Brain farts and sleepzombie nights

So for all of you who told me to get some sleep while I was pregnant because I wouldnt get much
after the baby was born, you were right, but not in the way I expected.

No one can prepare for this kind of sleep or "tease sleep." Its like sleep, but certainly not restful and although I dream, I still dont think I am getting an REM sleep cause my brain feels like a zombie brain...

Its weird because Riley is actually a good baby. He sleeps about 2 hours, then wakes for food, then usually goes right back to sleep. But let me tell you...those 2 hour increments of sleep are nothing compared to a nice, full, uninterupted 7-8 hour sleep.

I never could have imagined how hard it is at 5am to want to get up for the 2nd or 3rd time and feed him or change his explosive mustard diaper in a mostly dark room after sleeping about 3 hours total, but in 45 to 75 minute increments with crazy dreams in between.

Because although Riley is sleeping for about 2 hours at a time, he is also making these crazy sleep grunt noises for about 40 minutes of that time and the other hour and 20 minutes I am so awake after having my boob tugged on for 20 minutes that I either cant sleep OR I am listening for his breath on the baby monitor to make sure that since the sleep grunts have stopped that he is actually still breathing.

But what a little guy he is. So cute and funny already. He is already smiling and I could swear that he laughed twice yesterday. He is tracking and looking at faces and able to track the animals on his mobile. He is getting stronger each day with tummy time and his cheeks are getting so chubby its hard to see his eyes when he smiles.

As of yesterday (8-18), he is now weighing in at 10 lbs 2.6 ozs. Almost a whole pound from last Thursday (8-14) at our lactation appointment where he was 9 lbs 4 ozs. How he gained almost a pound in 4 days is beyond me, but as his Dr. described it yesterday: "Some women have skim milk and some women have cream milk...you obviously have cream milk!" She also commented that his "outie" belly button will probably go to an "innie" when he loses his "milk belly." So far his pediatrician is hilarious!

Its funny. I have thought of several funny things to blog about over the past 2 weeks when I am laying in bed, trying to sleep or feeding him at some ungodly hour...but everytime I wake up the next morning or sit at the computer to write...I have a total brain fart and cant remember any of the funny stuff that has happened or that I planned to write about. I swear, I need to start keeping a journal for the journal.

Even more funny, I started writing this yesterday (Tuesday) and completely forgot I was writing until this morning. Ooops....

Anyway...here are some recent pictures of the little guy...more later...

bath time

you got tickets to the gun show?

Riley's stats...

So in my haze of baby bliss I neglected to share any details about Riley in the last blog...oops...

Introducing:

Riley Pete Walker Knight

Born: July 26, 2008 at 11:16pm
Weight: 7 lbs 11 ozs
Length: 20.5 inches

Also, CONGRATS to our favorite party animal: Steve Wilken who won the Riley Raffle!! Whoot whoot!! Since I never collected $$$ from anyone, we will be giving you the grand prize of: BABYSITTING RILEY! Hahahaa. Kidding. We will get you something awesome for your almost perfect guess :)

Its a boy!

Hello everyone,

Sorry for the delay in updates, but as most of you know we had little Riley on Saturday, July 26th by C-section. For those of you who were not properly informed, I am sorry...but hope you understand!

This will be a quick one since I still have over 100 emails to check, but I wanted to update you all with the quick and dirty details of the labor/birth etc. I also wanted to let you know that we are doing great and are thankful for all of your support!

How it all began...

My water broke early Friday morning (July 25th) around 1:06am. Funny story...poor Nick had a terrible toothache and so we spent all night trying to get him comfortable enough to sleep so he could make it to his 7am dentist appointment. Once I got him in bed asleep, I decided to watch some TV. Around 12:45am I decided I better get some sleep myself since I had to drive him to his appt. the next morning. Just around 1am Riley started going crazy, kicking, punching etc. Just then I rolled over to get more comfortable and when I rolled to my side...I passed gas...and then, yes, my water broke as the gas was expelled. At first I thought I just peed my pants...which was becoming a common thing with coughing, sneezing etc...but when I checked...I was pretty sure my water had just broke. Hard to tell, but mostly just a feeling at that point.

Now, because of the severe pain Nick had been in for the previous 2 days with his toothache, I didnt dare wake him to tell him the news since I knew he needed the rest for his root canal AND now, for the birth of our baby :)

So I let him sleep and I went and read my baby book to see how quickly I needed to go to the hospital. Since I was not having contractions, the book said I could most likely wait to go to the hospital. Plus I still wasnt sure I didnt just pee a little.

So the next morning I quietly drove Nick to his appt. and when I came home I realized that my water must have broken due to the continual leakage....So I did the next best thing...tried to sleep a little before Nick called for a ride home. When he called me for a ride I asked "so...how are you feeling, any better?" He said that he was numb, but was pretty sure that he was going to be in less pain. I said..."thats good cause I'm pretty sure my water broke!"

We both started laughing...mostly at the ridiculousness of the timing...but also at the fact that it seems like we can never do anything without several things going on at one time...yea, some people call that chaos. But we just call it...doing things in 3's.

So, I know I said this would be quick, but I thought that was a pretty funny beginning to our labor.

Once we got to the hospital we found out for sure that my water had broken and we were admitted immediately to start the induction.

After 40 hours of labor, an infection in my amniotic fluid, the epidural wearing off and never dilating past 7 cms...a Dr. finally came to her senses and got me in for a C-section at 11pm on Saturday night. He was born at 11:16pm.

Here are some pictures of our little man...

Its my due date and I'll cry if I want to...

Tick tock, tick tock...

I feel like I am listening to that Pink Floyd song with all the clocks and then BANG all the bells start ringing, except for in our case, the bells havent started ringing yet.

Blimey! Those clocks are annoying...but I am sure the bells will be even more annoying when they start ringing. And by clocks I mean labor, not crying baby...of course :)

So for now, I will just sit here with my heartburn and try to relish in the glory of me, myself and I time...and Nick, Loki, Puppy and Doozer time. No use in hurrying this little baby out...so they say.

Today I started to read Jenny McCarthy's "Baby Laughs: the Naked Truth About the First Years of Mommyhood" (thanks Mal). Now I am only through page 10 (obviously my attention span has been lacking today), but so far, this book is awesome! Lets just say Chapter 2 is called: Blowing Our Your Vagina, a Vaginal Delivery. I think you can use your imagination...which is exactly what I did...and why I am freaking about a "regular" delivery. OMG! Hilarious, but scary at the same time.

Onto Chapter 3...for more torturous laughter.

As always...we will keep you posted on when Riley makes his move!

See below for new pictures...

No baby yet!

So I realize now that I probably need to keep my cell phone closer to me since I have received a few missed calls and texts wondering if the baby has arrived yet because I didnt answer...OOOPS.

And I also realize that I also need to keep up on the blog more this week since a lack of blog has led some of you to think that maybe I didnt blog because we were in the hospital.

Apparently my laziness last week was unacceptable and I apologize for that! :)

You all have been great. Thanks so much for thinking of us and being as supportive as you have.

But dont worry...I actually made a list of people to call/text when we go into labor so you will all know.

And for those of you holding out for that "we're in labor" text to put in your guess on the RileyRaffle...dont hold your breath because we are going to lock it out before we let you know that we are in labor...

I know...how mean!!! But for those who actually want to put in $$, its only fair, right? Hehehe.

So with those minor details out of the way...onto the important stuff...

Stretch marks and pee pants.

