Weekends...and short work weeks

I'm so excited that Thanksgiving is next Thursday!!! I can't wait for all the good food, family, and friends. It's going to be GREAT!

Today, I'm just glad it's Friday. This week seems to have crept by incredibly slow, but now...2...days...OFF! Woohoo! What's sad, is that the Wings are on again, it's 8:40 on a Friday night, and I'm ready for bed already! Ugh...

This weekend is going to be a good one, though. Tomorrow morning, me and the man are going to get up and clean the house, then we're going to register (YIPPEE!!), and then...who knows. Probably come home and have something from the slow cooker for dinner and call it a day. Sunday brings church early, and visiting my dad! Haven't seen him since the wedding in May, so it's about time. :-) They'll probably have lots of pictures to show me too. I talked to him the other night and he and my step-mom (possibly my step-brother also) were going through old photos and having a hoot of a time.

Next week at work, we are having our "family" Thanksgiving celebration with many of the co-workers. It should be fun. We're doing potluck style and I'm taking cheesecake. I can't wait (again) to eat all the good food that will be there! I love this time of year...Christmas is my favorite, but Easter and Thanksgiving are a close tie for 2nd. We also only have to work 3 days, and we'll all be off Thursday and Friday! Woohoo! I love 4 day weekends...might actually try to be productive too...we'll see.

Anyways...I'm going to shut this thing off, watch some more of the Wings, and head to bed. Good night!

Dear sweet Red Wings

Oh how I wish I could stay up and watch a whole game... :-( But alas...my bedtime has been moved up drastically!!! I miss my hockey!!!

Quick update before bed. We had our 20 week ultrasound last week, and managed not to find out the sex of the baby!!! Yay!!! It's still a surprise!!! Baby is doing great, measuring right on time, and the head isn't unusually large. LOL As for me, my belly is becoming slightly more noticeable, mostly from the side. From the front, you really can't tell...it's coming though! 22 weeks on Sunday!

Some pics for your enjoyment...

Hi mom and dad!!!


Profile shot...


Leg(s)...you can kind of see both legs...


The little feets...



And here's a "noticeable belly" shot...


Making progress :-)

2-10-10 or 2-10-1-10

That's all we're really hoping for, and so far, it's all good! The baby is measuring pretty accurately, heart beat is in the 150's and is strong. My health is all checking out nicely, so it's all good! I have another ultrasound next Tuesday to help rule out placenta previa, and to take all the measurements of the baby to ensure that she/he is in fact growing appropriately. This will also be THE ultrasound if we should decide to do so. At this point, we don't want to know what we're having, but I pretty much know what to look for on the screen! I'm going to do my best to "miss" that part, and we're making sure that the tech knows we don't want to know...cross your fingers that the little bugger isn't sitting there spread eagle right away!

The doc today did say that we already have a very active baby, and that is reinforced by the amount of movement I've been feeling! This kid MOVES!

Anyhoo...I need to get back to the grind...lunch is almost over!

Hitting Home...

This morning I think it finally really started to hit me that a baby is on the way. Never mind the constant feeling of little "muscle spasms" that are actually the baby moving in me...never mind the fact that over the last 19 weeks I've gained almost 10 lbs...never mind that Michael got to feel the baby last week...never mind that the nursery is all but ready for baby furniture and the baby...never mind that I've heard the heartbeat, had the pregnancy confirmed by my doctor, seen the baby moving on the ultrasound, and the fact that my next prenatal appointment is tomorrow...never mind all of that. THIS is what made it really start to hit home for me.

I asked Michael to call the hospital and set up a tour for us, and to register us for childbirth classes. This is the conversation that made it hit home. Especially when he said "We're touring at [the delivery location] on Saturday, and our classes are January 14th and February 4th at [the local location]". THAT's what got me today. I actually started to get choked up knowing that in the next 4 months, we will be holding our baby in our arms. It's still surreal, and I'm still sure I'm going to wake up from this dream one day.

I thank God every day for blessing us with this little life, and for choosing US to raise her/him. I smile every time I feel the baby move...I love this baby already so much more than he/she will ever know, and I'm so grateful that I've found the perfect man to raise my (well, our) family with!!!

That is all...

The wait is over...

Michael just felt the baby kick or punch!

That is all...I'm going to bed. :-)

Growth, Love, Excitement, Desire, Anticipation...

