30 Weeks

30 weeks- Carter is a big boy. I’ve had a feeling that he might be a big baby but everyone kept telling me there was no reason to think that. Apparently, mother’s intuition has already kicked in. He is currently weighing (according to the doctor’s and sonogram’s technician estimates) around
3 lbs. and 13oz. Most babies at this point are in the 50th percentile for weight at 30 weeks; Carter is in the 62nd percentile. But, no need for concern since my glucose test came back great, so no gestational diabetes. He’s just a big baby. I guess we’ll see if that’s going to come into play later on! I was a little disappointed with our last sonogram since this was supposed to be the best opportunity to get good 3D images. Our sonogram tech was a little rushed and Carter’s was not cooperative. He was sleeping and the tech woke him up with an “alarm clock” that vibrated and made a noise on my stomach. She didn’t give me much warning and Carter about jumped out of his skin and so did I. After that, it didn’t seemed to matter how I was poked, prodded or rolled,
Carter rolled with me. He did not want to accommodate anybody who so rudely woke him up. I guess he gets that from me. We were able to see his face briefly and I was right—he has my nose! We also think he has Shelby’s feet. He has hair that we could see floating around on the sonogram. I think it’s going to be dark, Shelby thinks it’ll be light. Every though the sonogram wasn’t what I expected or hoped for, I was reminded that it’s a luxury that our parents didn’t have. I’m grateful that I even know it’s a healthy boy; much less that he has my nose.

Project Carter

Week 27- I have been remiss in posting about my pregnancy and all the feelings (and projects) that seem to come with it. Mostly because I have been so busy but also because I wasn’t sure what to write about. I’m afraid of becoming one of those people you see on Facebook who post every little thing they do or see or feel or eat.
Believe me, I feel like posting (or shouting from the roof top) every time I feel Carter move. But as he continues to get more active I would be posting every hour. Instead, I have opted to close my eyes and enjoy the feeling of this little person waking up or practicing his karate moves or keeping the beat to whatever song is going through his head. This week’s email from babycenter.com, says that his brain power is increasing and I find myself wondering what it exactly he’s thinking about. I mean is he pondering the meaning the life, having a quiet conversation with his maker, inventing an imaginary friend, or just thinking, “Warm, sleepy”? I’m convinced he’s going to come out knowing the finer details of public speaking and costume design, because that’s all he hears me talk about all day.
Being pregnant and teaching full-time has been a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. My high school play is coming up in two weeks and I find myself frustrated at the fact that I am not able to fully focus on it. Normally, the play would be all consuming of my time and energy and this year I just don’t have that to give. That’s not to say the show won’t be good or well done. The kids will be prepared and I know it will turn out perfectly, it always does. It’s just that
this year, I find myself able to let some things go. It’s okay if this costume doesn’t have the extra trim or details it would normally have—the kid has a costume, that’s what counts. For years my job, my students, my productions have been the major focus of my life.* Now, I feel that shifting. I still love my job, my students, my productions but that’s not my sole purpose any more. I’m
going to be somebody’s mom, Carter’s mom, and that job, which right now is taking care of myself so I can take of him, seems so much more important. Usually production time is stress time. I can’t get too stressed this year; it’s not good for me. So, I’m learning to let things go, to let good be good enough.
We’ve been busy getting Carter’s room ready for him. Shelby’s been working on sanding a dresser that belonged to my dad’s parents and refinishing it to match the crib. I took an encaustic painting workshop last weekend and made several pieces to put in Carter’s room.

A few weeks ago I stopped by Goodwill and found this hook that I thought might work for Carter's Baby Bjorn and anything else we might want to hang up. Originally it was a soccer ball with the name "Taylor" written on it with red paint. But I sanded it and repainted it and sealed it. It cost me $3. I really like how it turned out.

I also went to my first JBF (Just Between Friends) sale a few weeks ago. It’s a huge consignment sale where people bring their used baby stuff but a lot of it is new. I got Carter a stuffed Cookie Monster still in the box! I hope he likes it.
As a kid, I loved Cookie Monster. Actually I loved all the characters that lived on Sesame Street and the Muppets. As an adult, I often tell my students that my dream job (other than being on Broadway and teaching them, of course) would be to be a puppeteer on Sesame Street. I love everything about the world the Muppets have created and now further appreciate the fact that it will be children’s programming that won’t annoy me. My sister sent me a story today about a documentary about Kevin Clash, Elmo’s puppeteer, called Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey. I can’t wait to watch it! After watching the film’s trailer, I found another video on youtube that had me tearing up (granted that’s not too hard these days).

