Oh My Goodness! A New Post!

June 2nd was the last time I posted here. Over four months ago. Wow. To be honest, I kind of forgot all about infectious joy. It's been hard enough finding the time update Kieran's blog once a month.

But I went on one of my lame rants the other day, and it reminded me that I do have a forum for such rants! Where people don't judge (okay, let's just pretend), and I can say whatever I want (kind of)! Dur.

The rant itself was stupid (Why am I constantly seeing commercials for dark chocolate Reese's peanut butter cups but have yet to see them available ANYWHERE!), but I realized how much I've missed blabbing to you, my peeps of the interweb.

Obviously with a soon to be 7 month old (on SUNDAY! Why The Face!), my life has been a juggling act. Now that he is in daycare full time, though, I actually have a tiny bit of time to myself. Which I didn't realize was so important. My son -- our little family -- is my life now. How could I not want to spend every minute with him. I find myself missing him while I'm at work, knowing that smiling face will always make me forget how stressful my day was.

But let me tell you, being able to run to Target at lunch without a stroller, Ergo baby, or car seat is kind of amazing. Like, the highlight of my day. Grocery shopping -- almost too good to be true.

So it's taken almost 7 months, but we're in a routine now and have pretty much figured this whole baby raising thing out (I just laughed out loud as I typed that). The first three month were rough. Not awful, just rough. If we knew then what we know now, we probably would have done a few things differently, like, accept help and not insist on taking care of the baby by ourselves. So ya, having someone watch Keiran for 7 hours a day is a huge help. Balance is key. We all need family time, work time (debatable), and "me" time. It's so nice to... breath.

But the Johnson household wouldn't be complete without some kind of life changing thing going on. That's just so not us. Thus our decision to remodel our kitchen. By ourselves. (Okay, not really by ourselves since Brother will be doing most of the work, but we're not paying anyone we can yell at. Only each other.) So, taking advantage of Grandpa and Grandma visiting and being able to watch the baby, we began demo on Sunday... and life is crazy again! Hooray!

Kieran could care less, thank goodness, even taking an hour and a half nap through Daddy taking a crow bar to the counter tile. Mommy is slightly stressed, though. Being in a house of chaos and no stove kind of makes me break out in a rash. But it's temporary, right? The goal is to get it done by Thanksgiving. I mean, our kitchen is the size of a walk-in closet. This can be done, right? Or are we completely delusional?

Anywho, I'm back and can't wait to share with you how the kitchen remodel goes. I promise to post pics of the progress, and to give public praise to my brother, who we are the mercy of for the next few months. (Insert eyelash batting and big smiles here.)

Oh, and if someone can tell me where I can get those dark chocolate peanut butter cups, I'd be forever grateful.

In Case You Haven't Been Reading Kieran's Blog...

Yes, I am still alive, and yes I am still blogging.

I just haven't been here (look here).

So being a mom is a lot more time consuming than a previously non-mom thought (that previously non-mom being me). Being a mom and finishing up your last semester of college is even more time consuming. Being a mom, graduating from college, and trying to keep your house clean is pretty much impossible. Try and throw blogging into the mix and, well, I'd rather sleep for thirty minutes. Sorry. Those are the priorities these days.

And really, I haven't blogged on my own site because my life has just been baby baby baby. I can tell you what my favorite diapers are (Nature Babycare). I can tell you all about how awesome the Quinny stroller is. And I'm an expert on relieving clogged milk ducts (after TWELVE, I had better be).

Not that it's bad that these topics have been my life. In fact, let me know if any of these subjects interest you and I'd be happy to discuss further. I just figured nobody would be particularly interested in the things that have interested me the last two months. 

So anyways... Yes, I have officially earned my BFA in Computer Arts, New Media from the Academy or Art University. I'm super stoked, super relieved, and slightly... missing it? Is that crazy? Okay, I guess it's more the design work that I miss. Although that void will quickly be filled NEXT WEEK when I return to work. 

Oh my gosh... How did the last eleven and a half weeks go by so fast? I am actually looking forward to getting back to work, but I start to cry whenever I think of being away from my son. I haven't been away from him for more than a few hours. I'm really really really not okay with leaving him. But knowing he will be with Grandma and Grandpa eases my mind a bit (that and knowing I can call them every hour). 

And don't get me started on missing watching Martha and Ellen everyday.

But anywho, so far motherhood has been more fulfilling than I could have ever imagined. The first six weeks were pretty challenging, and I spent a lot of time crying (man, people weren't kidding when they talk about postpartum emotions), but half as many tears were of joy. Every day he does something that overwhelms me with joy. 

Now that things have settled and we're in (some what) of a routine, I hope to be able to blog more. And yes, it will be about diapers and strollers and all the challenges that come with raising a baby. But I do still have my own life (I keep reminding myself), so I'll throw in some creative stuff as well.