I have officially broken out with a case of stretch marks over the majority of my belly. And let me tell you...they look HOT! Hot like my belly caught fire and has scars all over it! And it honestly feels like I have a rash spreading over my whole belly at this point. Who knew that stretch marks would be so itchy!? I didnt.

So unfortunately my hope of being the hot mom in a bikini a month after giving birth has been blown out the window. Damn those stupid US Weekly, People and Star magazines that make those postbirth star moms bellys look toned and stretchmark free. Damn them!

I guess, stretch marks aside, what I should really be more concerned with is how much loose skin I am going to have to deal with after the birth. I think I just gagged a little thinking about loose skin. Ewwwwww.

I guess I will just have to wait and see. 7 minute abs, here I come!

So I officially have 4 more days until our due date. I cant believe he is supposed to be here on Wednesday. That sounds crazy!

This whole journey has seemed so long in some ways and so short in others. I was in Safeway last week reminiscing about how I lived on Rainbow Sherbert, Cinnamon Pop Tarts and ginger ale for about 5 months. Oh and donuts too. Its a wonder I dont have heart disease from this darn pregnancy.

Now I pretty much hate all those things since most of them ended up coming out my nose soon after eating them. Well, actually, I think I still like Rainbow Sherbert...and donuts...who could hate donuts!!!

Man, all this talk of food has made me hungry...

We will keep you all posted one way or another when he is making his arrival.

Until then...take care!

Important information to win the pool :)

So...we had one of our last appointments yesterday with our midwife and she gave me the due date, his approximate weight and length.

Feel free to offer me any amount of baked goods or Big Spoon yogurt to get the inside info and win the $$$.

YA RIGHT! Believe me, I tried to get the inside scoop so I could vote on the pool and win :) BUT when I asked her what she thought about his due date, she literally laughed at me and said "now Joanna, I cant predict that!"

All I can say is: I tried. I knew she couldnt give me anything exact, but was hoping for a round about. At least. Everyone I see says "could be tomorrow, could be a week after your due date..." All promising answers that I love to hear :) But really, whats my hurry. I am enjoying sleeping in these days!

One thing I can say is that she touched his head during the exam. I know, sounds creepy, but it was totally cool. I cant believe he is actually that low. Another thing she said was that, although he is head down, he is facing the wrong direction.

So now I have to do these swirl dances and lay on my side and literally try to push him in the right direction or I am headed for BACK LABOR CITY! Which I hear is AWFUL!

Another thing I can say is that she gave us some new numbers about cm's and effacement...one of which has changed quite a bit since our last appointment.

Like someone said in the comment section...its weird to think you are just walking around and your body is doing all this work that you cant see. And pretty soon it will just be time.

Crazy.

So now I just wait. And watch movies and TV. Go on little shopping trips to pick up last minute items and eat like a pig :) Yum.

See below for new pictures.

Hope you are all doing great! Oh and congrats to Anne and Kirk...they just got married last weekend! Yiippeeee!!!

Its the final countdown...

38 weeks...today. That means about 0 to 4 more weeks. 2 if I am on time, 4 if I am late. And before 2 weeks if I am lucky :)

For those of you who have put in your guesstimates on the web site, thank you. Its fun to see what everyone thinks. I still have yet to put my guess in. Its harder than I thought. Who knows when this little one is gonna pop out! But of course, we will have more inside information tomorrow after our appointment SO maybe we wont guess...

Either way, make sure you put your guess in soon cause who knows...he could come any day :)
http://www.expectnet.com/games/RileyRaffle

And remember, you dont have to put in $$$. Some people just said they would like to...so I thought we could make it a little more interesting for those who had an interest in making $$$ off our child. Hahahaha.

So this big news this week is that my bladder is completely compromised at this point. Make me laugh and you will see what I mean. Wait, really, dont make me laugh. Or cough. Or sneeze. I didnt think the books were right on this one, but they are!

It is so hot here and the air quality is so bad that I have decided to stay in the house as long as I can stay sane. Which I am going on day 2 of this endeavor and it is becoming more and more difficult. TV is getting repetitive. The cats are starting to bore me. And the babys room is pretty much done...so I decided it might be fun to search YouTube. But once I got to the site, I had NO CLUE what to type in. What the heck do I want to watch? I remember seeing 2 funny videos once. One about a kid named Charlie and the other about a Unicorn named Charlie...so I went to those videos...watched them, laughed and then gave up after that cause nothing else would come to mind. If you havent seen this video yet...check it out. Its pretty funny. http://youtube.com/watch?v=_OBlgSz8sSM

I guess thats it for today. Dont leave the house and I am pretty boring. Off to watch more TV...I guess.

Pulsating nose zit etc

So...I havent had a pimple since before I got pregnant. One of the cool things about me being el preggo was a lack of zits. Which I didnt realize until right now, actually.

But now...now I have this huge, red, pulsating and extremely sore zit on the inside of my nose...close enough to the edge that I think I can pop it, but far enough back where I cant quite see it and I most certainly cannot get my swollen man hands in there enough to get at it.

Of course my brain is thinking...ohhh, a change in body chemistry...labor is not far off. And my body is thinking...hahahaha...you thought you were going to get through the pregnancy without anymore pain other than labor, but now we have found another way to torture you.

As if the intermittent cramping and crotchal pain everytime I stand up isnt enough. Jeeeez. Thanks body. And to think I tried to congratulate you the other night with sweet, sweet churros and ice cream. Well, I take it back.

In fact, come to think of it...that is probably what gave me this stinkin nose zit in the first place. Too many sweets.

O lovely. Isnt that just lovely.

I try to help you out body and look what you do...

Give me an incredibly annoying and painful nose zit that has actually swollen so much that the shape of my nose has changed and I look kind of weird.

Ok. So I obviously have TOO much time on my hands as I rant about a nose zit, but it really is kind of annoying...

Nick and I just watched the movie Juno. I know, we are probably the last pregnant couple to see the movie, but I just kept forgetting to put it on Netflix until last week.

So anyway...cute movie. And for those of you who said I remind you of Juno. Thank you. Her sense of humor was quite tactful and very reserved...just like me. Ha.

She was believable and I can say she expresses her feelings of being whalish very nicely...but the fact that she kept laying on her back was totally bu%*sh#@. I was told that you CANNOT lay on your back starting in your 2nd trimester cause I could cut off all circulation to my baby...so I have followed that rule and then Juno goes and breaks it. Several times throughout the movie I might add. And she is supposed to be a role model for pregnant women. Wait, no, um...

Well anyway...good movie.

Check out the new pictures of Riley's room. And check down at the bottom of the blog for new pics of me and Loki.

O, also...to come soon...a baby pool. Not the cheap Target backyard pool, but a pool where you can guess Riley's due date, height, weight etc... And maybe win a prize? I think we are still working on that. Not sure how pool's usually work. Nick is going to have to be in charge of that...

Look for an email soon!

Until then...Happy 4th, again!

1 cm down, 9 to go...

So we had our "pants off" visit yesterday (Nick kept his on, otherwise that would have been awkward) and Dr says I am right on track. Riley should be here around his due date (July 23)and should be around 7 lbs or more. She said I am already dilated 1 cm which made me wince a little.

"OMG, this is really happening. My body has already started the process...JEEEZUZ! Wait, how do I breath again? What am I supposed to do when I feel contractions...cry, call labor and delivery or eat KFC?" All those classes started to blend into one in my head and I started getting confused. "Wait, is breast milk okay for adults...wait, no, that wasnt my question. That was that weirdo guys question in breastfeeding class."