We took our maternity pictures yesterday and I can hardly stand the wait to see how they turned out. We took them in a theater built in the 1920’s so the architecture and design elements were
beautiful. I felt great and we did some pretty creative shots. I’ll be sure to post them when we get them!

*Of course my marriage is my main priority and that one that won't be shifting!

I Made This!

It's been long since an update. Things are still going great with Liz and Carter. Life has become hectic and shows no real signs of slowing down any time soon. There is so much to be done before Carter gets here, and it is getting done, just not as quickly as we want. We have registered for gifts (see the widget to the right), even though that was a little bit of an ordeal because Babies"R"Us lost our registry the first time we registered. I feel like now might be a good time to mention that we will be using reusable cloth diapers and are registered for them at Babies"R"Us. Granted, not the most fun gift to buy, but by far one that we will need. It is probably the most practical thing anyone can buy us. Just thought I would plug that particular item.

One of the things that I am most proud about is that I assembled Carter's crib. It is nice and solid. I couldn't help but think when I was done, "I made this." Since I am not so great at building things from scratch, I will have to take pride in the fact that I can follow directions and build a sturdy piece of furniture, as long as all the pieces are provided for me.

At night, I have been reading Charlotte's Web by E.B White to Carter, chapter at a time. It was one of my favorites as a kid. They say that he can hear quite well now. He seems to be most active at night, which might be because of the reading or it might just be that Carter is going to be a night owl just like us, which probably means that we are going have a very cranky house each morning.

Everything is continuing smoothly and normally. We have another doctor's appointment next week, so we will of course know more then.

Pictures for my sister

A few pictures for my sister who has limited access to Facebook...

The Carter bump at 20 weeks--Every day I wake up and wonder if I can get any more pregnant...apparently, I can!

Carter's first swimsuits--We couldn't resist Batman and Superman! He'll be able to wear Batman next summer and Superman the summer after that. I know it's a ways off but they were on clearance and just so cute!

We went shopping at a consignment store and got all these items for a $1.00 each! I know we'll inherit a lot of clothes from my sister-in-law but it sure was fun to pick a few things out for ourselves.

This is the fabric we're using for the bumper pads on Carter's crib. We found a great pattern online and my mom is helping make them.

The last few nights Carter has really been moving...a lot. He seems to think that from 10:30 to midnight is the best time to be active. I guess he really is my kid, a night owl. I can't complain. It just means he lets me sleep in. Maybe he'll keep that trend up once he's born!

Kick It Up

Lately, Liz has felt a lot more movement from Carter. For the past week or so, she has tried to let me feel on the outside, and each time, I thought I might feel something, but I was a little unsure. I thought I might be feeling Liz's heartbeat or something else instead. But last night it came-- obvious proof that Carter is alive and kicking (literally). He was going nuts last night, kicking at a rate and intensity that I could not confuse with Liz's heartbeat. It was incredible to say the least.

I am sure that some people might say that we have a little soccer player in there. I honestly kind of hope not though because well . . . soccer is boring. Now if Carter really wants to play soccer, I fully support that, and I will probably get very excited watching him play, but right now soccer is just watching a lot of running around with not a lot action or goal-scoring. What I am hoping that the hyperactive kicking means is that he might have incredible footwork as a tennis player or even amazing speed around the bases in baseball or around a track. Of course, if the kid is anything like me, he will be completely inept at sports, but his feet will be able to tap out a steady beat while he's playing music.

All that being said, it is amazing that I can feel my son in utero now, and that lets me know that he will be here soon. Regardless of physical prowess, I will love him, but it is wonderful to feel the kicking and know that he is healthy and active.

Personalize Your Baby

Much to Liz's chagrin, I have never been a big fan of shopping. I don't mind looking around online for hours on end, but I just can't stand being in a department store, or worse, a mall. Why walk around for hours on end when I can type a simple string of words into Google or Amazon and get what I want? Why doddle and look around when all I really need is a new pair of jeans? I just prefer to go, find the jeans, find what I think will fit, try them on, and leave. It should not take more than twenty minutes. At Christmas-time, my attitude is often very similar. Fighting through crowds of people to leave the store often empty-handed just seems to be a waste a time. Oh, what's that UPS man? You will bring what I am looking for to my house? Yes, please.

