Friday, July 31, 2009

Oh Crap! (by Rob)

About every three days it hits me - I'm going to be a Dad! When I look at Mary and her bump, I recognize that she's pregnant. But every couple of days, the meaning of it hits me - "We're going to be parents! Life is going to be completely different!"

It's equal parts scary and exciting.

Unlike other journeys we go on in our lives (work, education, etc), this is the one journey you get to share with your spouse. I think that's the most exciting part - becoming the father to Mary's child (and watching Mary become a mother).

Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to sink back into denial for a day or two.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Boy or Girl? (by Mary)

If you know me, you know I'm not very patient, so therefore, am not a huge fan of surprises. I did not feel strongly about finding out the sex of our baby, though, but Rob felt strongly that it should be a surprise. I have agreed, and since he doesn't think I can keep a secret, the sex of our baby will be a surprise to both of us. (I think he just didn't want me to torment him with my exclusive knowledge!)

When we tell most people that we are not going to find out the sex, the response is usually, "Good for you- that is the best way to do it!" While I totally understand the reasoning for finding out the sex, I have calmed my impatience by reminding me of these facts:
-I have heard of a few stories lately when the parents were told it is a girl, and it ends up being a boy!
-The neutral baby gear will be able to be used for future children

I also wanted to share that when I first found out I was pregnant, my instinct was that I was carrying a boy, but now I have a hunch it's a girl. The old wives' tales are providing us with conflicting answers as well. I'm told the nausea is a sign of a girl, but the Chinese birth chart says a boy. I seem to be carrying low, which would mean a boy, but the higher heart rate in one of the wives' tales indicates a girl.

I also have been slightly convinced that I'm having twins. Twins don't run in either of our families, but I believe I was twice as sick as the average pregnant woman (if you were present during a vomit session, you would agree). I also have a friend who dreamt I was having twins, even before she knew I was pregnant! How creepy is that? Even though only one heartbeat has been found at our last two prenatal appointments, only the ultrasound can give us a solid answer. Plus, the nurse's assistant at the last appointment just globbed gel all over and did not have any true searching mechanism ;) Our ultrasound is scheduled for our next appointment on August 24th (easy to remember, because it is my brother's birthday). I look foward to sharing pictures at that time!

How are you feeling? (by Mary)

Rob talked a bit about it in a previous post, but I thought I'd update everyone on how I'm feeling- since this is the most common question I've been getting. Weeks 8 through 15 were definitely rough, but I've had some glimpses of being truly hungry this past week. There is a hope that I will be comfortable soon, now that I'm almost done with my fourth month.

Our Baby's Journey in the Womb (by Mary)

I still have 5+ plus months left of pregnancy, but our little peanut has already had fun experiences. Here are some highlights of his/her journey:
- Janice & Tim's wedding
- My 26th birthday. Jill and Josh surprised me from Chicago, and we went to a tapas restaurant for dinner.
- A handful of water aerobics classes, and I can tell peanut is going to like the water!
- Ray & Colleen's wedding, and since I was a bridesmaid, peanut had a big day!
- Fireworks in Buffalo Grove on the 4th of July and in Champaign on the 5th of July
- Spending an afternoon at Kickapoo with Dot and Brian, including a hike where I spotted all the wildlife (a turtle and dozens of bugs)

I'm looking forward to taking peanut on many other trips, but I have noticed that my body is working overtime taking care of him/her, so it does exhaust me more than pre-pregnancy. We always have an open door for visitors to our home, though. Just keep in mind this could be the last time you stay at our house without a baby waking you up in the middle of the night :)

Monday, July 20, 2009

The Baby's Heartbeat

We had our third doctor's appointment today (at 16 weeks) and the first thing we did was listen to the heartbeat. It took about a minute for the nurse's assistant to find it. I was a little scared something might be wrong! I think this means we're not having twins (as Mary's convinced we are); I think it would have been easier to find a heartbeat if there were two of them in there...The heartbeat was a health 150 beats per minute, and I think I may want to purchase one of the at-home baby heart monitors, because it such a joy to listen to.

We didn't meet with our nurse midwife; we met with her partner. They rotate weekends and the midwife we met with could end up being the woman who delivers our baby. She was nice and we felt comfortable with her.

She delivered good news - Mary's nausea should be gone soon (some women have "morning sickness" all pregnancy and it never lets up. Those that find relief as the 2nd tri starts will find relief.) Plus we got the good news that I can cut the umbilical cord if I want (which I do)!

We have new glasses!

My frames broke a few weeks ago. Mary's sunglasses have been chewed on by a friend's dog. And it was time for our eye exams. And today, I picked up a new pair of glasses for both of us and a new pair of sunglasses for Mary.

All of the glasses are chunky; they're plastic, dark, and thick. It's a whole new look for both of us that we can't wait to show off in person!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Bump #1


The baby is the size of a navel orange.
Mary's baby bump is a small cantaloupe.

Friday, July 10, 2009

We're Having A Baby!

As we announced this morning on WIXY, Mary and I are having a baby! (audio) Our due date is January 2nd.

In Mary's first trimester, she felt fine until the day before her birthday. That was her first true "morning sickness" day (she has morning sickness worse in the evening). She's had food aversions and nausea, so we've been eating a lot of comfort foods: mac and cheese, pizza, mashed potatoes, and breads (not that I'm complaining).

Now that she's in her second trimester, Mary's appetite has started returning. She still has morning sickness and nausea at times, but not as bad as before. She's more willing to eat and is more willing to eat non-comfort foods. But Mary still refuses to eat chicken; for some reason, chicken grosses her out.

We've met with our nurse/midwife twice. Last time, we were able to hear the baby's heartbeat with a fetal dopplar. In August, we'll have our first ultrasound.

We will not be finding out the gender of the baby. We want it to be a suprise.

We'll be sharing pregnancy news on our blog. I'll also be "twittering" about it for work.