She's HERE!

OK, she got here exactly 5 months ago...5 MONTHS! Holy crap, where did the time go?! It's been so very fun getting into the grove of things. Oh and her name? Helena, but we call her Ella, and she is a little girl with a BIG independent personality (unlike her mom and dad *wink wink*) Here are a couple of pics to get back up to speed...

She's about 10 hours old when this picture was taken :)

Here are her month-by-month shots with her cute donkey!

(my gosh - what a wise looking kiddo!)

(this is a seriously goofy face!)

(she was just finding her limbs - arms and legs are fascinating!)

(she's getting SO big and more independent by the moment!)

I will share her birth story at a later date, but wanted to make sure to keep this up and running. I am about to get my craft on and will post the finishing products as they come about!

Cheers!
A

Still no baby!

Well, I am officially 2 days overdue (though it seems like FOREVER) and I could still go for another 12 days...wow. I did a good job up until about a week ago of having no stretch marks on my tummy (they are genetic - so good job Mom and Abuela!) However, since someone likes to roll so much and is doing a good job growing, I've sprouted a few little ones. Nothing I really mind, though, since they'll go away once I get my waist back!

Speaking of my waist, it's a distant memory at this point! Sometimes I don't remember what it was like to wear pants without elastic :) Unexpectedly I've also lost my ankles within the last month. Happily, I've been assured that they will quickly return once this baby is on my outside :)

Now we're just in a waiting pattern - I suppose that I should not be surprised that my child is late, seeing as Ben and I are also often late! I'll keep you posted if anything exciting (i.e. birth) happens!


Also, there is no fruit or vegetable to illustrate the 10th month (which I'm currently in - 9 months my butt!) But here are fruit pictures for the 8th and 9th months. I certainly look like I swallowed a watermelon!!!

Eighth Month!!!


Ninth Month!!!

I'm sorry, did you say third trimester?

That means there are no more trimesters between us and parenthood...what have we gotten ourselves into?!

As the days tick by, and we're under the 100-days until birth mark (only 90 days to go, to be exact), our pregnancy is becoming more real in many ways. To me, it's been real for the past couple of weeks as our little gymnast is trying out her latest floor and uneven-bars moves...or perhaps she's perfecting her can-can...or it could be martial arts, but whatever she's doing in there, she's having a grand old time! She especially likes to jump on the bed when I return from a midnight bathroom run, I'm sure just preparing me for many years of sleep deprivation :) For Ben, I think it became more real, not only when he could feel her kicking up a storm, but when he got to SEE her in action! One night I was lying on our large chair with a bowl of ice cream balanced on my tummy. I told Ben to watch as I lay very still, and sure enough, within seconds she had given that ice cream a mighty "thwack" and the bowl fell off my stomach (don't worry, I caught it and promptly ate the contents!)

We're learning about such fun things as "transition" and "rooming in" and in a fun outing to Babies 'R Us, we spent about 5 minutes learning how to remove the car seat we picked out from its base! Ben then took our chosen stroller for a test drive and it passed. I'm happy that I figured out how to close it with one hand quickly and on my own.

I don't have an updated belly-shot, but here is an update on the baby-as-fruit or veggie front.

Last Month:


This Month:


We're now trying not to stress about the fact that we seem to have something planned for the weekends ahead of us, and are trying to figure out when we're going to find the time to do X,Y, and Z...but again, I sense a life-lesson in all of this!

...the dog still doesn't know what's about to hit her!

Greek Love for the Bean

A Conversation with our Greek Neighbors...

**On a sunny Sunday morning, Ben, Andrea and Bader come down the stairs to go to the dog beach. Andrea is wearing a summer dress and you can tell that she's not just gaining weight around her midsection - she's with bean. Next door, two 100 year old Greek women are standing 5 feet apart screaming at each other. They are not mad, this is just how they talk...**

Greek Lady 1 (upon seeing Bader): Ooohhhhh, doggie! Doggie! Doggie! (then upon seeing us) Good morning!

Us (politely as possible while trying to wrangle the dog): Good morning!

Greek Lady 2 (upon seeing Andrea's baby bump): Today you are baby? Yes yes!

Andrea: Yes, I am pregnant.

Greek Lady 2: OOOHHHH!!! Happy happy baby baby! You walk a little for the baby!

Andrea: Yes, I will make sure to walk for the baby.

Greek Ladies: OK, good bye!