So...now there is really no turning back. As if that was a possibility before. Haha. Its exciting and scary all at once. Needless to say, I am spending today looking over all our handouts and reading up on what the heck we are supposed to do. I am sure that will last about 20 minutes...but at least I am thinking about it!

After our appointment yesterday, I felt like I needed to celebrate now that I am at 1 cm. It was weird. Like I needed to congratulate my body for doing what it is supposed to. So naturally, instead of celebrating with a beer, I celebrated with 2 diet cokes and churros with ice cream and caramel sauce at a mexican restaurant and couldnt fall asleep until 1am this morning because of a caffiene high and killer heartburn. CONGRATS body! Job well done! Hahahaha.

And Nick came to the realization last night that he may need to watch his alcohol intake over the next few weeks in case he needs to drive me to the hospital OR just stay awake during the birth :)

What a weird thing to have to think about. I mean, it makes sense, obviously, but I cant say that thought really occurred to me until he mentioned it. Then I started thinking about where we are going to be when it all goes down....

Will we be sleeping? Will I have time to shower? Will my hair look cute? Will I have just eaten or will we have to stop for food along the way? Will we have time to stop for food? Will I even want to eat? Will Nick be at work? Will my water break on the sidewalk and will I have to ask a stranger for a napkin? Will my legs be freshly shaven?

Man, there is a lot to think about. I am sure I am missing a few important details, but these thoughts are important for me. Its amazing how vain I have become thinking about this whole birthing process. I almost cried the other day when I thought I had a stretch mark. I am still not convinced it is "just blood vessels close to the skin" like Nick said. But of course since I cant see, I am going to trust that he is right. Right Nick????!!! hehehe.

But like I have heard all mothers say...none of it matters once the baby comes. They say that I will be so happy that I will forget everything I went through during labor and the birth...

Yea right! I am still finding that hard to believe now...especially since I could poop on the delivery table and that seems like something that might stick with me. But hey, maybe not. Maybe I wont even know it happens. And if it does...Nick, you better not tell anyone :) Hahaha.

On that note: Happy 4th of July everyone!

More pictures to come later today or tomorrow :) Hope you are all doing well!

House Arrest or something like it

So I did WAY TOO MUCH yesterday. BUT the room looks great. Thanks to help from my dear friend Diane who should seriously become an interior designer.

So today, Nick says I am to stay home all day, sit on my butt and grow baby. So here I am...updating the neglected blog.

Check out the new pictures below!

I added some pics of Loki and I at the bottom of the blog...both of us swelling in the summer heat. I also added some older pictures of Riley's first and second ultrasound. They are at the beginning of the ultrasound pics.

Happy 1st day of summer!!!!!!

5 more weeks...WHOA

So, its been awhile since I have written. I feel sort of guilty since a lot of people said they were enjoying the blog. BUT I have had carpal tunnel so bad that I can only be on the computer for about 5 minutes before my hands go completely numb. Annoying! Yes. But managable if I stay off the computer and wear my "Tron" braces, as Nick calls them. Incidentally, I looked up a picture of Tron since I didnt know what the heck he was talking about, and aside from the helmet and full body suit, I suppose my hand braces do look a bit Tronesq.

Carpal tunnel in mind, this will be short and sweet.

Update:

I watch a lot of TV, primarily "A Haunting," "The Deadliest Catch" and in the past few days, "Oprah." All on DVR. Why watch them live when you can record them and watch them when you want :)

It now takes me about an hour to get ready if I go anywhere. It used to take me 15-20 minutes. My hands have become so swollen and numb that I cant feel when I wash my hair or put lotion on. And I can barely even close my fists. Weird. Putting on lotion has also become a big chore. I can barely reach my legs now :) Can I remind you...pregnancy is sweeeeeeeeeeeet!

We have managed to get Riley's room in some semblance of order. Well, the crib is up with the bedding in it and that is cool. We still have some last minute details to attend to, like wall decorations, but as Nick keeps saying: he wont even know the difference...AND he wont even be in that room for months so we have some time. Even though I logically know that Nick is right, my type A personality says...get the room done before July 23. And so we will :)

I have been able to do random chores and have successfully renewed my drivers license and am currently applying to the BBS to get my intern # for MFT. Whoo Whooo! Fingerprinting tomorrow. I wonder if my swollen fingers will skew my fingerprints. Man, I hope I dont come back as a serial murderer. Cause a lot of them probably have chubby fingers. Or not.

Loki had his surgery to get neutered a few weeks ago. Poor buddy. But he is doing great! Still getting bigger. Doozer and him are becoming besties. Its super cute. And Puppy is still cranky, but since she is almost 80 in cat years, I think that is ok.

Nick is busy, busy, busy at work. He got top 8 at the Jiu Jitsu World Championships. Out of 47, I thought that was pretty cool.

Nick had his first almost fathers day this past weekend. We spent it with his little bro, his wife and our niece in Santa Cruz. That was a ton of fun! And so was Cobbs wedding. Congrats again you guys!!!

I have been trying to sleep in a lot since I keep hearing everyone say "catch up on sleep now." I pretty much feel like a fat, lazy turd when I sleep in, but I am sure in a few months I will regret it if I dont take advantage now.

Time keeps feeling like it is FLYING by! Its kinda sad. I really like this time off thing :)

We finally went to a baby class without that annoying couple that I always talk about. But this time there was a replacement annoying couple. This lady in front of us wanted everyone to know that she knew more than the instructor even though it was obvious she had no clue. At one point the instructor asked: "how many of your babies have had the hiccups?" To which the annoying lady responded "Um, we dont have babies yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!" As if to say DUH instructor. And then the lady next to her said "In the womb...DUH!" Hahahaha. And then to make things more annoying...her husband kept turning around and staring down Nick and me. It was really creepy! They also copied us when we were learning how to swaddle our baby doll.

So...I think that is a pretty good update. I have just been waddling around and making my way through every day.

OH, and just remember, if I dont write you back on email, its cause my hands are numb, not cause I dont like you. And same goes for Thank You cards. I am slowly working on those too. Not to be too generic, but I have been feeling guilty...so I feel like I should say this now...THANK YOU to everyone who has bought us gifts. We love all of them! You guys ROCK! Riley's room wouldnt be the same without you guys!

And I am out...

Carpal Tunnel Heat Wave

So in the last 3 days I have developed symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome brought on by preggo swelling. And remember that awesome thing I talked about months ago where I think I am going to puke, but then I sneeze. Ya, thats back in full swing too. No vomiting, yet, but the nausea is back. Sweeeeeeeeeeet!

Luckily sneezing helps take it away. Weird, but true. Perhaps I should start keeping a pepper shaker near me at all times. Hmmm.

O ya, I wanted to say thanks to those who were able to make the shower last weekend. We had a blast! And tons of thanks to Nicks sister, Cody, his mom, Betsy, and my friends Clark and Ed who got the whole thing together for us. You guys ROCK!!!!

Everyone rocks. Even those who couldnt make it.

We got lots of goodies which I am still trying to sort through. Its amazing how cute these little outfits are. And those little hooded towels...OMG! And all the Dino stuff we got. WOW!! Who knew that dino's were so popular. Like Nick said, I sure hope Riley likes dinosaurs, otherwise we may inadvertantly give him a fear of the extinct land reptiles.

I am sure he will love them. I know I did, especially when I was in 1st grade. Ms. Mattraw spent at least a whole week, which seemed like months back then, on dinosaurs. Plus they were fun to color. I think the Stegosaurus was my favorite.

So we are at 33 weeks today. 7 weeks to go. Man, time is flying by. Its hard to believe we have LESS than 2 months now. Unless he goes over. Which I have heard is quite possible since this is our first.