This past Friday my previous disposition to shopping seems to have been crushed. I actually enjoyed going out and hitting up several stores, not looking for myself or an impossible-to-find gift for someone else, but looking for clothes for Carter. We found a lot of great stuff at Once Upon a Child. I must say I am a fan of consignment. They were having a sale where a lot of items were a dollar. We got him some great onsies with guitars, peace signs, Dr. Seuss characters, spaceships, and more, and what's even better, we spent almost nothing. Anyone who knows me very well should know that I do not enjoy spending lots of money on clothes. I buy what is nice, but affordable. We then hit up a few more stores (Kohl's and Ross Dress for Less) and found some good items. The best finds of the night were at Old Navy. Since it is the end of summer, all their bathing suits were on sale. We found a Batman swim shirt and trunks for his first summer and a Superman swim shirt and trunks for his second summer. Sure, it's a little ways off, but even I couldn't resist. At the end of the night, I felt not exhausted and frustrated, but satisfied and content.

This brings me to my point of personalizing my baby. I love the fact that I get to decorate and accessorize my baby however I please. Seriously, Carter will be a reflection of Liz and I. Of course, I know that later in his life, he will develop his own tastes and preferences, and I want him to embrace those things that make him a unique person . . . but in the meantime, we get to dress our kid. And there is one thing I already know-- my kid is going to be a big nerd. After all, he will be a reflection of me, and I am a big nerd. Also, I will love my son no matter who he grows up to be, but why not give him a gentle nudge in the right direction? After all, it will be nice to have someone to watch sci-fi with the rest of my life.

This Boy

Well, I have no doubt that many of you have already read Liz's post, and if you haven't, you should. Needless to say, we are thrilled to finally know that we are having a baby boy. It looks like we will be buying lots of stuff with guitars on it. We are decorating the room in guitars, and I also plan on decorating the baby with many guitar clothes as well.

I am continuing to be amazed with the healthcare technology that we have in our modern world. Not only were we able to see that it was obviously a boy, we were able to see all four chambers of the heart as it beat. We were able to see the separate hemispheres of the brain. By far my favorite moment from Thursday was seeing the baby suck his thumb in utero. I honestly didn't know that they were able to do that at this stage. It was an event that made the fact that we will have a baby in about 5 months real to me.

I have noticed that, as nothing is physically happening to me, it is hard for my mind to understand that I am going to be a dad in a few short months. I kind of have to take certain events to make it more real, and this sonogram definitely did that for me. The baby really does look like a baby. We could see bones developing and the baby actually has a recognizable face, though right now, he kind of looks like Skeletor from He-Man, but evidently, that is normal at this point in time.

Liz pretty much talked about why we chose the name Carter, but it was very important to me that we did not choose a name that was at its peak in trendiness. I have only known a few other male Shelbys as I have grown up, and I suspect that Carter will know more people with his name, but at the same time, I didn't want my poor child to be one of three or four kids with the same name in his class. I can remember back to elementary school when the name Sara/Sarah was insanely popular. I believe in my first grade class, there were three girls with the name Sara/Sarah, and it got very confusing having to use last initials with each of them. Another important thing when picking a name was that the name had to sound serious, but have personality. Obviously, Liz and I think somewhat outside the box, so we wanted a name that we thought had personality, and "Carter" certainly fits the bill, but that the same time, it is a name and a spelling that one could take seriously. We had a friend tell us to put the words "Supreme Court Justice" in front of the name, and "Supreme Court Justice Carter Wilson" sounds like a name that could be taken seriously.

We are still searching for a middle name, but I would like it to be something that has meaning for Liz, including but not limited to family names. Obviously, since it is a boy, he will always have the last name Wilson, which is a part of my identity much more than Liz's. Anyway, we are still talking about it and will have that for you whenever it happens. (I am glad we have plenty of time.)

Needless to say, I am thrilled that I will have a son that I can teach to play music and that will be able to play music with me, if he so desires. It will also be nice to have a video game buddy, as Liz really doesn't like to play a lot of what I play. Sure, we have a ways to go before we can do all that, but I am excited that it is on the horizon, nonetheless. 

What's in a name?