This past weekend I went to Frankenmuth with my mom, my sister, my niece, and my sis's friend from Virginia. We had a BLAST. Saw some pretty things, too!!! We also went to Zhender's for lunch. I had a Michigan Cherry salad with chicken, and a bowl of Zhender's noodle soup...YUMMY!!! I love their noodle soup...it's just so tasty! When we were done with lunch, we wandered around the gift shop and I found this absolutely adorable and beautiful gray wool coat that I wanted really bad...but it was $176. Once we left the gift shop (sans coat...), we headed to the fudge store, and I came home with 1/2 pound of peanut butter chocolate fudge instead. :-)

Yesterday, Michael and I worked on getting the guest bedroom and nursery "around" after I put my laundry away. The guest bedroom is all but done. There is still a bookcase in the nursery that has to go into the guest bedroom, but once I go through that, and it gets moved...the guest bedroom is done! Then...it's up to me to tackle my stuff that is still in the nursery. It's all good though, cause at least there's room in there for a crib and a rocking chair now! The only bad part about yesterday? I started getting a splitting headache...again...around 4 or 5:00.

After all of that was done, I was sitting on the couch and Michael was sitting on the...um...comfy chair, and he looked at me...just smiling. Of course I said "...what?" and he said "You look all...motherly!" I chuckled and he went on with "You know, your bump is showing, and you just look...motherly." It was pretty cute to me! :-) So, having said that...it brings me to my next thing. I took my 18 week picture yesterday, and there was only a little bit of a change to my belly. I know it's coming though! I'm probably going to wake up one day and look in the mirror and say "Holy crap!!! Where did THAT come from?!?!?" LOL It's all good...my lease is up, and the baby is subletting. Pretty soon it will take over my body, and eventually, my life! Yay! I can't wait...I already love this baby so much more than I ever thought was possible... We have 2 boy names and 2 girl names picked out already...we've had them for about two years actually!

Feeling the movements is such a reassurance too. I'm at the point in the pregnancy that symptoms are few and far between if there are any, and since the bump is just a bump right now, there's no way for me to know that everything is ok in there unless I call the doctor and ask for an ultrasound. Well, I'm not going to do that because it would probably cost extra...and believe me, they're not cheap!!! I've seen the insurance submissions! So feeling a little a little poke or prod here and there, or a flutter on occasion, helps set my mind at ease that the lil bean is still alive and well. Pretty soon though, I'll be able to distinguish between a kick, an elbow, a head...you name it. And then...Michael won't have to be jealous that I'm feeling the baby and he can't. :-)

Anyways...that is all...

18 weeks!!!

Yep, that's right! Today marks 18 weeks along. :-)

That is all...

So done....

I am so sick of feeling like I'm being walked on, taken advantage of, not being appreciated, and over all, tired of dealing with the drama.

My husband has been laid off since before the wedding in May, only working a couple of days a week here and there. NOTHING solid yet. So, basically, I'm the sole breadwinner in our house right now, aside from him getting unemployment. I thank the Lord for that because I don't know where we would be right now if we had to live just on my income. It's stressful though. I've been on the verge of tears all day at least 3 of the last 5 days, and it's driving me crazy. I hate feeling like I'm lost...like I've been deserted...like no one cares. I know, I know...people do care about me, but that's what it feels like to me. Michael is trying to find a job...has been since he got laid off. I keep praying that he will get one, but right now it just doesn't look good.

I don't know how much longer I can take this. I get up, go to work, and by the time I get home, I just don't want to do anything...ever. I force myself to be involved with a few things, but I'd almost much rather just sit on the couch and cry. I just want to be able to enjoy my pregnancy, and at the rate things are going, I just cant...there's too much stress right now, and that freaks me out too! Not good for the baby...

God give me strength...I'm afraid I might break...

Pumpkin Family!

So, we got our pumpkins the other day, and colored them! We'll carve them a couple of days before Halloween. Love 'em! :-)

Before...


After...

Making progress!

Not on the baby blanket...but on the baby!!! We had an appointment yesterday, got to hear the heartbeat again, got weighed, peed in a cup, and the belly was measured. Everything seems to be going WONDERFULLY!!! I can't believe I'm almost 16 weeks pregnant already. Time is flying by! While we were at the doc's appointment, I managed to record a little bit of lil beans heartbeat, but I can't get it off of my phone :-( Oh well, I'll use my mp3 player next time maybe. I must say...Michael was so cute! We were listening to that wonderful 'woosh woosh woosh' on the doppler for about two whole seconds when static completely took over. We looked at each other and the doc said "the static is from the baby moving". His whole face just lit up!!! After all the static settled, we could barely hear the heartbeat anymore. It's like the baby was saying "I'm OUTTA here if you're going to be pushing on MY house with that thing!" LOL I had a few questions for the doctor also. One of them was in regards to my weight. I couldn't remember what I weighed at my first visit, and I was curious how much I've gained. He informed me that I originally weighed in at 136 (gulp...I was about 127 at the wedding!!! LOL), and yesterday, I was 139. So, apparently, I've gained a whopping 3 pounds in the last 15 weeks. I can deal with that, but I'm going to have to pick it up at some point!

Anyways...here are a couple of pictures so y'all can see my progress...I no longer feel like I'm just getting fat. I actually feel like I have a baby bump!

Me at 8 weeks...


Me at 15 weeks and 1 day...