**Scene ends, Ben, Andrea and Bader go to the beach**

These ladies are great, keeping vigilant watch over our back ally way. They do not, however, speak very much English...but then, I don't speak any Greek, so I guess we're even! :)

Bean there, done that

So it has come to my attention that I've become rather lax w/ the bean blog...probably because I no longer have morning sickness to complain about, and because I've had guests at my house for the past 4 weeks in a row (phew!) So I will be posting soon new bean pictures from our *big* ultrasound, but for now, I will show you what the bean has been and what she is currently in fruit (and veggie) form...

Week 19




Week 20




Week 21 (bean at present)



And that's it! The bean will now be measured by month, not by week! Here is the average bean size by the end of month 5 (which bean currently is in the middle of):




***DO NOT READ BELOW IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW BEAN'S GENDER***






































ok, I think this is enough space.....





We found out that the bean is a GIRL!!! We're very excited to invite this new little lady into our life, and we're over half-way there already! Wow.

My belly and STEAK!!!

So, it's beginning to show a bit more, though it depends on what I'm wearing. Here, finally, are some pics - a belly pic, and then some pictures from Michigan, just because I can!

First, my belly. Ben thinks it's fun to hug me because it feels "hard and it sticks out" - let's quote him on this when I'm at 9mos, shall we?!


This is from a sand dune - SOOO pretty, I'd go back in a heartbeat


Ben and I in the car (there were a series of funny face pics before this one)


The dog having a great time, but also really hot!


The current theme of my pregnancy is steak. Steak steak steak! I can't get enough of it, YUM! For dinner, I had steak, on Wednesday I had steak salad, last Saturday I had gyros for lunch and steak for dinner. I'm a protein whore! I think this baby may be heading for a growth spurt soon, what with all the protein I'm craving! I'm looking forward to my tummy really getting out there soon! (you can quote me on that one at 9mos too!)

And finally, the size of bean last week (17):


And the size of bean this coming week (18):


(As I write this I'm at 17w6d)...ok, have a good night, and please pass the steak!!!

ready, aim, FIRE!

My mom once said to me, "No one does heartburn like a pregnant lady does heartburn."

I didn't know what she meant...

now I do :(

Happy Mother's Day (to me!)

Ben surprised me on Mother's Day this past Sunday - I did not think we were going to celebrate until next year! So imagine my surprise coming out of the bedroom on Sunday on my way to wash my face when I come face-to-face with a breakfast tray with oranges, kiwi, blackberries, orange juice, pancakes and even warmed real maple syrup!!! I would show you a picture, but I ate everything before thinking of getting the camera. Here, however, are some other pictures:

First, here are the flowers I got, aren't they amazing?!


Here is the little outfit Ben got for the bean - it's our first set of baby clothes!


And finally, here is the bean at about 12 weeks 4 days. It's been 3 weeks since these pictures were taken, so I'm sure the bean is even bigger and more human looking now! What is fun is comparing these pics to the ones of the bean at 9 weeks when he was looking a little more tadpole-like (and PS, I have no clue if the bean is a boy or a girl).


On this picture I would like to point out the large amorphous blob at the top (the one that is TWICE the size of my uterus and growing bean!) That, my dear friends, is my bladder. Why is it so humongous? Because they told me to drink at least 32 ounces of water an hour before the ultrasound...I probably had closer to 40 ounces. To put this into perspective, a nalgene bottle holds about 32 ounces, a 40 (as in malt liquor or beer) holds (surprise!) 40 ounces. Apparently, people rarely follow the instructions to have a full bladder...who knew?!


Alright, that's about it for the update...as I said yesterday, life is strangely normal for me right now (with that runaway train feeling that I am heading to a very very new normal soon enough!)

My Beer Gut

There is not much of an update, and I've been terrible at posting recently. I know, I know, I still need to post our ultrasound pictures - I promise I won't forget!

So the only news there is, is that:
1. I am no longer feeling sick
2. The sickness has been replaced by heart burn (or throat burn, as I like to call it)
3. Ben got me tea made with marshmallow root (I have no clue what that is) that takes care of the burn.
4. I look like I drink too much beer
5. I still miss beer

Apparently, my uterus is now about the size of a melon and has risen up above my pubic bone, and my tummy is starting to harden (which is a really weird feeling). I got to hear the baby's heartbeat at my last appointment when I was about 13 weeks. I have another appointment next week and am hoping to again get to take a listen!!!

Here are the current bean-as-fruit pictures:

Week 14:


Week 15 (I'm currently 15weeks 3days):


Week 16:


Tonight I am mostly grumpy - Ben got me some O'Douls as a special treat (alcohol free, but still, I'm treating it as a "treat" drink). So I had my O'Douls in a frosty cup (because as it turns out, even I can tell that fake beer tastes like, well, fake beer). Anyhow, I had had maybe 1/2 of the drink, perhaps not even that much, when someone gets very excited playing with a rope toy and the beer ends up on the rug. I'm telling you, sometimes I just cannot control Ben when it comes to rope toys! Ha ha, just kidding, but there is a great dane who recognized the error of her ways and sheepishly climbed up on the couch, kicked me several times and then went to sleep.