At 11 weeks our doctor told us not to go paint the nursery cowboy blue, but his hunch was that we were having a boy. I thought there was no way, from that grainy picture, he could tell. But I got used to the idea that we might be having a boy, while still thinking it could be a girl. So on Thursday, when we went in for our ultrasound, I was prepared for anything. Well, our little BOY made his presence very clear. Our ultrasound technician kept commenting on how calm and chill the baby was and we’re definitely okay with the idea of a mellow, easy-going baby. It made her job pretty easy because he held still and let her take all the pictures she needed. We watched as the technician looked at the four chambers of the heart, while it was beating. She measured the femur and the brain. I was too fascinated by what I was seeing to get emotional. It made us laugh because we even got to witness the baby sucking his thumb. Words like perfect and normal were music to our ears, because everything (heartbeat, cerebellum, etc.) measured exactly as it should. We left the appointment feeling excited to know that the next part of this journey could begin. We can start to prepare the nursery and buy clothes. You know, the fun stuff!!

When we first found out we were going to have a baby, we went made a list of boy names and girl names. We had veto power over the other person’s list, eliminating any name on the list we couldn’t stand. So what we were left with were 4 fairly sizable lists with names we liked. Of course, we both had our favorites. But we decided not to discuss it in depth until we knew if we were having a boy or girl. We had a few passing conversations about the meaning of a couple of names but nothing serious. Amazingly, when we left the ultrasound appointment and turned to each other to talk about his name, we came up with the same name. CARTER. We knew his name was Carter. But when we made the lists, while Carter was on both of them, it certainly wasn’t either of our original favorite names. I feel pretty confident that given the circumstances it’s the right name.

Here’s the meaning behind Carter’s name for us:
During a rough patch in our marriage, a friend of mine gave me the first few seasons of ER on DVD. When I was in middle school, I had watched the show faithfully and had always liked it. I had crush on Noah Wyle and George Clooney. But when I went to college, I stopped watching. I was excited to pick it up again from the beginning and had planned to watch it at night after Shelby had fallen asleep. (When I was working on my Master’s, I only worked part time so my sleep schedule was very different than Shelby’s.) He informed me that was fine because he really had no interest in a medical drama. So I put in the two hour pilot episode and Shelby stayed up and watched the whole thing. I was never allowed to watch an episode without him after that. During a snow storm, we watched at least 12 episodes while snuggling on the couch and eating soup and cornbread. It’s a treasured memory and was a healing weekend for our relationship.
Our favorite character on the show is Dr. John Carter. Over the seasons, Carter had lots of different story lines but always maintained characteristics I admired- kindness, generosity, patience, and determination. Often in the middle or at the end of an episode, Shelby and I would look at each other and one of us utter, “Man, I love Carter”. Earlier in summer, we finished watching season 15 of ER so I suppose Carter was still fresh in both our minds. During one of our off hand conversations when we were talking about the meanings behind names, I mentioned Carter. I had said that the meaning behind it was kind of boring, a cart driver, but Shelby said he liked the meaning. He said something about carts being able to carry heavy loads. I liked the idea that no matter what life piled on a Carter might be able to carry it all. And being the Beatles’ fans we are we were reminded of the song Carry That Weight. The lyrics, while simple, always make me feel better when you listen to them in relation to the song that comes before it in the medley, Golden Slumbers. Here are the lyrics to those two songs…
Golden Slumbers
Once there was a way to get back homeward
Once there was a way to get back home
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullaby

Golden slumbers fill your eyes
Smiles awake you when you rise
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullaby

Once there was a way to get back homeward
Once there was a way to get back home
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullaby

Carry That Weight
Boy, you're gonna carry that weight
Carry that weight a long time
Boy, you're gonna carry that weight
Carry that weight a long time

Carter sits at number 54 on the list of popular baby names. Shelby informed me that this was low enough not to be too trendy. I was relieved. We still haven’t decided on a middle name. Of course, that one wouldn’t come as easily as the first name! But we figure we have plenty of time to choose one! As soon as we know it, we’ll share it!

Week 16: On the joys of maternity pants...

