Some quick updates

*I saw our little peanut on Monday as well as his or her strong and steady heartbeat. This baby is beginning to feel more real to me now!

*...especially because I felt him or her move (flutter) today! I thought I felt it all week but attributed it to tummy rumblings. This time I definitely could tell the difference =)

*Our anniversary was amazing. I love my husband. And the giant lobster tail and creme brulle that I enjoyed during our delicious dinner. Unlike my pregnancy with Jeremiah, I limited myself to one creme brulle and not 5 at once during our Vegas anniversary trip.

*We leave Thursday night for Coronado island. 3 nights of child-less sleep, tanning at the beach, swimming, biking, great food and hopefully Sea World!

*Yesterday Jeremiah and I went to Newport Beach to spend the day with my AZ cousins, Uncle Bob and Aunt Madeline, and my grandma. My uncle rented a boat for a few hours so we cruised around the harbor, then played at the beach, hung out at their hotel and had dinner. I love my family. And Newport. My GPS... not so much anymore. It took me this complete roundabout way that ended with me having to take my car acrosst he Balboa Island Ferry. Didn't see that one coming... what should have been a 45 minute trip took us 2 hours as a result. Only 3 cars can go across the ferry at once. It was a huge line. I couldn't believe my ears when the words "take the Balboa Island Ferry" came up towards the end of our trip. I wanted to chuck it in the water, and by then it was too late for us to turn around and take a detour. We were stuck.

*Jeremiah, Marissa and I are going to Colorado the beginning of September to visit Shiloh and her husband Ryan. I can't wait! 3 of the 4 roommates reunited again.... and the week that we are going is the week that Kappie's baby is due. So she will be stuck in Sacramento, but we're hoping that the 3 of us will be together when we get "the call" that Baby Keates has made his or her appearance! My flight leaves Wed. September 8th and we come back that Saturday. I will be flying alone w/ Jeremiah since Marissa is coming to Colorado via Germany, where she will have spent a few weeks visiting with her parents, sister and aunts.

Yard Sale!!

It's been 3 years (on Wednesday!) since I've been married and moved out of my parent's house. My parents were very gracious to let me keep a ton of my stuff from childhood and college in my old room and their garage while we lived in our tiny one bedroom apartment- but now that I'm in my house (for a year and a half now!) my crap has gotten the eviction notice. So.... I'm camped out on our front lawn right now, praying it doesn't get too hot, and trying to get rid of a lot of my stuff! Yard sales are a BIG thing in Whittier, and we live on a great street for having one. I've been out here an hour and have already made around $20. I'm planning on staying out until 2:00 or until the heat becomes unbearable. Louis is inside with Jeremiah.

Rather than exchanging presents for our anniversary, Louis and I decided to invest in a Nintendo Wii and a new TV! We found both on Craigslist for REDICULOUSLY (and I mean rediculously) low prices. Plus, Louis found somebody that knows how to hook up the Wiis with tons of Wii games in addition to our childhood favorites- Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis! I got my Mario Brother's back!! I LOVE IT. I completely suck at the Wii games right now, coming in DEAD last on Mario Kart every single time I played Louis last night, but I'm hoping to do better as time goes on =) I want to save up and get a Wii Fit to help keep off the flab during my pregnancy and after. I predict that I have a week at most left in most of my favorite pants and shorts. Louis and I went clothes shopping on Sunday and I left the mall in tears, nothing fitting right or looking decent on me. I also knew that whatever I bought would only fit for a short period of time so I felt wasteful spending $$ on clothes. However, I'm not far enough along for maternity clothes right now. It's so frustrating. Your belly is not as cute with the second (third?) pregnancy as it was the first- your belly isn't tight any more. Sure it's growing bigger but there's a layer of flab underneath that baby belly. And yes I'm starting to get a belly. A small one but a belly none the less.

We decided to push back our weekend away an extra week so we will be able to save a bit more cash to spend. We like going on vacation with a set amount of cash and once it's gone- well it's gone! Plastic does NOT come with us when we travel except for hotels that require a credit card rather than cash. We are going to a very nice restraunt on the night of our anniversary but the rest of the festivities in Coronado will wait an extra week. Fine by me! My parents have already agreed to watch Jeremiah since they will be back from Houston by then- but leaving for Ohio a few days afterwards. Summer is SO busy for them, with an out of state convention every month in months June-Sept.