Speaking of which, it's time again for the annual Academy of Art Spring Show! If you haven't been before (or even if you have), this is a must see. The artwork always impresses, and there is often some great work for sale. It's running through June 11th, so try to get there this weekend if you can!

Where: 
Academy of Art University 
601 Brannan St. (at 5th Street) (map) 
San Francisco, CA 94107

When: 
May 21 – June 11 
9 AM – 5 PM (ongoing) 
*Closed Sundays and Holidays

Kieran's Blog! And Week One Wrap-Up. :)

I created Kieran's blog the other day, and will try my best to keep updating it as much as possible. Of course, it all depends on the little man. :) 

So far, everything has been great. The sleepless nights are to be expected, but did take some getting used to. I think we've gotten into a pretty good routine already, though. We let Daddy sleep as much as possible during the night, as he has become our full-time housekeeper -- doing all the cooking, laundry, cleaning, and shopping. Although Grandma and Grandpa did start us off on the right foot, by cleaning our entire house while we were still in the hospital, as well as stock our freezer full of Trader Joe's goodies. Oh, and did I mention my mom weeded and pruned our entire patio?? And bought us flowers!

We went on our first trip outside the house yesterday. We had an appointment to have our car seat checked at Tiny Tots, and then went and visited Uncle Adam at work (look for pics on Kieran's blog!). We were going to go walk the Campbell Creek Trail, but decided it would probably be a bit much for me so soon after the surgery. It was just so good to get out of the house, though. And such beautiful weather!

We've had such an amazing time with him so far. And we can't thank our friends enough for all the love they've given both us and Kieran. Thanks to Amii, Rhonda, Nick, Tim, Jeannie, Andrew and Cindi for visiting us in the hospital (as well as bringing some great treats). And a big thank you to Mariyah for bringing us the most amazing salad ever one night, and LeeAnn for bringing dinner and Kieran's first birthday cake to celebrate his one week! :) 

And I don't know what we have done without Uncle Adam, racing over and putting together the playard before we arrived home! Not to mention soothing Kieran to sleep with his radio show. :) Thanks Uncle!!

38 Weeks and Counting...

Just a quick update. :)

I had a doctor's appointment this morning, and it sounds like baby is getting ready to make his grand entrance! I haven't dilated much, but my cervix has thinned about 40% she guesses. 

My belly didn't grow this week (still at 37 cm), but she didn't expect it to. Especially since baby's head is literally pushing down on my cervix! She laughed because she felt the top of his head immediately. So that explains the intense pressure I've been feeling the past few days, and the need to go to the bathroom every 30 minutes. 

Her guess is that he is about 6 lbs. 12 oz as of now. Any guesses on the birth weight?? 

Oh, and speaking of guesses, I've put a poll up for baby's arrival date. Please let me know what your guess is!! :)

As for me, my energy level has gone down a bit, and lower back pain has intensified, but besides that I'm doing well. We can only hope delivery goes as smoothly as my pregnancy has! 

Today is my last day at work, so I plan to update you all more frequently as we head down the home stretch...  It's getting exciting!!

Shower, Nursery, and Shoe Fetishes.

This past weekend we had our baby shower, hosted by my sisters. It was wonderful. Beautiful. Fantastic. Overwhelming! The food was amazing. The cupcakes, "off the hook". And the company, well, what can I say... we were surrounded by some of the most important people in our lives. What more could we ask for?! And of course we (well, baby boy), were completely spoiled. It was a great day!

Having fun opening the bazillion gifts we got!

Thank you SOOOO much to everyone who came and celebrated with us. We are truly grateful. We can't wait for the little guy to thank each of you himself!

So of course, even though I was completely exhausted, I had to come home and unpack everything. The nursery is almost complete! And as promised, here are some pics. We still need baskets for the changer (to put all the diapers, wipes, etc. in... please ignore the mess as it is now!), and we have a toy box that Tripple is going to paint to put against the wall under the animal pics (to house all the stuffed animals baby boy already has!). So a few things to do, but soooo close!

All credit goes to Tripple for the idea of putting the decals on the closet. How cute is that?

Oh, and I thought you all might like to see that I am already fully aware that I am raising my husband's son.

Like father.

Like son.

Seven Month Belly!

I know, I lagged a bit this month. Although depending on what book or what site you are getting your info from, your eighth month can start at 31 weeks or 32 weeks. As of today I am 32 weeks, so maybe I'm not a week late posting after all (and can you believe I'm in my eighth month?).