I am convinced that maternity pants are the single greatest invention…ever. Yesterday, I went through my entire closet. I tried on every article of clothing to determine what I would and wouldn’t be able to wear in the coming months. It took more than 4 hours. Here’s what I discovered: I have too many clothes. And it looks like most of my pants have about one wearable month before this baby outgrows my entire wardrobe. Fortunately, I have plenty of skirts and dresses that will work for a good long while. The only problem with that is that I like to wear pants to work more. I inherited 2 pairs of maternity pants from my sister-in-law, a pair of jeans and a pair of khakis. I found another pair of jeans at Children’s Exchange. But I can’t wear jeans to work that often so today I bit the bullet and bought a pair of black dress pants. Here’s what I love about maternity pants-they are so comfortable. In the past whenever my pants started to feel a little snug, I’m always reminded of an episode of How I Met Your Mother. In the episode “The Front Porch”, Marshall defends his choice of wearing an old man nightshirt by saying nightshirts have “no elastic waistband leaving it's judgmental pink teeth marks around my Thanksgiving belly”. So the fact that maternity pants will never leave angry pink teeth on my belly is awesome. Also, a friend recently reminded me of a moment on Friends when Joey wears Phoebe’s maternity pants to Thanksgiving dinner. I’m so pumped to be wearing maternity pants on Thanksgiving this year! Imagine the possibilities…

Speaking of Thanksgiving, the baby bump had bumped, reminding me of the little red pop-up timer on turkeys. One day it’s not there, the next there’s no hiding it. The baby is the size of an avocado this week and according to everything I’ve read I should be feeling s/he move sometime in the next few weeks. I’m really excited about that. This morning I thought I felt something, turned out Charlie was sleeping on my stomach. The baby’s eyes have started to move from the side, closer to the front and to their final position. Also, in the next few weeks the baby will begin to double in weight and length, which explains the pop-up timer. I found a clip of the Friends episode, enjoy!

Caution: Pregnant Women Have a Heightened Sense of Smell

So, I have always heard that women have a heightened sense of smell during pregnancy and that strong smells can be highly offensive and agitating. It's not that I didn't believe that this fact was true, but I gained a new knowledge of how agitating smells can be just the other day, and no, I am not talking about my own body odor.

Thus far, Liz had been free of the vomiting and morning sickness that is associated with pregnancy. We had both feared that she would be very sick in the mornings because of her vertigo and already nervous stomach, but we made it through the first trimester with no hang ups. She had mentioned a few times that smells were offensive to her. For instance, when we saw the new Harry Potter movie in a crowded movie theater at a midnight showing on opening night, a girl sat down next to Liz that smelled to high heaven of cigarette smoke. I was sitting a seat over and could still smell the reek of this girl (who, consequently, was extremely annoying to be sitting near in a movie theater anyway). I was a little afraid that the smell would get to Liz and make her sick before the end of the movie, and I offered to switch with her, but she turned me down. Nonetheless, Liz made it through the movie with no real problems. Considering that I also found her smell offensive, I thought that maybe smells wouldn't offend her too badly.

Fast forward to a few nights ago after I got home from work. Ants have found their way to Winnie's (one of our dachshunds) food bowl. We had already combated this issue once by moving the bowl further away from the back door and spraying outside. This time, however, we had to spray Raid inside. So I cleaned out Winnie's food bowl and went to work spraying the baseboards and window by the back door. The smell of "country fresh" (yeah, right) Raid permeates the house. Liz begins to cough, and I turn around. The color has gone out of her face and she starts gagging. She rushes through our bedroom to our bathroom and the sound of vomiting commences. Granted, the Raid doesn't smell great and is very potent, but it did not even occur to me that it would affect Liz to the point of throwing up.

We spent the next three hours locked in the bedroom. We even ate dinner in there. Finally, after running the vent hood over the oven and the exhaust fan in the guest bathroom and turning on the Scentsy, the smell cleared out. Needless to say, next time I need to spray anything (cleaning supplies or whatever) in the house, I will make sure Liz is out of the room and that she stays out until the cloud room clears. Lesson learned: pregnant women have a heightened sense of smell, for real.

Week 15

Week 15. Having firmly moved into the second trimester, I can definitely feel the promised increase in energy (most days anyway). Today, we went in for our third doctor’s appointment. The doctor was out of the office so we just met with the nurse. I’ve gained 3 lbs. since the start of the pregnancy, the baby’s heart rate is a steady 150 beats, and I can take over the counter meds for sinus pressure and heart burn, all good news. We set the all important sonogram appointment to find out the sex of the baby on August 28th. That is if the baby cooperates. One of our friends told us they had no idea what their daughter was because she refused to show them. It’s getting harder and harder to resist buying baby clothes and I’m ready to finish the nursery so I really hope we’re able to find out on the 28th.

