Friday, Michael and I had dinner with his dad, stepmother and aunt. It was nice to see Lou Ann (his aunt) again, and best yet, she gave us our first baby gift!*
The best part of the gift was a bunch of old children's books. Inside, they were autographed by her, Michael's dad and Michael when they were young. OH MY GOSH! I love them!!! Lou Ann did mention that there was one in there that I might not want to read to my child only because it has metallic print inside and might be worth a lot of money. I couldn't help it, but to that, I thought "BAH! My child is SOOO going to sign that book!"
The other gift that Lou Ann gave us was a cute little yellow onesy with ducks on it! Our first baby outfit! Oh my gosh! I'm going to have a baby! In presenting the outfit to us, she mentioned the two rules for shopping for baby clothes:
1. NEVER buy baby clothes that do not unbutton around the legs. If you have to pull the pants on/off the baby, the clothes will only end up staying in the closet. Too much of a hassle.
2. ALWAYS stick your hand inside the clothes before buying them. There are lots of baby clothes that look super fancy and soft on the outside, only to have a plastic-y feeling on the inside.
* Disclaimer - We have gotten a lot of great thoughtful gifts from family members since finding out we're pregnant, but this was the first that was actually for the baby.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Baby Vincent is a Pig!
2007 year of the PIG*
Pigs are tolerant and generous,virtuous and peaceful. They are well liked for their honesty and warm natures. They aim to find the best in people and allow others plenty of freedom of expression. They are often imbued with the energy of wealth and the support of others though they are not concerned with accumulating wealth. They can be content with modest means. They rarely criticise others and are not vengeful and thus have few enemies. The Pig accepts the existing richness of life and doesn't demand more. They enjoy simple and earthy pleasures. In relationships they give love and affection and trust that they will receive the same. They possess considerable determination and if they set their minds on something will pursue it and attain it. Good careers are in music, food, writing, social work, gardening and looking after others.
* Thanks, Jeanne.
Pigs are tolerant and generous,virtuous and peaceful. They are well liked for their honesty and warm natures. They aim to find the best in people and allow others plenty of freedom of expression. They are often imbued with the energy of wealth and the support of others though they are not concerned with accumulating wealth. They can be content with modest means. They rarely criticise others and are not vengeful and thus have few enemies. The Pig accepts the existing richness of life and doesn't demand more. They enjoy simple and earthy pleasures. In relationships they give love and affection and trust that they will receive the same. They possess considerable determination and if they set their minds on something will pursue it and attain it. Good careers are in music, food, writing, social work, gardening and looking after others.
* Thanks, Jeanne.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Is it the baby or just gas?
I just got off the phone with my mom and she said that I will probably feel the baby kick soon and that I should call her as soon as I do. So soon? Is she crazy?
Needless to say, I looked it up on the internet. Really, how *did* expecting mothers survive without the internet?? Anyway, apparently most first time mothers don't feel the baby kick until 16-22 weeks into the pregnancy (and I'm at 14). Women who have been pregnant before tend to feel their baby kick earlier because they already know the difference between how it feels when their tummy grumbles from gas and when their baby kicks.
Taken from one of many pregnancy sites:
"Women have described the sensation as being like popcorn popping, a goldfish swimming around, or butterflies fluttering. You'll probably chalk up those first gentle taps or swishes in your belly to gas or hunger pains, but once you start feeling them more regularly, you'll recognize the difference."
This really has me wondering. I do recall thinking "huh... My tummy SURE is grumbling funny." Do you think it could be the baby? I guess I will have to pay more attention to it and not automatically assume it's gas. LOL.
And of course, now that I'm paying close attention to it, my tummy has decided to be particularly uneventful.
Needless to say, I looked it up on the internet. Really, how *did* expecting mothers survive without the internet?? Anyway, apparently most first time mothers don't feel the baby kick until 16-22 weeks into the pregnancy (and I'm at 14). Women who have been pregnant before tend to feel their baby kick earlier because they already know the difference between how it feels when their tummy grumbles from gas and when their baby kicks.
Taken from one of many pregnancy sites:
"Women have described the sensation as being like popcorn popping, a goldfish swimming around, or butterflies fluttering. You'll probably chalk up those first gentle taps or swishes in your belly to gas or hunger pains, but once you start feeling them more regularly, you'll recognize the difference."
This really has me wondering. I do recall thinking "huh... My tummy SURE is grumbling funny." Do you think it could be the baby? I guess I will have to pay more attention to it and not automatically assume it's gas. LOL.
And of course, now that I'm paying close attention to it, my tummy has decided to be particularly uneventful.
Gone are the days...
Gone are the days where I can claim that the only way someone can tell that I'm expecting is by that "glow" pregnant women get (or as my friend, Tom, insists... The boobs). The last couple of days have forced me to admit that I may be starting to get a tummy. How is that possible, with only having gained 6.5 pounds? I'm beginning to wish that I could go from having a great body with a flat tummy to being noticeably pregnant. Why mess with the in between stage where people aren't sure if you're just getting fat or not? Really, it's really an awkward stage for everyone and it would be better to just skip it and move on with our lives.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Where's the love?