Last night we were in Safeway and this lady who was stocking candy asks...so, how far along are you? When I told her she said "good luck! My son was born on the hottest day of the year in 2006 and the hospitals power went out and there was NO air conditioning AND I was two weeks LATE. So...good luck." I nicely asked her what date that was and she said "July 21st."

Sweeeeeeeeeeet! Riley is due July 23rd. But if I am two weeks over, perhaps...er, wait, what am I saying. August is always hotter, isnt it? Well, I guess not in 2006.

Luckily she was in the newer, more up to date Kaiser. Hahaha. If her Kaiser lost power in a heat wave, I am sure our Kaiser will have us delivering in the parking lot cause they might be afraid that the building will collapse in the heat.

So...2 more preggo classes to go, Nicks jiu jitsu world championship tournament this weekend, a wedding, fathers day, bbqs, my birthday, 4th of July and then...Riley. Man, this summer is going to FLY by!!!

Gassssssssss......

I swear I have a leak. Staying at home has really allowed me to start eating healthy, or healthier than I was eating before, and now I cant seem to stop passing gas. I dont know what it is about a good diet that just makes me have to...

So I am sure thats not really what you want to read about. But its whats going on in MY life. About the only thing, that is :)

I just re-read over my last entry and realized all I wrote about was Loki. Although he is charming and cute, I have to remember this is a blog about PREGNANCY! duh.

So back to the focus of the blog...Riley. Things continue to progress well and I think I say this every week, but he is definitely running out of room now. I am getting nervous for how big I am about to get in the upcoming weeks. I caught a side view of my belly last night and almost died. BEEEP, BEEEP, BEEEEP...wide load coming through!!!!!!!!

But Riley is good. We heard his heartbeat yesterday and he is moving all around. The other night I found out he is ticklish and have been torturing him at random times. Its the cutest thing. I tickle my stomach and he kicks back. Now that I think of it. I guess I should stop or else he might come out with some fear of being tickled. And that would be bad. That could be one of those Jack Handy sayings from Sat Night Live. Not sure how, but it reminds me of one. Maybe of the clown one. Ohh, whatever...

So Nick and I went to Breastfeeding class the other night. And that was pretty much pointless. Our instructor looked about 16 years old and had the focus of a rat in a pile of cheese. She basically read off the powerpoint and every 12 seconds her phone would buzz and then she'd lose focus and have to go back 2 slides. Just about the only amusement we had in the class was when Larry the Cable Guy in the back row asked this poor innocent girl if breast milk was ok for adults to drink and asked when he could start putting it to his wife after she gives birth. Get 'er done! Even I got embarrassed when he asked that one!

But the most amusing part of the whole class is when our instructor began showing pictures of what a babys poop should look like the first week after birth in a diaper. She began talking about the mustardy yellow poop and explained how the poop should be bigger than a quarter. Then she shows this picture of a diaper with a mustardy poop next to a quarter and Nick says "Whoa, babies poop money?" I almost fell out of my chair. I began laughing so hard that tears started rolling down my face and I almost peed my pants. I actually had to apologize to the instructor because I couldnt stop laughing. The only thing that made me stop was the damn granola couple behind us who were obviously appalled that I could laugh at such a thing and whispered something to the effect of "how immature." Whatever people. ITS POOP! Of course its funny. I feel sorry for their unborn child and the cloth diapers he has to sit in while mom and dad pine over how perfect they are.

This was the same couple that was in our last class and were upset because the delivery room lights made a buzzing noise and they want to have a 'natural' delivery, apparently without any noise.

I guess that is the highlight of the week.

My friend Jenny came through town today and reminded me of something very important. I was telling her a story of how the blue jays outside our house were torturing Loki the other day and she stopped me and said "Wow, this is probably the last time you have in your life to really take things like that in. You probably wont have a time like this again until after Riley is 18..."

Man. She is right. I better use these last two months to really get some sleep, watch the cats, read, eat good food, talk to friends etc. Cause once he is born...

I guess I will just be taking in everything he does...which wont be so bad.

Loki: the most appropriately named cat

So I was thinking after this weekends shenanigans that I should create a blog site just for Loki. I have never owned a beast quite like this one. And he is a beast. Now weighing in at 9.5 pounds and all muscle, this silly little cat is controlling this house. Or at least me, in this house.

Aside from being addicted to bleach, tearing up toilet paper rolls, knocking over the trash can repeatedly, trying to get into the baby's crib, climbing up the drapes and being addicted to bleach...Loki is just your average, loving kitten. HA!

I have never seen an animal react to bleach quite like this one. While cleaning the bathroom this weekend I sprayed Clorox in the tub and within 2 seconds Loki screeched into the bathroom and barrel rolled into the tub, screaming. When I picked him up to throw him out the door and close the bathroom door, he turned around in mid air and somehow made it back to the tub before I could even get my hand on the door knob. This happened at least 3 times. It was amazing.

So naturally, after the 4th unsuccessful time, I screamed for Nick and now both of us were chasing this little beast trying to get him out of the bathroom. Man, he is fast. If I had known that Clorox bleach was the equivalent to crack for cats I would have locked him in our bedroom. Somehow I doubt that would have made a difference though cause once Nick got him out of the bathroom, he closed both hallway doors and locked Loki in the dining room. And this is when I knew Loki needed a bleach intervention. Or BA. Bleach Anonymous. He sat at the dining room door (note: with the hallway in between 2 closed doors), screaming and rolling around sticking his paws under the door to try and get to the fumes of the bleach for almost an hour. (I will try to download the video of him rolling around outside the hallway door). I was actually a little worried since his nose had white crust around it and he behavior was erratic. But as Nick always says: "he had a good run."

Even after the bathroom aired out, Loki stayed in there most of the day trying to huff himself into oblivion. That is until we started to put the baby's crib together. Then he had to come get in the way of that too!

And he didnt stop there. At around 12:30am I woke up to use the bathroom and this is what I found...

Rileyosaurus Rex

So I spent half the night last night on the coolest website ever. Cafepress.com. Who'da thought they would have T-shirts, sweatshirts, onesies, bibs, messenger bags etc. with the name Riley. They even have t-shirts that say: my cousin Riley loves me. Um, hello, Merry Christmas little nieces and nephews. Er, wait, maybe I shouldnt have given that away. Either way, totally cute. I feel bad cause I must have sent Nick at least 30 emails last night saying: OMG look at this one, OMG, no, look at this one. HAhaha.

On another note. It has been nice being at home. My back pain has decreased quite a bit and my brain has almost completely shut off. Niceeeeee! Just what I was looking for.

Like just the other day...I was with my friend Diane and we were headed to Costco so she could get gas. As she was driving I said something to the effect of: "O, I should get gas too." Um, duh, I would have to be driving MY car to do that. But whatever. My brain just thought: if she's gonna get cheap gas, I should too :)

Other than the constant brain farts, it has been nice to talk with friends and catch up with people I feel like I have been neglecting because of work and stress. I have also taken on the duty of taking pictures of everything the cats do, which Nick loves. NOT! The second he comes home from work I run after him with the camera and say...look at what Loki did today...it was so funny. Or, look, Puppy is sleeping. How cute! I must have taken over 300 pictures of these damn cats in the past week and a half.

This worries me. Greatly actually. Not because I am worried about space on our computer...moreso, what am I going to be like when Riley gets here? I am going to be taking pictures of EVERYTHING he does. I feel sorry for Nick. I can just see it now: Hey honey, look, here's a picture of Riley sleeping, here he is pooping, here is his first smile...blah, blah, blah. I am making myself sick just thinking about it.