On the subject of names, we don’t have anything specific picked out yet. But we do have some favorites. Shelby and I each made a list of names we like and then we looked over the other person’s list. We each had veto power of the other person’s list, crossing out any names we hated or were strongly opposed to. So what we have left is a pretty healthy set of options. We’ve decided not to narrow it down any further or to choose a name until we know the sex of the baby. Also, I think we quickly realized not to share with people names we really liked. For some reason, when reactions or comments are negative or unenthusiastic, it changes my feeling about the name (even though I know it shouldn’t). I also feel a little like sharing it to soon takes the power out of the name, makes it less special, if that makes any sense. Once we do decide, we will let people know. Until then you can ask, but expect to get a name we’ve already discarded.

I have a few new favorite things I’ve discovered. First is a prenatal yoga video that is watch instantly on Netflix, Yoga Mama. I’ve always liked yoga and this video doesn’t push too hard and it was super relaxing. I’m glad I found it early on so I can use it through out the whole pregnancy. My second new favorite thing is a consignment store here in town called Children’s Exchange. I found maternity jeans and a top, plus when the time comes, super cute (and cheap) baby clothes. Shelby and I are all about using second hand stuff when it comes to clothes and toys since from everything we’ve seen the kid out grows them so quickly. Although some of the stuff still had tags on them. Last, I’m totally in love with the website, babycenter.com. At the recommendation of my friend, Darla, I signed up and every week I get an update about the development of baby. For example, this week the baby is the size of an apple and it can sense light. Even though its eyelids are fused together if I shined a flashlight on my stomach the baby would move away from the light. (I won’t be doing that though. It seems kind of mean. I don’t like it when someone turns the lights on when I’m asleep.) I love knowing what the baby is up to, especially since I can’t see or feel it yet. Although according to the website (and the nurse) I should be feeling this kid move any day now. I’ll let you know when I do!

What dreams may come...or well, that was weird!

I’ve always had very interesting dreams. Here’s a fun fact about my normal dreams-I can’t read in them. I’m completely illiterate. I can’t read road signs or books or directions. I know that I’m supposed to be able to read but the letters turn upside down, backwards, or just into scribbles. Words become ancient runes I have to decipher. This can be problematic when the plot of the dream involves grading papers or following a map. Shelby thinks it’s weird that I can’t read in dreams but there it is.
I’d read in pregnancy books and on websites that my dream life might change a little. However, I don’t think anything could have prepared me for the vivid, weird world of pregnancy dreams. Normally in dreams I know that I am, in fact, dreaming and when I realize this I wake up. Now, I wake up completely disoriented because the reality of the dream is so believable. I also remember almost everything I dream. In the past my dreams have been your ordinary, day to day settings—my classroom, my house, etc. Lately though my dreams have taken two very different directions—baby related dreams and dreams with weird, science fiction under tones. Let me give a few examples.
The Over-alls Dilemma- This dream wasn’t super extraordinary but it was weird how many elements were pulled from real life. In the dream, the doctors and everyone else told me I was having a boy, so for whatever reason I proceeded to buy only over-alls for the baby to wear. Then, surprise, I had a girl. So it’s time to have the baby’s dedication, and the poor girl has nothing to wear but over-alls. I was very upset that everyone mistook my baby girl for a boy because of how she was dressed. This dream came from a conversation I had with my sister-in-law about over-alls. What I think is so funny is how logic doesn’t apply. Why didn’t I go buy girl clothes? Who buys ONLY over-alls for their kid? Well, maybe my Uncle Tirey would.
The Surgery- This kind of dream is apparently fairly common among pregnant women. I dreamt that for some reason the doctors had to cut open my stomach. The baby was fine and still in the womb but I was walking around with an open wound and my intestines hanging out. Eventually, the wound turned green and bruised but the doctors said I was fine. It didn’t seem to matter too much to me because the baby was okay.
The Harry Potter- Having finished reading book 7 again, going to the midnight release, and seeing the cast interviewed on every talk show, it’s no surprise this entered my subconscious. In the dream, I met Daniel Radcliffe on Broadway after his show, and he confided in me that he really was Harry Potter. I wasn’t allowed to tell anybody though, for safety reasons of course. But he did take me to Hogwarts, via broomstick. I have to say that was pretty sweet.
The Time-traveler- This one was so strange. I could travel forward through time. There was a child that traveled with me, but it wasn’t my child. Anyhow, we traveled to keep up with a family that was very prosperous. But in my final travel, I discovered that this family had fallen on hard times. They were living in a run-down dirty apartment and the father of the family sat in a recliner, crying. I felt terrible that in the jump I had missed all the hard times this family had encountered. I honestly have no idea where this one came from!
Post-apocalyptic Water World- This has been my favorite dream thus far. Shelby and I were patrolling in a police boat when we were almost rammed by a huge, fast steel tanker. We pursued the tanker to a dock. The dock was covered in derelict house boats and there was floating metal in the water. There were police and anti-terrorist personal all over the docks. Turns out the steel tanker was a bomb. So Shelby and I get out of the boat to help. Shelby hands me a key or code or something like that and tells me to put it in my pocket. Shelby goes to man a machine gun on the dock and it’s then I discover that he’s working with the terrorists. So I decide to run, but there is water and steel floating everywhere, so I have to swim and dodge it. Then I over hear some terrorist saying, “We’ve got to find her. She’s got the code.” Turns out Shelby gave me the code to the tanker bomb thinking I would stay with him. So in order to hide from the bad guys, I find a straw to breathe through and pull a Robin Hood. Along the way, I collect items that might help me escape or disarm the bomb. I woke up before I could save the world. Honestly, it was so cool. I wasn’t afraid, just excited and intrigued.
Here’s the weirdest thing to me. Last night, I could read in my dream!! I wonder if that will continue after I have the baby. I would love to hear about your weird dreams, pregnant or other wise!