In recent days/weeks, I have experienced a few changes that I have no option but to blame on the pregnancy.
First of all, I have become a forgetful person. I lost 2 or 3 articles of clothing while in Paris (including my sister's jean jacket - I'll buy you a new one if you want). This is NOT like me, but I've already warned Michael about it. Maybe I should warn others as well. It might be nice to have an excuse for "forgetting" to do something at work. :P
Secondly, I have become quite emotional. Upon my return from Paris, I walked into a coworker's office to catch up with him. He said "So, how was Paris?" and I responded by starting to cry. Oh, Paris was great! So why the hell was I crying? Beats me. Surprisingly, he was one of the few people who didn't already know about me being pregnant, but that conversation certainly gave it away.
Thirdly, dry skin. Everywhere. I hate it. Last night my legs were so itchy that I made them hurt from scratching so much. Even after putting on lotion I could barely stay still to fall asleep. Ugh.
But as much as I complain, I find that I don't get much sympathy. "But, why?" you might ask. Lucky me... I haven't been very sick. I had a couple brief episodes where I was able to force myself to sleep through it, and then there was the plane landing in Chicago where I hurt my mom's feelings for telling her I just didn't want to talk because I felt like I was going to be sick. But apparently a couple episodes aren't enough to warrant real sympathy. I've talked to other women who have had such bad pregnancies and were so sick during their pregnancies. One coworker of mine even strongly considered adopting her second child because she was so miserable during her 9 months with the first.
So, though I have my own frustrations, it comes down to me not really having much to complain about. And now that I have made it through my first trimester, chance of me being sick are slim. I may lose my mind and forget who I am, but I won't be nauseous! Woohoo!
First of all, I have become a forgetful person. I lost 2 or 3 articles of clothing while in Paris (including my sister's jean jacket - I'll buy you a new one if you want). This is NOT like me, but I've already warned Michael about it. Maybe I should warn others as well. It might be nice to have an excuse for "forgetting" to do something at work. :P
Secondly, I have become quite emotional. Upon my return from Paris, I walked into a coworker's office to catch up with him. He said "So, how was Paris?" and I responded by starting to cry. Oh, Paris was great! So why the hell was I crying? Beats me. Surprisingly, he was one of the few people who didn't already know about me being pregnant, but that conversation certainly gave it away.
Thirdly, dry skin. Everywhere. I hate it. Last night my legs were so itchy that I made them hurt from scratching so much. Even after putting on lotion I could barely stay still to fall asleep. Ugh.
But as much as I complain, I find that I don't get much sympathy. "But, why?" you might ask. Lucky me... I haven't been very sick. I had a couple brief episodes where I was able to force myself to sleep through it, and then there was the plane landing in Chicago where I hurt my mom's feelings for telling her I just didn't want to talk because I felt like I was going to be sick. But apparently a couple episodes aren't enough to warrant real sympathy. I've talked to other women who have had such bad pregnancies and were so sick during their pregnancies. One coworker of mine even strongly considered adopting her second child because she was so miserable during her 9 months with the first.
So, though I have my own frustrations, it comes down to me not really having much to complain about. And now that I have made it through my first trimester, chance of me being sick are slim. I may lose my mind and forget who I am, but I won't be nauseous! Woohoo!
Monday, October 16, 2006
Thumpety thump thump
150 beats per minute and all is well.
And the best part is... (drumroll please)... at 13 weeks and 2 days, I'm basically done with my first trimester! Woohoo! Go Jen! Go Jen! It's your birthday!
And the best part is... (drumroll please)... at 13 weeks and 2 days, I'm basically done with my first trimester! Woohoo! Go Jen! Go Jen! It's your birthday!
Inspiration from the French
I was gone all last week on a mother/daughter trip to Paris! Paris! It was really nice to spend a lot of alone time with my mom and my seestor.
So, what do you do when you're in Paris for a week? Well, shop of course! (actually we did see A LOT of stuff). My mom bought this really pretty grey dress (a color she's NEVER liked before, but looks great on her) and I, of course, got more baby clothes! I got a cute shirt that says "c'est pour avril" (it's for April) with an arrow pointing downward. Super-cute! And even though I'm not exactly fashion concious, I do realize I should wait until I'm showing more to wear it. LOL!
Speaking of which, I owe my mom and sister an appology. So, if you guys are reading this, here it goes... They kept telling me that I look pregnant, and I kept insisting that I'm not showing yet and all that weight that they saw was just from the Paris trip (Mmmm... creme brulee!). Well, in the last couple days since being home, I not only lost the few pounds I gained from the trip, but I have also been told by a few people that indeed, I am beginning to show. How is that possible? I've only gained 4 pounds since finding out I'm pregnant!!! And I swear the majority of that is in my upper body, not my lower (enter applause and whistling here).