Hello Trimester Two!!!

Well, we made it over the first (big scary) hump...the inevitable first trimester! Here are my current stats and some pictures (as an aside, I really hope this posts correctly, Comcast messed up our internet and it has been all wonky for 2 weeks - ick!)

Due date: October 31st, my plan is to go into labor dressed as a "sexy nurse"!!!

The Bean: looks great, s/he was just chillin' during the ultrasound (probably sleeping).

My mood: Improved, work has been great about my news, very supportive, with no pressure re: whether I'm going to come back post baby (which is good b/c I don't know yet!)

My appetite: normal. I no longer feel sick all day long, sometimes I'll get little waves of nausea, but that's it. I still have a strong aversion to anything-tomato. I'm trying to work more veggies back into my life. I'm not ravenous, I have no weird cravings, I pretty much feel my appetite is the same as it was pre-pregnancy.

My tummy: I can no longer suck it in (how exciting!)...which means I look like I'm developing a beer gut (how not exciting!) I'm looking forward to looking pregnant and not just fat (to put it bluntly).

OK, here are some bean fruit shots!

Bean at week 12:


Bean at week 13 (this week):


Wow - the bean is really growing! Pretty soon we will be out of fruit and on to random veggies...but I digress.

I promise to post new ultrasounds pictures tomorrow, due to my current technical difficulties I am ready to chuck my computer across the room.

I think we're giving birth to a fruit salad!

This was the bean last week, I really think they could have found a different fruit for week 10!


Now, in another amazing growth spurt, here is the bean in week 11 (holy moly, I made it to week 11!)


I have a "dating" ultrasound next Tuesday, the 11th. I will be about 12w1d. My 13th week, and thus my second trimester, actually starts on the following Monday April 27th, and you are then free to tell whomever you wish that we are, in fact, with bean! Thank you for being so supportive over these early weeks, we certainly appreciate it!!!

On a side note, my all-day-long sickness has finally begun to let up (thank the stars!) I still have a lot of fatigue and am still not being able to stomach most veggies and any kind of red spaghetti sauce. But not feeling nauseous all the time is just the bees knees!

Photo documentation!

Here it the moment we've all been waiting for - proof that I have not just had the stomach bug for a month and a half w/ no period!!!

The bean is the funny looking thing to the right, it has a heart that we saw beating really fast - I could have looked at it forever! :)

(As an aside, I believe the dark circle in the upper left is my bladder).

Dinner.

Want to know what sounds good for dinner tonight? Nothing.

Actually, I take that back, I'd like Chipotle, but Ben's still working and there's no Chipotle near us. So I'll have to do w/ rice pudding and an English muffin...good enough!

Oh, and my dinner time? 10:30pm. Why? Because I accidentally got in bed at 8pm and was unable to get up. I finally was able to rise when I realized I still needed to call Ben (who called me 4 times) and the dog was really hungry (poor dog). I fed the dog - she then went to her crate to see if there was any leftover food there, so I gave her another scoop, which she then immediately ate...what are we going to do with a child?!

A Quiz

This picture is:
a. The size of the bean
b. my current pallor
c. all of these above

If you answered "c" ... you're right! (now if you need me I'll be lying down).

Don't know how Ashleigh did it!

For those of you who don't know her, Ashleigh, my best friend since I was 4yo, threw up for months with her pregnancy. I do not know how she did it and has come out the other end wanting to have another child!

Thank goodness I have not thrown up yet (I HATE throw-up, not that anyone likes it, but I mean I really really really hate it!) but my God I am nauseous every single moment of every single day. And I know I should be happy because most likely it means that I'm making the right hormones and everything is cooking correctly, but man am I ready to get off the morning sickness train! Blech!

Things that I now can't stand:
- pizza
- spaghetti sauce
- soup (of any kind)

Things I am now living off of:
- lime popsicles
- lemons in all forms
- cheese sticks

The thing I hate the most:
- Being hungry and nauseous at the same time...not fair!

The thing I love the most:
- That my family is growing!

What I can't wait for:
- My second trimester (April 20th) and first ultrasound!

What I'll miss:
- My waistline

I Love Berries!

This was the bean last week:



This is the bean this week:

At the beginning of week 8 the re-bean will weigh as much as an eyelash...at the end of the week it will weigh as much as a book of matches.