Here We Are

It has been a strange and difficult journey, but stability prevailed and Liz and I  felt that the time was finally upon us to begin our own family. It wasn't a decision that we made lightly, and just because we made a conscious decision doesn't mean it hasn't been the easiest thing in the world, but it seems that nothing worthwhile in life ever comes easily.

So (as Liz already chronicled), when Liz started craving corn dogs and jalapenos, I knew something was going on. In all the times I have had a box of corn dogs in the freezer (which has been often, I love corn dogs), I remember her asking for a corn dog one time before pregnancy, and that time, she just picked off the breading and left the hot dog, so that was indicator numero uno. We picked up on this pretty quickly and got iron clad confirmation as quickly as possible in the form of three pregnancy tests.

The cravings subsided quickly, which was honestly a little disappointing to me. I was really hoping for inventive combinations like pickles and ice cream, but alas, I have been disappointed. There has been an interesting change, nonetheless. Liz is normally someone who craves the same thing for weeks at a time, but when pregnant, she has deep insatiable cravings that subside after she eats it once. This leaves the fridge and cake keeper full of goodies that I feel compelled , nay obligated, to eat. Needless to say, I have begun to put back on weight that I lost earlier in the year, but I mean, I can't let the food go to waste, right? My brother-in-law, Josh, has commentated and warned me of this phenomenon, but I am afraid I have already been sucked in.

Some of the most amazing experiences thus far have been the sonograms. I was afraid before the first sonogram that I wouldn't be able to see anything I could recognize as a living being. I pictured myself as a character on a sitcom (like I have seen a thousand times before), who ironically is the only character that can't recognize the baby in the pictures. The audience would get a kick out of it, but I would be very sad. Luckily, this was not the case, I could instantly recognize the head and appendages. It looked most like a gummy bear to me, with no definable hands or feet yet. The second sonogram was even better in a lot of ways. The first and foremost being that he or she actually moved while the camera was on. The movement really hammered home the fact that there is a living thing in there, and it will eventually be here in the world. The second time, we could also recognize hangs and feet, along with fingers and toes.

Another of the truly fun parts of this whole deal has been getting to share the news with our friends and family. We had a blast making the video to tell our parents and siblings. The video is here: The Ultimate Scrabble Game, by the way. I also have had good experiences and responses from my friends. One of my best friends, Daniel, got me the book Fatherhood by Bill Cosby at a library sale. I think he intended it as a joke, but honestly, I am looking forward to reading it.

Being the researched driven person that I am, I am soon to embark on a vast discovery of childbirth and parenthood through books. Does anyone have any good recommendations? I do tend to learn things better from books, and while I know you can't learn things like love and affection from a book, I can learn how to parent a lot better. And I might just pick up a little along the way of how to make my child a super genius. I mean, I'd be doing him or her a favor, right? Can't go wrong with making your kid a genius.

There is much more to come . . .

And baby makes three...