Anyway... moving on... the other baby-related thing that happened in Paris was that we finally decided on which nursery theme we would use. Both Michael and I had been leaning towards Sweet Vanilla, but hadn't made any decisions. Then in Paris, I found out that Marie Antoinette loved sheep so much that she built an entire cottage village (thatched roofs and all) to play "sheepherdess" with all her friends. How funny is that?! Well thanks to her obsession with sheep, it made it quite difficult for me not to buy some myself. Sheep!*
Don't worry, I did call home to ask Michael if he approved first, and just because he was still asleep when I called does not mean his "go ahead" was not valid! =P
Ok, ok... so back to work now. We have our next doctor's appointment today, so wish us luck! I believe that officially, we're past the first trimester! Woohoo!
* Please do not send sheep. I have enough myself and already risk having my very own flock in our nursery as it is. =)
So, what do you do when you're in Paris for a week? Well, shop of course! (actually we did see A LOT of stuff). My mom bought this really pretty grey dress (a color she's NEVER liked before, but looks great on her) and I, of course, got more baby clothes! I got a cute shirt that says "c'est pour avril" (it's for April) with an arrow pointing downward. Super-cute! And even though I'm not exactly fashion concious, I do realize I should wait until I'm showing more to wear it. LOL!
Speaking of which, I owe my mom and sister an appology. So, if you guys are reading this, here it goes... They kept telling me that I look pregnant, and I kept insisting that I'm not showing yet and all that weight that they saw was just from the Paris trip (Mmmm... creme brulee!). Well, in the last couple days since being home, I not only lost the few pounds I gained from the trip, but I have also been told by a few people that indeed, I am beginning to show. How is that possible? I've only gained 4 pounds since finding out I'm pregnant!!! And I swear the majority of that is in my upper body, not my lower (enter applause and whistling here).
Anyway... moving on... the other baby-related thing that happened in Paris was that we finally decided on which nursery theme we would use. Both Michael and I had been leaning towards Sweet Vanilla, but hadn't made any decisions. Then in Paris, I found out that Marie Antoinette loved sheep so much that she built an entire cottage village (thatched roofs and all) to play "sheepherdess" with all her friends. How funny is that?! Well thanks to her obsession with sheep, it made it quite difficult for me not to buy some myself. Sheep!*
Don't worry, I did call home to ask Michael if he approved first, and just because he was still asleep when I called does not mean his "go ahead" was not valid! =P
Ok, ok... so back to work now. We have our next doctor's appointment today, so wish us luck! I believe that officially, we're past the first trimester! Woohoo!
* Please do not send sheep. I have enough myself and already risk having my very own flock in our nursery as it is. =)
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
It's official
It's now official. I'm now officially pregnant because I have told people at work. I was trying to wait until I knew for sure that the review cycle was over or until I started to show (which ever came first). However, there were enough people who knew that I figured I should start telling people officially because who knows how long such a thing is kept a secret.
I wasn't going out of my way to tell people. It's just that some people knew we were trying to get pregnant and so they would ask how that was going and I'd get a big goofy grin on my face. I even went into one coworker's office to borrow something and he said "you're pregnant, aren't you?" I asked who told him and he said he could just tell. He must have noticed my new boobs. LOL!!!
Anyway, there were enough random people who knew that I decided to tell at least my section supervisor. And what better timing? Last time I went out of town, she picked the day I was leaving to give me bad news - horrible timing on her part because it meant I spent my vacation worrying about work. Well, revenge is sweet. This time I told her about going out of town tomorrow (for a week in Paris!!) just before telling her I was pregnant. "Umm, yeah, so I'm not going to be useful next week and I can really only be helpful for another 6 months anyway. Please still love me."
Ok, so it wasn't that bad... I did tell her about my trip earlier, but that doesn't mean she had the time to remember. It is weird, though, having people know now. And how do I continue to tell people? I can't just walk up to my male engineer coworkers and say "so... I'm pregnant, but I think I found a fix to the design problem we had!" Or can I?
I wasn't going out of my way to tell people. It's just that some people knew we were trying to get pregnant and so they would ask how that was going and I'd get a big goofy grin on my face. I even went into one coworker's office to borrow something and he said "you're pregnant, aren't you?" I asked who told him and he said he could just tell. He must have noticed my new boobs. LOL!!!
Anyway, there were enough random people who knew that I decided to tell at least my section supervisor. And what better timing? Last time I went out of town, she picked the day I was leaving to give me bad news - horrible timing on her part because it meant I spent my vacation worrying about work. Well, revenge is sweet. This time I told her about going out of town tomorrow (for a week in Paris!!) just before telling her I was pregnant. "Umm, yeah, so I'm not going to be useful next week and I can really only be helpful for another 6 months anyway. Please still love me."
Ok, so it wasn't that bad... I did tell her about my trip earlier, but that doesn't mean she had the time to remember. It is weird, though, having people know now. And how do I continue to tell people? I can't just walk up to my male engineer coworkers and say "so... I'm pregnant, but I think I found a fix to the design problem we had!" Or can I?
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