Next... :)

Things around here have been pretty boring now that I am home a lot, but everything seems to be progressing well here. I am getting huge, Riley is moving a lot and we got some baby furniture from Nicks sister this weekend (THANKS CODY and JASON!!!). So the room is going to be put together soon and things will feel more real. Or just weird like everything else. My big chore for this week has been going through the clothes they gave us and putting them in the little dresser. Its hard to believe he is going to be THAT small to fit into some of the stuff. And even weirder to think that he is going to grow out of most of that within weeks.

Thank goodness for hand me downs!

One thing I have noticed lately is that people keep asking me: "So do you think you are ready?" I have actually been thinking about that a lot. And I think...Its hard to say. Part of me feels overwhelmed and another part feels like things are going to be hard, but fun. Part of me feels sad, like I have lost a part of my youth and another part of me thinks...wake up dumbass, you cant be a kid forever. Another part of me feels huge, like I want this baby out...so OF COURSE I am ready. And another part thinks...wait, the house isnt clean and the room isnt quite together and I need more sleep, so NO, I am not ready.

I guess we will just have to wait and see. By then, we will HAVE to be ready.

New Pictures of Riley

Scroll down just a little bit to see the new pictures of Riley. And all the way down to see new pics of me and fatboy Loki.

The ultrasound lady was real sweet and gave us some profile pics and a front view of him. What a trip!!! Nick says he has my nose and chin. I can kinda see it. I think he has Nicks eyes. And definitely Nicks GIANT head!!!!!!

Nick said when the lady measured his head she wrote "10cm" in her note. Um, I'm sorry. Isnt that the width I am supposed to be at birth? Ya, thats what I thought. And he still has 2 more months for that head to grow. Jeeeez! I am finally starting to understand that man joke I hear all the time "put a stitch in for daddy." I wont even continue on with where my brain has been going for the last 2 hours. Clark knows what I am talking about :) hehe. Actually, I am quite sure I wont be laughing...

The good thing though is that he seems healthy. Was kicking and squirming around the entire time. The ultrasound lady said "he does not like this ultrasound at all!" Apparently he kept turning away from her. Good, he is cooperative. NOT! Hahahah.

Ultrasound

So, we are having another ultrasound tomorrow to make sure my placenta is in the correct place.

Although that sounds scary or bad, its actually pretty sweet cause most people dont get a 2nd ultrasound and I am about 90% sure everything is where its supposed to be. So its cool cause we'll be able to see what our little man looks like in better detail.

Now I can finally see where his butt is to see if thats whats causing all this ab pain :) Speaking of...you should see Nicks dance for when Riley moves around. Its pretty funny.

I will try to post the pictures tomorrow...

dis ABILITY

For all you counseling friends of mine, you know that the word 'disability' should not exist in the recovery model of thinking. Well, you would know that if you paid any attention in EDS 165 or whatever it was. Just like we shouldnt say "I work with AT RISK youth." If you had Dr. Borunda for EDC 270 you would know that these kids are AT PROMISE!!!

So...my point is...

I have been dubbed DISABLED by the medical model of thinking due to my temporary DISABILITY of being el prego.

And from this point on...because of my belief in the recovery model...I would like to be called ABLED rather than DISabled because I feel that having children is an ability. HAHAHA.

Ok, so I am totally messing with all of you. Although we were taught that in school, I do not feel as though my situation warrants that modification. I just thought it would be funny to throw that around. I do agree with the positive spin though. For any kind of ability...

So what this blog is really about is me being on DISABILITY!!!!!!!!!!!! WHOO HOOO!

As of today at 4:30pm, I am no longer required to attend work...that is, until 6 + weeks after the baby is born. WHOOO HOOOO! Somebody please drink to that...since I can't.

My work could not provide me with light duty so my midwife took action and saved me from another month of....

Well, I wont even go there.

So I am pretty excited, but am really wondering what the heck I am going to do with the next 2 months. Perhaps read a book. Ooooooh. Perhaps work on the baby's room. Ohhhhh. Perhaps get some sleep. Hmmmm. The possibilites seem to end there, which is sad. Its amazing how much this belly interferes with much cooler things to do. Like surf, raft, bike ride, drink beer etc.

Actually I am thinking I will make some CDs, lay out in the backyard, visit local friends, serve Nick all day, pet the cats....

Wait, that list doesnt sound any better than my first list did. Well, except for the seeing friends part. Sorry Nick. Our child will have to be the one that serves you...er, wait. Hehehe.

Oh well. I am sure I will figure it out. I have at least 2 months to come up with something cool or just sit on my butt. Both of which are cool with me.

Jeeez. Listen to me...I am only 2 hours in. Time to chill it out and let the ideas flow.

Now onto a funny story. An unpregnancy story. So, yesterday my crazy neighbor, the one who stands on her porch and screams at anyone passing by, says "I will kill your cat" to me several times as I am walking in the house. Poor Loki and Doozer. All they were trying to do was sniff the pollen and bird poop through our screen door and here this lady starts screaming that she is going to "kill" them.

So I call Nick, sort of laughing, to tell him about what she said and he says "call the police, that is a threat." So I do...

Now to the funny part...

The police suprisingly show up within about 15 minutes and when I invite them in to tell them about the crazy lady, I forget that Reno 911 is on. Just as Deputy Trudy Weigle starts to chase down a homeless lady trying to steal a hot water heater, with Lt. Dangle not too far behind, I realize my error and all I can do is scramble to grab the remote and turn the volume down. And just when I get my whits about me, I look up to see both cops standing there looking at the TV. Oops. And then I see what these cops look like: one cop was a middle aged white guy with a mustache and one was a very large African American man. Perfect! Dangle and Jones in our living room. I didnt know if I should laugh or say sorry. So, I just tried to block the TV and pretend like it wasnt on. K, bad stereotype. But kinda funny timing. (Note: these cops were certaintly nothing like Reno 911. They were actually very professional and on top of things!)

As I am trying to block the TV, Loki and Doozer swoop in. Apparently Doozer LOVES a man in uniform because he was cruising these two cops big time. He started rubbing his face all over this cops hand. I got kind of embarrassed, but these cops loved him!!! They stayed in the house for an extra 10 minutes just talking about cats. Apparently the Deputy Jones look alike is looking for a cat for his kids which I thought was cute. Unfortunately, as cute as I think Loki is, they both liked Doozer better. I think it was cause Loki was laid out in front of them showing all he has. FUPA included. He was too confident, I guess.

Never a dull moment. I swear.

Now onto 2 months of...relaxation!

28 weeks and all I want to do is lay in bed...and stay away from creepy people :)

So...I finally added some new pictures...see way at the bottom. I thought I was getting huge...but now that I look at the pictures...Loki is getting out of control! Its crazy to see how thick he has gotten. I bet he is saying the same thing about me. Hahaha.

All is going well. Just truckin along. Today marks the first day of my 3rd trimester. Its crazy how fast things are going now.

I am still confused though. Somehow I am at 7 months today, but still have almost 3 months to go since our due date is July 23rd. Lets hope that is when he comes. Please, please, please...not more than 1 week past my due date. That would be AWFUL!

It never ceases to amaze me. The bigger I get, the more creepy people feel like I am their friend.

