we're going ladybugs, most likely. Something like this . . .

I really like the idea of making nursery themes out of ideas and memories we love, especially our grandparents and the impact they've had on us. We are likely honoring family through the baby's middle name, so this is just one more thing to remind me of the amazing family we come from. I can just picture sitting in one of these sweet rooms, rocking our little baby, and thinking about where we all came from.

First Appointment Countdown . . . ONE WEEK!

When I first got my positive pregnancy test, I immediately called my doctor. They didn't want to see me until 8 weeks, which I know is normal, but still seemed soooooo far away. Now it is NEXT WEEK!!!!

I am so, so hoping for an ultrasound. I don't know if I will get one or not, but some reassurance that Baby C is growing as needed would be amazing. I hear so many horror stories about "missed miscarriages" and "blighted ovums" . . . I just want to know my little parasite is okay. This is especially true because other than being tired and my small handful of vomiting episodes, I would hardly know I was pregnant at all. I should be grateful for that, but I kind of wish I felt like crap. I'd be more assured everything was working properly :)

Anyway, since we're a week away, I am trying to craft a list of questions for my OB!

Here is what I have so far....

1. Billing - Will I be billed after delivery all at once? Will I be billed periodically? Do you do billling ahead of time to be "paid in full" prior to delivery?

2. Will I be eligible for an NT scan? A dating U/S? What other screenings am I eligible for, and what are the timings? When should I expect to have u/s, bloodwork, and dopplers throughout the pregnancy?

3. Frequency of appointments? Locations - at your hospital office or local location?

4. Dos/Dont's and general pregnancy advice

5. How does the practice work - will I always see you for appointments? Who delivers - you specifically or ANYONE from the practice?


Are there any major DUH questions I am missing, here?

7 Weeks!

How far along: 7 Weeks, 0 Days
Maternity Clothes: I have discovered the joys of Maternity leggings. I don't need the belly room(just folding down the top for now) but they are so nice! The fabric is thicker and super comfy.
Stretch marks: No new ones
Sleep: I'm wiped out all the time, but I'm waking up multiple times a night.
Best moment of the Week: Not baby related, but having my whole family over for dinner! Great to see everyone including my out-of-town sis and family.
Miss Anything? Cold lunch meat. Going to camp during the week, I need portable and non-microwaved meals. It would be so much easier to just pack a deli sandwich.
Movement: Nope.
Food Cravings: Carbs. Mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, stuffing. Basically I want Thanksgiving.
Queasy or Sick? So, I am definitely throwing up, as evidenced by yesterday's post. I also threw up after dinner last night. What is weird, though, is that I'm not really that nauseous. It's like, I go from just kind of feeling blah to puking, and then I'm fine again.
Have you started to show? Blump. Though my family seems to think I am some. Boobs are definitely bigger already.
Gender: Nope!
Labor signs: No!
Belly button in, or out? In!
Wedding rings on or off? On!
Happy or moody? Moody, honestly. I'm thrilled to be pregnant, but I have yet to see a doctor (11 more days) so sometimes its easy to forget I'm pregnant at all. I've been pretty easily irritated this week, at least more so than usual.

Rites of Passage

Today, my normal hour commute home from camp turned into nearly two hours due to a horrific monsoon storm and the traffic it produced. The drive was scary, stressful, and stop-start.

I only threw up THREE TIMES during this ordeal! Go me? At lease I had a bag....

Reasons I Know I am Pregnant

It's hard waiting for my first appointment, especially because I know I don't get an ultrasound right away AND I think it will be too early to hear a heartbeat on the doppler. So here are some ways I have realized I am still totally pregnant this week . . .

• Debated eating an entire box of instant mashed potatoes for dinner.
• Opened the fridge, decided it smelled, and walked out the door with no breakfast or lunch because the thought of making either was too gross. 
• Went to bed at 9:30 and was actually kind of mad I didn't go to bed earlier than I did.
• Got winded walking up a flight of stairs. I swear I am not actually this out of shape.
• Got huffy with A about where some bookcases from the room that will become the nursery will go. IT IS THE BABY'S ROOM IT CANNOT HAVE OUR BOOKS IT HAS TO BE PERFECT. His very level headed explanation that we only need a few things for the baby at first since it will be in our room for a while kind of fell on deaf ears. The man has been a saint.
• Have eaten ice cream like every night. I haven't had ice cream since like . . . the last time I was at an amusement park or something? But I needed to have it. So I do.

 AND the clincher....

• Cried - literally CRIED - during the final group performances of Pitch Perfect. Yeah, Pitch Perfect. This performance right HERE. WHO AM I?