:-)

Time to get back to work...

Can I Just Say...

First off, I feel completely, totally, and utterly blessed to be carrying this baby...and to be dealing with all of the "bad" things that go along with it...but...

I am SO SICK of saltine crackers!!! Oh my goodness. They're about the only thing that I have handy that helps with the occasional nausea (those and water)...and I've gone through an entire box in the last month. I'm really hoping I'm not one of the select few women that actually have to endure "morning sickness" throughout the entire pregnancy. I don't know how many more of these crackers I can eat!!! I'm going to try Ritz, Triscuits, and Wheat Thins for a bit of variety. Hopefully they'll work just as well. Each time it hits me, I just remind myself that it's all for a GREAT reason, which I will be holding in my arms in the next 179 days!

Another thing...the hiccups...and 2 for 1 sneezes!!! Oh my goodness...at our last prenatal appointment, my hubby was sitting across from me when I hiccuped. He got an "uh-oh!" look on his face like he thought I was about to throw up. It was funny! Then my doc piped up and said "don't worry, it's totally pregnancy related". LOL Now...probably about half of the time when I eat, I hiccup 4 or 5 times afterwords, and I just chuckle and say "what are you doing in there bean?" As for the sneezes..................oh my. I barely get one sneeze out, and the other is right there!!! I barely have enough time to catch my breath! LOL It's all good though. I'm used to it now, and I just chuckle!

I'm also very excited about this Friday!!! I'm participating in the Light the Night Walk. It's a 2 mile walk put on by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. It's an evening to pay tribute and bring hope to thousands of people battling blood cancers and to commemorate loved ones lost. I tried to do the Breast Cancer 3-Day in 2007, but was about $500 shy of the $2,200 minimum required funds to walk. I was so disappointed, and couldn't afford to foot the extra money even if I did get the extra donations. This walk only requires $100 minimum, and I'm already up to $250 in just 3 days!!! I can't wait!!!

Anyways, lunch is over...back to the grind!!!

Dear Anon.

There are a few anonymous posters on my blog, but I'm sure you know who I'm talking about. Now, I have a few questions for you:

Why will you not tell me who you are? Why will you not even tell me if you're a guy or a girl? Or where I know you from? If I turn comment moderation, I won't post your answers to these questions, I'm just curious for my own sake.

Honestly, at first I thought it was kind of neat, secret admirer type of neat...I believe I said I was intrigued at one point, but now...I'm seriously kind of starting to get freaked out, and so are some of my followers. You obviously know me from somewhere...but you refuse to tell me where, when, how, whatever! How do I know you're not just getting some sick enjoyment out of it? You had to have been at my wedding reception site, because we didn't get your card in the mail. That's kind of creepy. I do appreciate it, and I thought I had you pegged until we got that card. Actually, I think I still have a pretty good idea of whom you might be...but I want to know for sure. What would you do? How would you feel? How would your spouse/significant other (if you have one) feel if someone was commenting on YOUR blog (again...if you have one) anonymously and sending cards to you? I know that some of my readers are kind of creeped out...and I'm heading there myself. I'm pregnant, hormonal, and am in no state to be stressed out about this. If you're willing to "out" yourself, like I said - I will NOT post your answers...just simply respond with "Yes" in a comment, I'll turn moderation on, and no one else will see your comments...please.

Thank you.

The Latest Project...

So, I recently started working on a blanket for my new baby-to-be. I bought the yarn last Thursday and started working on the project on our way to Kinde for the Polka Fest. I was a little intimidated by it at first because it looked relatively intricate...and it's been quite a while since I've actually picked my hooks up. Well, it's quite a bit easier (at this point) than I thought it would be! Yay me! LOL

Here are a few pics...

What the completed project will look like, but with neutral colors because we won't be finding out what we're having.


The 3 completed squares. 4th will be done shortly, just needs the final edging... Only 45 to go after that!!!


A close up of what each square looks like.


Once the 4th white square is done, I will have 5 more to make in white, then 16 in cream, and 24 in green! I can't wait until it's done!!! It will officially my 3rd finished project. My first one was a blanket for my former boss' baby boy, second was a hunter orange scarf for a family Thanksmas grab bag gift, and then there will be this one! I'm excited :-)

Anyhoo...off to work on the blankie :-)

The Pitty Pitty Patter of Little Bitty Feet!!!

Yes, that is my baby!!! I'm so stinking excited! It was so neat to see her/him wiggling around and moving like crazy!

:-)

God has truly blessed me and my hubby!

Somebody...

Anybody! Pinch me...please!!!

New picture :-)

You'll have to excuse the quality...I haven't had a chance to scan it yet, it's just a picture of a picture. This is Adam and me at the RCIA dinner on December 16th 2008. I've also added it to
Adam's Story in the appropriate area. Today, his baby niece was baptized, and I know he was with the family watching over them! :-)