Well our sale is picking up again so I best be going =)

With Apologies

Before I lose whatever audience I have here on my blog, I'd like to apologize for once again slacking off in the blogging department. I don't want to use my pregnancy as an excuse but honestly come the end of the day when I am able to blog I am ready to crash. And, during Jeremiah's naptime I have to go into our garage to use the internet, and most of the time Louis is working in there, so I either can't be clacking away on the keyboard or simply don't have access to one, since sometimes he uses both of his computers at once. However, I"m guessing things will change when my new laptop comes in the mail soon =) Verizon FIOS was having some sort of special for their customers where they will mail you a free laptop if you pay for shipping, and Louis surprised me by ordering it for me. I can't wait =)

Next week is a big week for us- On Monday I have the remainder of my first prenatal appointment, now that I have my pregnancy confirmation from my blood test, plus my very first Ultrasound! I didn't get an ultrasound until around 20 weeks along with Jeremiah, so I can't wait to see what our little peanut looks like- and make sure that there's only one in there! And next Wednesday is our 3 year wedding anniversary. We are planning on going to Coronado Island in San Diego Thursday night after work for the weekend, but Louis has yet to ask his mom if she could babysit- so you never know what could happen. My parents are leaving on Saturday for yet another convention,t his time to Houston, so I can't count on them. Truth be told I"m sad about leaving Jeremiah again for a weekend, but it would really defeat the purpose of a romantic getaway to celebrate the two of us if he were to come along.

That's about all I have time for at the moment- I'll try to post some pics from our Saturday in Hollywood later tonight!

February 15, 2010

That is my baby's due date! I'm secretly hoping for a Valentines Baby- we already have a Halloween baby in the family (Sydney was born on Halloween last year). I also want the baby to be early rather than 10 days late like his or her big brother Jeremiah- first of all, the waiting SUCKED- big time. Second of all, my parents are scheduled to be in Vegas less than a week after my due date for a major convention for their business. Not only do I want them present (well, in the waiting room or taking care of Jeremiah at our house, but none the less in the same city as we are) for the birth of their second grandchild, we were also counting on them to take care of Jeremiah during our hospital stay and for the first day or two at home with the baby. Recovery from Jeremiah sucked soooo bad. Worse than any part of my labor (no pain during the delivery thanks to my best friend Epidural!) I remember wondering where all the pain came from, going into the delivery naiively thinking that the only painful part was the labor and delivery, and if you were sore afterward, it lasted a day or two, tops- not a full two and a half weeks.

Anyway, today I had my first appointment. It was pretty standard and quick- just the initial female exam, and a blood test to verify the pregnancy. Once the lab sends back confirmation that I am pregnant, I will be going back (July 20th) for an ultrasound and the rest of my initial appointment- glucose test, lots of blood work, medical history. Oh, and I absolutely LOVE my new doctor's office. It is sooooo much nicer having insurance, getting to go to a nice office that specializes in pregnancy versus a crowded clinic that sees everyone for all sorts of ailments. Here's a few of the reasons why:
1) Wait time. With Jeremiah, it didn't matter what time my appointment was, I always had a minimum of an hour wait past my scheduled appointment time- or longer! For my first appointment I had to wait 6- yes S-I-X hours. And once I got into my room after blood/urine work was done and weight/temperature was taken, I had another half an hour to go before the doctor showed up. Today I waited at most 20 minutes , and was seen right away when I got into my room.

2) The waiting room itself was small, intimate, with nice music playing and MAGAZINES. In the clinic, there were rows and rows of chairs but still not enough for everybody to sit. Sick people were all around, couging up a lung. It was noisy, chaotic, and there were maybe two magazines available. There was a tiny tv tuned into either a Spanish station or the news, but good luck trying to hear it. This office has a policy where if you bring your kids, you have to wait outside for your turn so that they don't spread their germs to the mommies to be. Thank goodness, no foreign runny noses and screams! Because 80 percent of the moms in the waiting room at the clinic made no effort to control their children.

3) The overall visit itself- I did not feel rushed at all vs at the clinic- and the nurse practitioner was SO friendly- and gentle. I didn't even realize she had completed the procedure, it was over so fast. Let me tell you- it's a lot nicer having a pap done by a middle aged female than an 85 year old cranky man!!! Plus it was so nice not having to worry about how much everything was costing. I can handle a $10 co-pay vs. the insane amounts we were paying with Jer!

In all, I'm thrilled to be where I'm at. And thrilled to be pregnant =)

Tomorrow Marissa and I are taking Jeremiah to the beach! Have a great 4th of July weekend!

Hello Morning Sickness

Sometimes I wonder how much empathy I would have for my husband if men were able to have babies and our roles were reversed. I am not one that handles other peoples illnesses very well (with the exception of Jeremiah). I get totally grossed out by vomit- like really grossed out, and I am not so inclined to do things such as mop it up, hold back hair or fetch water. The only times that I have seen Louis throw up are after he has had too much to drink- so, my lack of sympathy and empathy for him is probably well understood, because I don't like either him or I drinking to the point of throwing up. He has had to clean everything up. I have more empathy for him if he is truly sick with a fever or cold, but my patience with him isn't as great as his is with me.

This morning I had my first bout of morning sickness for this pregnancy. And, just like when I was pregnant with Jeremiah and vomiting nearly every morning for two months, my sweet husband followed me into the restroom, held my hair back, kissed my cheek and fetched me a bottle of water. I love him. God bless my husband. With Jeremiah, once I threw up I was fine for the rest of the day- today, however, my stomach ache lingered for a few extra hours- then I began craving Lays potato chips, something I normally don't like to eat (too much grease). Luckily we had some in the house =) And I can't wait for us to bbq some hot dogs tonight!