Yesterday I went to Bank of America to get cash since some dumbass tried to use my card number to buy $400 worth of labels from USPS...yes, $400 worth of labels. Dude, if you are going to steal my card, at least buy something cool like a bike or I Pod or something. Jeeez. So...back to my story. I am leaving B of A and the security guard outside says: "When are you due?" Which is perfectly fine...but as soon as I tell him he begins to tell me that I am having a girl because of the way I am carrying HIM. I politely said..."O, I already found out...its a boy." And would you believe this silly security guard with 4 teeth in his head proceeds to tell me that I am wrong and that we are having a girl. I was 2 seconds off saying..."excuse me, I saw his penis, and what do you know anyway...you dont even know how to brush your teeth. Thank you." But, of course I couldnt be mean, so I didnt say anything other than..."well, you never know" as he creepily followed me to my car. Heck, who knows, he could be right due to some crazy security guard reasoning. Somehow I doubt it though.

And today I went to go do my glucose test and get some other blood test done at Kaiser and this lady plops down next to me and sighs REEEEAL loud. I knew she wanted me to look up from my Pet Healthy magazine and say HI...but I didnt. Then she leans over and says..."So, when are you due?" I tell her July and within 3 minutes I learned this ladies entire life story. It was awesome! I learned that she was there at Kaiser today for a pregnancy test, which was negative. I learned that she had her first child when she was 35 and she only had it because her Croatian husband wouldnt marry her unless she got pregnant. Apparently he MADE her show him the pregnancy test stick to prove it. Then I learned that they tried for a second child 6 months after her first was born, but couldnt conceive (she thinks because of her age and I think its better she didnt :) Then I learned that her Croatian mother in law is depressed and tried to kill herself because her husband of 40 years recently died. I also learned that car rides apparently cure depression and suicidality because this lady told me she "cured" her mother in law by taking her out for a car ride once a week. O, and I also learned that her son questions everything she does and she thinks he has ADD. Shocking.

Anyway...now that I have completely ripped two people apart who were probably just lonely and trying to be nice....please dont think bad of me. I really am a nice person. I guess I am just more cautious/defensive these days since it seems like everyone has a comment. Oh well, at least it makes for a good laugh.

Alien in my belly

So...it is nice to know that you guys are actually reading this. I have heard from a few people that they have enjoyed my tales of pregnancy thus far. So I will continue...

This week little Riley has been showing off his sweet moves pretty much every time I eat or lay down. And the most bizarre part about this weeks moves are that I can actually see him moving through my skin now. The first time I saw it I almost freaked out. I felt some pressure in my belly and when I looked down I saw my t-shirt moving. At first I thought maybe the wind moved it. But since my ass was plastered to the recliner, indoors, I realized this was no wind flurry. This was Rileys little head, fist or foot. I immediately pulled up my shirt and tripped out. Not to sound Hollywood, but it did look like The Alien!

The more I get to know this little guy, the more I am getting worried that this little bugger might be born with red hair and a mullet. Now you might ask...what is so wrong with that? Well, other than the fact that the mullet went out of style in the 90's...the red hair has significance for me. And the mullet...well, lets face it...only badasses where mullets in this day in age. So...if he is born with red hair and a mullet, I might be a little scared that my son will be a badass with a serious attitude problem! WOOO!

Like today at work. I felt some pressure above my belly button and when I pushed on the area to see what was going on, I immediately felt him push back. As if to say..."Um, cant you see that I am trying to kick your ass. Dont you know I am a badass with a mullet, mom? Jeeez."

Not to jump from topic to topic...but I learned something very disturbing last week. I thought that if Riley is born at the end of July, I would be on a surfboard by September, at the latest. Now...boys who are reading this...read with care. This is something that once again, I did not learn in one of those damn preggo books. Apparently...if you have a natural birth...that 10 cms takes awhile to go back to normal. Which means...no surfing for me. Aside from a terrible bacterial infection, I might just end up with a sea lion or a school of fish up there if I'm not careful. Wow. I cant believe I just went there...WOOO!

So...on that note. I am off to bed to get my belly's butt kicked by our mullet baby :) :)

Book Title: What About Me?

So, I am learning very quickly that my body is just an incubator for this little being growing inside me. And it is safe to say that I might not matter...that much. It has become apparent that my primary job is to keep this baby's heartbeat going. This became obvious when I got the flu last week and had to make another little trip to Labor and Delivery (L & D). Since I had been throwing up all night, the advise nurse was afraid I might be dehydrated, so they told me to come in "within the hour."

So after calling and waking two different friends at 7:45am, I finally found a ride to l & d **Thanks Isaac & Diane too** (Nick had court...as a part of his job, not because he broke the law :) Anywho...so I get to l & d and they get me a room right away and I am thinking "Oh good, I feel so awful, they will do something to help me, finally." Well, no, not actually.

So, the nurse comes into the room, tells me to undress from the waist down and put on "the booty tube" as Nick calls it. Its like a tube top that goes around your belly to hold down the baby heart monitor. Then I am thinking..."ok, she is going to give me some 7 up or something for my stomach. Or at least an emesis tub." NOPE. She puts on the monitor, asks if I have felt the baby move in the last hour, tells me to wait for the doctor and walks out of the room. "Um, ma'am, waiii...."

Meanwhile, my legs are hanging down off this chair/table and I have wires sticking out of my booty tube AND I have NO support. Once I finally find out how to pull out the table to put my legs up, I start gagging again and feel like I am going to throw up. I scan the room and there is a closet door labled "Large Emesis Tub," but it is like 9 feet up. So I look for a trash can and the only one I find is for "hazardous materials." So I resign myself to just puking on the floor.

20 minutes later...

Knock, knock. "OHHHH good, the doctor is here to help me..."

NOT!

She came in, read the baby's heartrate sheet, checked for contractions, asked if the baby had kicked recently, told me our baby looks "really healthy," told me I wasnt dehydrated, then said "take care of yourself....you probably have the flu...which is very tough on pregnant women."

Uh, NO DUH!!!!!!!!

So...after finding out our baby was perfectly fine, even with my high fever, I was kicked to the curb. With no 7 up or crackers and NO RIDE HOME!

So I am sitting on a cement block outside the hospital, trying to call Isaac or Nick and the Dr. chases me out of the hospital to tell me "dont forget your prescription!"

Oh, yes, thank you. How could I forget.

At one point I was so sick and wishing I could be in bed so bad that when a bus drove by, my first thought was to start running after it and get on it. But then I realize...I have NO MONEY! Then I realize...I wouldnt even know what bus to take. Then I wonder...do buses take ATM cards? Ha. Honestly, I dont know what I was even thinking. I am 6 months pregnant with the flu, I am not running ANYWHERE. It must have been desperation...in fact, I know it was.

Yea, that day wasnt so sweet. But luckily Nick was able to pick me up pretty soon after my discharge and put me in bed for a long days rest. Luckily it was only a 2 1/2 day flu. Feeew.

Good thing I can laugh about it now, but it sucked when it was happening. Thats for damn sure.

Now I am onto better things anyway...like back pain and my belly popping out of the bottom of my maternity shirts, already :) hehehe.

New Pics...

Scroll down to the bottom to see how huge Loki and I are getting :)

Are these things on straight?

There is one strange thing that has been happening for about the past 2 weeks that is not in ANY of the baby books and has certainly never been mentioned to me by any pregnant women...

I am apparently at the stage of pregnancy where my butt/hips are so big and my belly poppin so far out that it feels like my clothes are on backwards. Thats right, BACKWARDS!

I know, I know...it sounds weird. But you know that feeling when you put a t-shirt on backwards. It feels all snug in the wrong places...through the shoulders and in the neck area. And if you've ever put a pair of pants on backwards (not jeans obviously) it feels like the front of your pants hugs your knees and the back of the pants stick too closely to your butt. Its definitely a weird feeling. Well, thats what my regular clothes feel like.