So that's it, as of right now, we're having a piece of fruit! :)

Our little Sweet Pea

Here we are in week 6 - it's been a different ride from round one. Tonight I have terrible heartburn, which only moderately responded to my remedy...more acid! This was one of those I think I read somewhere (don't remember where) that if you have heartburn then you need more acid to help it...I think I have heartburn because of the pizza. Oh well! I've also had a lot more morning sickness - not to the actually getting sick part, but certainly feeling unwell. On Saturday Ben and I did errands and cleaned the house...then I felt like puking and took a nap for 2 hours! In other news, I am now craving peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and apple juice - two things that when not pregnant I would not touch (peanut butter usually = gross).

My goal this week is to get back to the gym - it's more difficult waking up in the morning b/c it's dark again, but it's great having light in the evening. I'm hoping it will give me the boost I need to start working out again. :)

Johnny Appleseed

This is not what we will be naming the bean if it turns out to be a boy - it's the current size of bean (or re-bean, as we've been calling it!) I also just got my first midwife appointment scheduled...April 23rd! Holy moly, that is so far away. I will be about 12.5 weeks at that time! I think I'll feel better after passing the 8week mark successfully.

Today I came home on the train with Ben, changed, and went back out to get my hair cut (I go down to Logan Square to Twisted Scissors, my hairdresser is Tiffany and she's AWESOME!) Anyhow, I got home a little after 8pm and Ben was on the phone so without passing go and without collecting $200 I went to bed fully dressed. Ben came and found me an hour later, pulled back the covers and exclaimed, "Now THIS is what I remember about you being pregnant!" I don't think I even realize how exhausted I am, work is so busy that I don't have time to feel tired (I'm just sort of zombie-like), so it all hits me when I get home. My goal for the week is to join the women-only gym down the block, I'm hoping a bit of exercise will help boost my energy levels. I've also been feeling waves of nausea this go round. I don't get close to vomiting, so I find these waves rather reassuring. Three more weeks and I'll be able to breathe a little easier!

As an aside, know what's a fun game to play with your pregnant, spacey and tired wife? Name the Supreme Court Justices game! I got 5, but I knew of all 9. Here they are in case you forgot:

- Scalia
- Roberts
- Thomas
- Alito
- Stevens
- Breyer
- Ginsburg
- Souter
- Kennedy

Oops I did it again...

Well, we were told that usually couples are encouraged to wait 3 months before trying again, our midwife encouraged us to wait 1 month, we waited 0 months. Yes, zero, zip, none. Were we really trying? Not really. Secretly hoping? Absolutely.

I had jury duty today, which was lovely - no work, sat in a quiet room for 3 hours playing on my Nintendo DS, and were then told we were dismissed. So I was excited to get home and actually clean the house. We've been so busy that it looked like a bomb exploded in the bedroom. So I started to clean, but was feeling really sleepy and a little queasy. I ended up taking a 1.5 hour nap and had to drag myself out of bed! So I figured, what the heck, I haven't had my period in over a month (though I felt like I could expect it any day now - I thought my cycle was just a little wacked since the miscarriage). I took a pregnancy test...and within a minute a second line popped up. I think I said "Oh my God" approximately a million times. I then went and told the dog - she was pretty appathetic about the news. Ben is going to New Jersey to take depositions tomorrow, so I'm planning on waiting to tell him on Friday night (we'll see, I'm horrible with fun secrets!) I'm a little nervous, I really hope this little bean sticks! I think I'll feel better once I pass the 8 week mark!

Well, I've removed everyone from being able to read this blog again (bwahahahahaaa!!!) Once we're a little farther along I'll invite everyone again, and you can read about my in-the-moment response to the news. Hmmm, I just remembered the crazy hormones I'll be experiencing again...lovely :)

This is how big the bean is currently...not even bean sized yet!!!

What's that in the distance?!

Tomorrow marks 1 month since bean bailed. It's still a bummer (to put it lightly), but I feel that Ben and I were able to pick up and look ahead again pretty quickly. More difficult than tomorrow (because really, I just remembered that it's been a month) was Valentine's Day - not because it's a commercial holiday and all ooshy and gooshy and what have you (though you SHOULD ask Ben about his cupcake in bloom!), but rather, it was our 2nd trimester milestone...when your chances of miscarriage drop by 80%. When we were going to be able to tell everyone. Ahhh well.

In the meantime, Ben and I have been very busy with work, and we no longer have to plan the logistics of giving birth in New Hampshire. So now, we're looking ahead, and giving thought to "trying" again, though we're not going to rush anything. This has certainly been a learning experience, and I've never been under the delusion that personal growth is easy :)