On July 30^th, Shelby and I will celebrate our 6^th wedding anniversary. Before we got married we talked about waiting to have kids until we had been married five years. For a really long time, I was good exactly were I was. I wasn’t ready to be anyone’s mom. I liked my husband, my job, and my free time. I was content. Then about year and a half ago, I caught the fever. Baby fever. I blame it on the fact that some of the people I’m closest to were having babies left and right. Hearing what they were experiencing, good and bad, started to tug at me. I wanted to be able to identify; I wanted those experiences. I was ready. But life kept popping up, and while I was ready, it wasn’t part of the plan yet. So I waited, some days patiently, some days not so patiently. I fielded the question often, “So, when are ya’ll gonna have kids?” with a smile on my face and a twinge in my heart. Things were out of my hands, and I had to trust that God’s plan was better than mine.

But if I had to wait, at least I wasn’t going to do it sitting down.

In the last few years, I hadn’t been taking very good care of myself physically. I made lots of excuses. I was busy. I’d start during the summer. I was too stressed. This cake is so good. You get the idea. I weighed more than I ever had in my life. To be honest, I don’t know how big I got. I was too embarrassed to get on the scale. Then, my Dad had a heart attack. It scared me. I am my father’s daughter, genetics and all, and I knew pretty soon I needed to get my weight under control. I decided that if I had to wait to move forward with the life I wanted, I might as well make the life I’ve got better. In January, we joined a gym, and I started dieting. The first time I got on an elliptical, I was pretty sure I was going to die. I barely ran half a mile in 30 minutes, and I was certain I’d either pass out or my heart would explode. Eventually it got better. I started seeing some progress, and when I first weighed in I was about 195 lbs. I’m pretty sure I must have topped off at over 200 lbs, but I’m glad I didn’t see it on the scale. At my doctor’s suggestion I joined Weight Watchers, and that’s when things really started happening. I was alternating running on the elliptical and doing the circuit room 3-4 times a week. I was eating right, thanks to accountability at school and at home. To be honest, it was fun. The week before I found out I was pregnant the scale read 175 lbs. I am the healthiest I’ve ever been in my life. My motivation was simple. I wanted a baby, but I didn’t want a baby and be over 200 lbs. That’s too much for my little frame. While I’ve come to accept that I’ll never be tiny, it was enough for me to know I could put on baby weight and be comfortable.

Jalapenos and corn dogs. That’s how I knew I was pregnant. Let me explain. I hate corn dogs. Ever since the sixth grade science class when Mr. Dawson explained what and how they were made, I have detested all things hot dog.  And yet I wanted a corn dog more than anything. Shelby was thrilled because for the first time in our entire relationship we went to Weinerschnitzel together. I ordered and ate 2 corn dogs. I also wanted whole slices of jalapenos, something I’ve never been able to stomach. Every hamburger I ate for week had jalapenos on it. Needless to say, it was strange. I took a test after we got home from seeing a movie on Sunday, May 15^th. The movie was Bridesmaids; the test was positive.

We held off on telling people until we were sure everything looked good and that the kid was going to stick around. We made a video to tell our parents and siblings, although they all seemed to have guessed it was coming. I walked around the school with a goofy smile on my face, sure at any moment everyone would be able to figure out why I was in such a good mood. Or bad mood, depending on my mood swing! There was a minor drama in which I discovered my OB/GYN was no longer delivering babies. So I was forced to find a new doctor. Thankfully, a good recommendation led to a doctor both Shelby and I like a lot. He took lots of time with us during our first appointment to answer questions. One of my major concerns with a new doctor was that in him not knowing us we would be rushed through. I was relieved to feel like my questions weren’t trivial or silly and knowing as things come up I’ll feel comfortable asking him. It was pretty amazing seeing the first sonogram. I think the baby looks like a gummy bear in the 8 week pictures and more like a baby in the 11 week pictures.

I’ve been feeling really great. Although, this whole pregnancy thing is not all it’s cracked up to be at times. I never really had morning sickness, but that’s not to say I always felt good. There was one day I woke up at 10:30am, was up for an hour and half, took a nap, woke up, then proceeded to take another nap. It felt like jetlag without the fun of getting to travel overseas. I also haven’t been as productive as I hoped to be this summer. But thanks to the second trimester I’ve been able to catch my second wind. I’m cleaning out closets and going through boxes that haven’t seen the light of day in a while, and our attic is finally being put to good use.

I have another appointment next Wednesday and we’ll hopefully know the sex of the baby by the end of August. I’m ready to start buying clothes and to finish decorating the nursery!