It obviously doesnt feel that way when I am wearing the required uniform of maternity wear, rather, it happens mostly when I wear regular t-shirts and old soccer shorts or my adidas sweat pants.

It is the strangest feeling ever. I seriously have to keep checking my labels to make sure that they arent in the front of my clothes.

One day I kept asking Nick...are you sure this shirt is on right. He must have thought I was going crazy. I know I was.

This one should definitely be added to the baby books. For sure.

I am pregnant, hear me ROOOAAR!

So...the work drama continues...that is all I can say for now. The rest is going to have to play itself out over the next few months...

Needless to say...this hasnt been the best week. However, I cant let it get me down or little Riley is going to be the one to suffer the most.

The more my heart rate jumps and my anger increases, so do his little kicks and turns and hiccups.

So...I will lay low and chill it out.

On a positive note...I thought I would save the best news for last...I just heard from Nick a little while ago and he won the Pan American Jiu Jitsu National Championship this morning. Yup, another gold medal for Nick :) Time to celebrate!!! Perhaps another BBQ where we watch his videos???!!! Hehehe.

We will let him decide...

Hormones have feelings too...

I wish I had a hand held recorder with me all day long so I could record little snipits as my day goes along.

Like for example: today I went to go talk to my boss because I have been feeling pretty bad all week. My back pretty much starts hurting after 15 minutes at the computer and within about 20 minutes of being in my car, 2 of which are pretty important parts of my job. SO...needless to say my attitude at work probably hasnt been the best. So...to smooth things over, I went to talk to my boss and her first statement to me was..."so, when do you think you are going to go on disability?" My first thought was: "obviously not soon enough," but then my second thought was "wait, is she already trying to get rid of me? Hey wait a minute here..."

If I had a recording device, that would have been the point when I reached into my pocket, pulled out the recorder, hit record and said "note to self: boss thinks I am an ass and wants me the F out of here."Actually, I dont think she meant anything by it at all, other than you look miserable and so I want you to be comfortable...but in hindsight it caught me off guard a little. Is my attitude that bad where they would be better off without me...hrrrmmm...????? Nahhh....

Call it hormones, I guess. But I definitely am a little more sensitive these days.

Like the other day when I thought a homeless person got my account number off of some checks I thought I had appropriately torn up and thrown away. I began having a hissy fit like a 2 year old and Nick, as sweet and caring as he is, knelt down in front of me, while the biggest snot bubble I have ever seen was forming out my nose, and attempted to calm me down by saying "honey, he probably doesnt have immediate access to the internet...so stop throwing a tantrum" and I responded..."waaahhhaaaahhhhh, waaaahhhaaaaahhhhhh, but I want to throw a tantrum."

So anyway...back to the work thing...I am finding as a pregnant woman, things at work can get a little touchy. Apparently being pregnant is a "disability" and I am supposed to be treated as if I have a disability, whatever that means. I think it means that they can't legally discriminate against me, which is good. But I also think it means that my production at work is eventually going to decline and if I dont keep a good attitude, I just may lose my job...through some loop hole, somehow. (Nick says: "Sue the Bastards!")

And here I was thinking I was solid gold since I had the highest productivity for the month of February, by 8%. But bad news: today I looked and I am second to the lowest for March. WHOOOOPS. There goes my solid gold status and my leverage when my attitude is bad because I'm in pain. For example: "oohhh ya, you think my attitude is bad, well why dont you go check my productivity...where I am the highest." Nope, cant use that one anymore. Now they are going to say..."man, that Joanna has had a pissy attitude and look at her productivity...she used to be the highest, now she's at the bottom."

In my defense, March has been tough though...with the hospital visit, bed rest and now the terrible back pain. All I have to say is...at least they bought me a back support for my desk chair. That was nice.

Its funny when I sit here and rant. I think about my pregnancy and it really hasnt been that bad...but there are parts that have sucked. I guess it just depends on what day you catch me on and where my hormone levels are. Yesterday I spoke with my friend Anne and she said something to the effect of "I love reading your blog, but jeeez, is that what pregnancy is really like...is that what I have to look forward to?"

That got me thinking. There are some women who claim that their pregnancy was the most beautiful thing in the world and they had absolutely NO problems during the whole 9 months. (Nick says: "Bullshit.") And there are some women who will tell you too much information and say things like: hemmorroid and discharge in the same sentence, all while saying that they are excited they are having a little one.

So I guess the answer to Anne's question is...well, probably in some ways and not in others. I think everyone is different. That is one thing I am learning, esp. the more I share with other pregnant friends. Fortunately I have the good sense to laugh at myself on a daily basis, especially if I realize that I am being an illogical, whiny butthole. (Nick says: "I laugh at her too...Oww!")

One thing I have definitely learned is that for a woman who never thought I would have kids because I was some different kind of woman, a tomboy...I sure am having the most regular pregnancy you can have. (Nick says: "Told you.") In my week to week pregnancy book, I literally have every symptom they mention for that week and have hit every landmark they talk about pretty much on time. So...that is kinda cool.

Has it been 9 months yet?

So...the weeks keep passing and I keep growing. According to my 22 week email today I should be looking forward to vascular spiders and stretch marks starting...now. This is going to be an awesome week, I can feel it!

Actually, speaking of feeling. Yesterday I actually felt him move in and poke me in more than one spot at a time for the first time. Up until yesterday, I would only feel him move at random times in the morning and before bed. It mostly felt like he would throw an elbow or kick, maybe 3 times in a row, tops. BUT now...I can actually feel him do a summersault and move side to side. It is kinda creepy and made me sick the first time I actually felt it. But now it feels cool. Now that my uterus is above my belly button, I am also starting to feel him higher in my guts which is interesting. I got so used to him being low, it is weird to feel him kick near my ribs. Its a trip to think about how big he actually is getting.

Today has been kinda a rough day. I woke up with nausea, again. Just when I thought it was going away. For some reason it is back in full force today. I have been feeling extra exhausted and run down. I am noticing it is getting harder to go to work and want to actually stay there. Good thing I only have 3 1/2 more months :) Actually...man, that sounds like a long time...well, not when I think about getting the back room in order. That is going to be a chore!

Now that I am thinking of it...does anyone need a desk or possibly a bookshelf? Or a couch? Seriously, let me know if you do cause I think we are just gonna chuck everything. Except for my turntables...those will have to stay, somewhere.

So...here are some recent pics. I am trying to figure out how to put the pics in with the text....for some reason it hasnt let me do it in the past.

Actually...check down at the bottom for the pics, for some reason it only lets me put them at the top of the text. Not what I wanted...

Ohhh, also...CONGRATS to Dave and Judy. They just had a little boy, Gabriel. And also a late CONGRATS to Robin and Matty...with their boy Will and Jill and Brian with their daughter Ellie :)

It must be baby season :)

L & D

So, yesterday we had a little minor tiny scare. I was at work and began having intense cramping and at one point I remember thinking "if this is what labor feels like, then I dont want this kid to ever come out!" So I called the advice nurse and she said "come in" and I said "anytime today?" and she said "no, now!" Naturally I was a little concerned after hearing the sense of urgency in her voice, so I called Nick and we were on our way to labor and delivery...for the first time. We still havent even had the tour of the hospital yet and we were already making use of it. Thats just like us...

So, after an hour and a half in the waiting room watching and listening to 3 different ladies talk openly about their symptoms of CURRENTLY being in labor and how many pads they've gone through, I began to think...what the heck are we doing!? We are having a kid. OMG!