So, I thought I felt baby boy a lot last month. I can't believe the movements I feel now! And not only do I feel more powerful kicks and nudges, but I SEE them too. It's pretty amazing (or kinda freaky -- depending on who you ask. I say amazing!). The cutest new development this month are the hiccups he gets every night, right at bedtime -- although they don't make getting to sleep very easy. But hey, I'd much rather feel his movements then get a good night's sleep. Getting me ready for parenthood I suppose!

I only gained 3 pounds this month, but my belly measured exactly 30 cm at 30 weeks, so baby is growing well. My OB said my belly, "is big and round and perfect", so I'm not worried. :) I can tell you I am definitely not skimping on eating. I eat about every three hours now, which is the best way to keep the heartburn at bay. And now that I know my glucose level is good, I am definitely not skimping on the sweets either. Tripple surprised me with a chocolate cake the other night, and I've almost finished it -- all by myself (how awesome is my husband?!).

The nursery is really coming together. So exciting!! Uncle Adam has proven to be invaluable with his carpentry skills, building the crib and changer in no time and putting in all the new baseboards. We just have some rearranging and decorating to do, and then I'll take some pics and post!

8 weeks to go! I'm now going to the OB every two weeks, and my last four weeks I will go every week. We have an appointment on Friday for an ultrasound, so we're very excited to sneak another peak. We haven't seen him since 20 weeks, so we can't wait to see what he looks like now. Hopefully we'll get some good pictures to post. He doesn't like to stay still for very long, so we'll see if he cooperates. 

I want to thank those of you that have already spoiled this boy with some extremely thoughtful and generous gifts. Trip and I are so grateful, from the bottom of our hearts. It's so amazing to know we are bringing this precious boy into the world knowing how much he is loved by so many!

Well here it is... Look at that belleh! I think the profile pic doesn't really do the belly justice, but I think the straight on photo you really get a sense of how he is filling me up!

120# and 36.5"

At 31 weeks baby weighs about 3.3 lbs. and measures over 16 inches long, about the weight of four navel oranges.

My progress:

One Month: 100# and 24"

Two Months: 101# and 25"

Three Months: 104# and 31"

Four Months: 107# and 31.5"

Five Months: 112# and 33" 

Six Months: 117# and 35" 

Seven Months: 120# and 36.5"

10 Weeks To Go!

I just saw my little countdown widget (yes, the one with the scary floating baby fetus), and it said "10 Weeks to go". 10 Weeks, people! How is that possible! We have so much to do, so much to plan. We haven't even started our baby classes yet. Ahhh!

Okay, breath... 

The crazy Capricorn planner in me needs to settle down. 

In reality, we have gotten a lot done. The nursery has been painted, the crib arrived (thanks Mom & Daddy!), the mattress is on its way (thanks Auntie Nay Nay!), the registry is complete, the first aid kit has been put together (if anyone wants the list we received from our Infant CPR and Emergencies class, please let me know!), the shopping list for baby's essentials is ready to go, and the rest of our prenatal classes have been scheduled: Intro to Pediatrics in a few weeks, then our birthing classes, and then Breastfeeding Your Newborn. 

So I think we are on the right track, got our ducks in a row. But that doesn't mean I don't wake up in the middle of the night thinking, "We have no idea what we are doing. How are we going to do this?" (that and, "Is this seriously the seventh time I've had to go pee tonight?" or, "Why is there a cat sleeping on my head?"). I guess it's the whole new parent thing, this feeling like we are no where near prepared for our baby's arrival. Anxiety is to be expected, right? This is normal, right? Hopefully? Please?

Oh ya, and then there is the whole name thing. We do have a short list of names we are considering, but we really want to see his little face before we decide on anything, so I haven't really stressed much on that (Let's be real, people... you know I'll be stressing on that in a few weeks. In due time.). 

Everything is fine! It's all going to be great! La la la la la.

la... la...

la.

Yikes.

Happy New Year!

2009 is going to be an awesome year! Okay, so the whole baby thing is an automatic awesome factor... :) But I just know this is going to be a great year. For one thing, I'll FINALLY be done with my BFA and Trip will be done with his credentials and grad school. We'll be able to focus on our wonderful son. I can't wait! 

First, I should update you all on the whole gestational diabetes thing. So, I went in on Tuesday for the three-hour glucose screening test (I know I said I would go on Saturday, but I really didn't want to waste a Saturday morning at the hospital). The fasting part wasn't so bad. The glucola part, however, was even worse this time around. They give you double the amount of glucose for this test, and drinking that on top of an empty stomach is not fun at all. I thought I was going to get sick, but the technician told me if I did I wouldn't be able to finish the test, so I made sure I didn't. Pregnant and fasting = no bueno. Suck it up, girlfriend, cause you are not doing this again.