I have my first doctor's appointment on Thursday. I can't wait! And tomorrow I have my first day with my new Mother's Helper- my best friend's 17 year old sister, Diana =) You have no clue how excited I am about having two free hours twice a week while someone else plays with Jeremiah. I have so many plans for things I want to get done around the house and books to read, but I know I have to use at least part of that time to take a nap. I'm worn out.

I guess I'm having a boy....

I'm not one to believe old wives tales, Chinese calendars or anything like that, but when I want a little daughter as badly as I do (especially considering how much Louis does not want more than two kids), all of these old fables that tell me that I"m having a boy start messing with my head! My friend Michelle is a firm believer in the Chinese calendar for predicting genders, and her trusted one says that I'm having a boy. Then last night, my Uncle Ken told me that I'm having a boy because Jeremiah's cowlick is in the middle of his head. Apparently, according to my grandma Arlene, the position of the older siblings' cowlick determines what the gender of the following baby will be- center means boy, off to the side means girl. It worked for all of my dad's siblings- My dad and uncle Tom each have it in the center of their head and wound up with little brothers; my uncle Ken has it to the side and he has a little sister. Plus there's lots of speculation about me not throwing up yet- more barf apparently means a girl. But... I'm only 6 1/2 weeks along, and I didn't start throwing up with Jeremiah until I was 8 or 9 weeks along. I've definitely come very close to throwing up in the last week but nothing has happened yet. My cousin Tiffany has been throwing up all day for the last few weeks, and so we're convinced she's having a girl. Lucky duck...

Yesterday I bought the cutest little dress at Target that was on clearance for $4. Call me crazy, not officially knowing the gender or anything but I just could not pass it up!! If I do indeed get the announcement that "it's a boy!" when I go for my ultrasound in a few months, then I will gladly give the dress away to some other lucky duck mommy. But for now I like seeing it hang up in the baby's closet =)

Don't get me wrong; I would LOVE for Jeremiah to have a little brother. Little boys are a ton of fun, and from what I hear, less drama-filled =) But if we really are only having two children I would love to have one of each... I need some more estrogen in this house! I know that either way I will be perfectly happy with the blessing that God is giving me, but please- cross your fingers for a precious little girl!!!

Happy Father's Day!

Those two handsome guys pictured to the left (and the baby in my tummy!) are the most important people in my life. Today we are celebrating how that precious little boy, Jeremiah, made my amazingly sweet and handsome hubby the best father in the whole world (well, tied with my dad of course!). So far the day has been perfect- Jeremiah slept in til nearly 7:30 (a big feat for him!), and Jeremiah and I played while we let Daddy sleep in. However... Daddy was SUCH a trooper! I was intending on letting him sleep til 9:00 or 9:30, but after making Jeremiah's breakfast (oatmeal mixed with a stage 2 bananas) one whiff of the bananas made me so close to hurling- oh, pregnancy! Louis very graciously got up an hour before he needed to to feed Jeremiah and even stayed up afterwards to play with him so I could shower! What a sweet husband. Then it was present time- Jeremiah and I filled in some missing volumes of Louis's "Family Guy" anthology collection. We can't wait for Jer to go to sleep tonight so we can start watching it! I love Bryan. After Jeremiah's bath and nap, the three of us went to "Cielito Lindo," this Mexican restraunt that has a brunch buffet and live mariachi show- something that Louis LOVES, and I tolerate on his behalf =) Actually, this kind of show is more my style- 45 minutes long, quick up beat songs, and plenty of yummy food in front of me =) Jeremiah also loves listening to the live music- but is starting to wail like a banshee whenever the clapping at the end happens. I think it scares him... poor guy!

We came home, I fed Jeremiah (since he pretty much lived on Goldfish and punch at the buffet), he and Louis watched some Discovery Channel show, then I put Jer down for his nap. Louis is asleep on the couch. I could really use a nap too, but I hate napping when Jer is. First of all, I hate waking up from my naps. Secondly, I always am scared that I'm not going to hear him (which is darn near impossible because he makes it VERY well known that he's awake!) When Louis wakes up we are going to dinner with his dad and sister. I feel like I"ve eaten all day. Which isn't good- I'm almost 6 weeks pregnant and ALREADY outgrowing some of my shirts, and my pants are feeling tighter. ALREADY!! This didn't happen until towards the END of my first trimester with Jeremiah, not at the very beginning! No, I"m not ready for maternity wear, but it certainly would be nice to fit into my clothes for just a bit longer.......

I really wish I could give my dad a hug right now. As I type this, he and my mother are driving a moving van somewhere through Missouri, coming back from a convention their business participated in in Illinois last week. My mom's birthday was Friday... so I missed not only that but Father's day as well! =( We are going to celebrate next weekend when they get back (they should be home by Tuesday). They've been gone for over a week now and I miss them!

Happy Fathers Day to all the daddies out there!