According to all the nurses that kept walking by, this was the "busiest" day they had seen in months. And as Nick said, the staff was having a hard time hiding their chaos. At one point, the triage nurse came up to all of us in the waiting room and said something to the effect of "so, there is a room available, who do you think should go next?" Nick actually laughed out loud. Um, I'm sorry, arent you the TRIAGE nurse? WOW! If this was any indication of what was in store for us when we were actually going to deliver...we were in TROUBLE!

Luckily our midwife was there and shared that was not normally how l & d was run and that in the future if I feel like I need to be "next" I can tell them and they will take me immediately. Good to know!

So...turns out, all is fine. We heard the babies heart rate for 30 minutes straight (which they said was almost unheard of...apparently our baby has a super strong heart!) and I wasnt having contractions...so it was probably just stress or growing pains. They put me on bedrest for today...which was much needed. Thank goodness for MTV and blogging...back to work tomorrow :(

I have lost my head...

So, I have heard many women say that being pregnant has made them "spacy" or "forgetful" and well, I thought they were crazy...that is until this week.

For the past 3 days, I have been so forgetful and dumbfounded that I actually wiped before I even peed the other day. I know that probably sounds like TOO MUCH INFORMATION, but comeon...its pretty funny when you think about it.

I feel like I am in a movie half the day. A really funny movie, but also kinda scary at times. I have forgotten where I am going twice this week...began driving and got about 2 blocks along and thought..."wow, its pretty out, wait, where the hell am I going?" And one time I left my keys hanging out of my trunk and when I got in the car and tried to start the car, I freaked out cause my keys werent there. I thought "OMG, I just locked my keys in the trunk...how am I going to get them out?" Well, DUH!!!!!! First, they werent even in the trunk and second, my car was already unlocked so all I would have had to do was 'pop' the trunk.

Lets see...other dumb things...completely forgot what Nick was talking about in the middle of a conversation. He left the room, came back in and finished the story and I couldnt figure out what the hell he was talking about. After how lost I looked, he broke down laughing and said "WOW, you REALLY dont know what I was saying a minute ago do you?"

I am so glad to hear other pregnant women go through this too. Otherwise I would feel like I am losing my marbles.

Its funny though how it just started this week. I guess it make sense though cause it seems like every week something new begins and other things disappear...

Last week my ribs felt like they were going to pop out of my body and I had a huge growth spurt. The week before I was so sick I popped blood vessels in my face when I barfed. And now that my memory is so bad, I cant even remember what happened the week before that.

I am just glad it is Friday and glad the weather is supposed to be nice this weekend. Too bad I cant drink a cold one to celebrate Spring. Soon enough I guess.

More pics to come...Loki included. He is getting HUGE! And so am I!

Peace out...Jo

As plomised...

Ultrasound pictures. Our scanner is not cooperating, so I just took pictures of the U/S pictures. I think they came out ok. Not that any of you will really be able to tell what the pictures actually are. I can barely tell and I am his mom. Mom. Wait, that sounds freaky. I am his mom. Not used to that one yet. Hrrrm. Actually, now that I think of it, I took pics of the ones that were pretty self explanatory. ENJOY!

Ohhh, and thanks for all the input on names. I think I like Cleveland the best. Ohh and Leotardic Fantastic...or whatever it was :)

Ps. scroll down for more pics in addition to the U/S ones

I am a total dork!!!!!!!!!!

If you vote in the name poll, I spelled the first name wrong. It is supposed to be Aidan. NOT Adain. It is too early in the morning for me, obviously. OR maybe that is a sign. If I cant spell it, maybe we shouldnt name him that :) OOOPS!
Jo

Vote for your favorite baby name!

http://www.babycenter.com/403_whats-my-name_1747215_165357731993.bc

Almost 20 weeks and...

Its a BOY! Sorry to keep you guys in suspense, but I am obviously not that hip to blogging yet. So, a little boy. I already have a little rash guard and board shorts picked out for him over at the mall. Now if he would just hurry up and get here.

Thank you all for your kind words and support. I didnt realize you could put comments on the blog and I just read them. You guys ROCK! Well, of course you do because you are my friends. HA.

So, I am sure you all came to the blog to read about my barfing...so here's alittle update: luckily the barftastic bouts have sort of gone by the wayside, but I am still getting random spurts of nausea that just lead to...sneezing. I know, isnt that weird? I feel sick like I am gonna barf...then to my surprise...I sneeze.

Man, pregnancy is weird.

My belly is growing by the minute now. And apparently so is my ass. According to one of my lovely clients. As I (nicely) went to open my car door for her, I hear from behind me "Damn Joanna, your ass is getting HUGE!" I almost wielded back "Oh ya, well you are mentally ill." Thank goodness my senses came to me and I nicely said "Thank you for noticing. Now lets talk about social graces when you are in the community!"

Apparently when you are pregnant people feel they have a license to comment on your growing parts. The only think I think when they are saying those things, well, other than "F U" is..."ahhh, they must be in so much pain." Whatever. Sometimes its funny.

Like the other day when I was in the elevator. A lady asked me how far long I was and I kindly said "Ohh, I'm not pregnant." The look on her face was priceless. All the color went into her neck. It was hilarious.

I have some pictures of the ultrasound that I will put on here so you guys can see what our little man looks like. So far, he looks adorable. We got a picture of his little foot and it makes me melt everytime I look at it.

Since the ultrasound, we have definitely become more attached. Its kinda weird. Now were are thinking of names, seriously. That is hard. We have at least 5. Well, 4 that Nick like and 1 that I REALLY like, but he is not too keen on. Our midwife loved the name, so now Nick has at least added it to the list.

That reminds me...we were thinking of doing a name poll. Perhaps I should do that now. You should be getting something in your email soon :)

Off to the gym...have a good weekend all!

All our love,
Jo * Nick

18 weeks and still barfing strong...

SO...for those of you who dont know, I am pregnant. Man, how that word has evolved in my head over my lifetime. I remember when I was 16, the word pregnant meant "Oh shit, I am late on my period, I better get to Planned Parenthood immediately." And when I was 19, that word meant "Man, I hope I get married someday and get PREGNANT. And when I was 23 that word meant "I better not get pregnant, my baby will have fetal alcohol syndrome." And when I was 27 that word meant "Oh how cute, a little baby with tiny clothes and little tiny feet and hands." And now that I am 32, the word PREGNANT means "barf, barf, barf...er, wait, OMG, honey, we are actually having a baby!!!"

I puked so hard yesterday that I popped blood vessels in my face. Yes, little tiny blood vessels all over my face. People at my work thought I had the measles, like Jan Brady or some shit. Who gets the measles other than one of the Brady Bunch to show that the moral of having measles is that that being sick can actually be a good thing because your parents pay attention to you and your dog, Tiger, spends the day with you in bed. But later in the episode, only to find out that you are allergic to your dad. And then later to find out that you are actually only allergic to Tiger, thank goodness.

This blogging thing is weird. I am not even making sense. No clue why I flashed on the Brady Bunch, but I do remember that episode. I remember being really stressed that Jan was actually allergic to her dad. Weird. I bet back then, I barely even knew what the word 'pregnancy" meant.

So...we are 18 weeks along and all is good other than my "morning" sickness. I am one of the lucky ones who still gets sick in the 2nd trimester. Thank goodness for Zofran.

Exciting news: we find out the sex of the baby on Monday. I never knew how important it is to know the sex of a child. I dont know how our parents used to be surprised. The suspense has been killing us :)

Enough for my first ever blog post. Stay tuned for more barf stories :)

Jo