Three hours and three blood draws later, they couldn't get a full vial out of me for the fourth and final draw. The technician I had for the final draw was the same pregnant lady I had for my one hour test. Funny. She had to call over an expert blood person (technical term) to make sure what she was able to get was enough, and thank goodness it was. My poor little veins couldn't take anymore. Three days later and I am still bruised!

So my doctor's office called on New Years Eve with the results. My stomach dropped at first, as my OB said she would only call if there was cause for concern. But she just wanted to call and tell me my results were great, and to have a good New Years. Hurray! Chocolate for all!

Back to New Years (and chocolate)... Trip and I started the evening with dinner at La Fondue, where we literally ate until we felt ill. In fact, Tripple said we can't go there anymore because we always feel obligated to eat everything, which is way more than anyone other than Michael Phelps should consume in one sitting. So we said we'll just go for dessert from now on. :) Put a bowl full of bittersweet chocolate in front of me and suddenly I have more room to eat!

After dinner we went to Adam and Renee's for a really nice, intimate New Years with about 15 people. My friend Linda, who is due about three weeks after me, was there, so I had someone to talk baby with all night. Which of course we did. It's so great to talk to someone that is going through the same aches, pains and emotions that you are. 

So now it's New Years Day, and we started it out right by cooking a traditional Southern New Years meal (well, the vegetarian take): black eyed peas (eating one for every day is supposed to bring you good luck!), collard greens (to bring you money -- we need that!), corn bread, fried okra and squash, and Nay brought over a green bean casserole. Dessert was more Californian -- a simple fruit salad of pears, pineapple, oranges and banana. I have a feeling we'll be eating the black eyed peas for a fews days. Does that mean we'll have extra extra good luck?

Like I said, I know without a doubt this is going to be a great year. Lots of changes, lots of big milestones, lots of great times with family and friends!

Six Month Belly!

Six months! Third trimester here I come!

So we had our OB appointment on Wednesday, and I got the results of my glucose test. I'm a failure, friends of the interweb. The only thing I've ever failed in my life. Okay, I didn't actually fail. The official cut-off to be concerned about gestational diabetes is 140, and I was 139. So my OB, being the awesome and thorough doctor that she is, still wants me to take the 3 hour glucose test. Yes, three hours. Sad... I'm sure everything will be fine, just a bummer to have to not only fast, but sit in the lab for three hours on a Saturday. But as Trip recommended, best to get it out of the way this weekend so that I can enjoy my New Years Eve dinner at La Fondue (and that vat of chocolate!). I guess going from hardly eating any sugar at all to eating about four cookies a day probably hasn't been the best thing for my system, so I should probably chill out on the sweets a bit. The sacrifices we make... :p

Everything else is great. My belly measured 28 cm, which means baby is growing perfectly (Just so you know, the measurements I have been taking are around my waist. The measurements my OB takes are from the top of the pubic bone to the top of my uterus, and should be about the same in centimeters as the number of weeks of pregnancy). Heartbeat sounded good, too. Now is the time I start going to the OB every two weeks, so I doubt Tripple will be able to go to all of them (which he has so far), but I think I'll be alright. :)

My backaches have actually subsided, which could be due to the regular pre-natal massages I'm now getting (loooooove those!). I highly recommend a good pre-natal massage at least once a month. If anything, it forces you to lay still for an hour (something that gets pretty hard to do once the whole "nesting" thing starts). I'm sure the backaches will start up again as I continue to grow, so I'm enjoying the painless moments while I can.

We had a lovely Christmas Eve with friends at Adam and Renee's house. Four boys running around, all under the age of 3. Can't wait for our little guy to join in the fun! Christmas Day was a bit of a bummer, as I woke up with an awful sore throat -- symptoms of the same cold Trip suffered from early in the week. So we decided it was better for us to stay home instead of making the trip to Sacramento. We stayed in our jammies all day, watching movies, drinking tea (since I can't take anything) and taking naps. So besides not being with family, I guess it really wasn't that bad.

Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! Oh, and here it is, the six month belly!

117# and 35"

Baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long

My progress:

One Month: 100# and 24"

Two Months: 101# and 25"

Three Months: 104# and 31"

Four Months: 107# and 31.5"

Five Months: 112# and 33"

Six Months: 117# and 35"

Happy Birthday to Tripple, and Some Catch Up

Sorry friends of the interwebs -- I didn't post at all last week. My goal is to at least post once a week, and I would really love to post two or three times. So shame on me for slacking.

Last week was my last week of the Fall semester at Academy of Art, as was it the last week of one of Trip's graduate courses. Work has been project after project, and Trip was wrapping things up before his 2-week holiday break (man am I in the wrong profession!). So needless to say there has been some serious cramming going on. Good thing is that we really didn't do any Christmas shopping this year, so I've been relieved of that annual stress-fest. For the past few years, my family has done the Secret Santa thing, but this year I was inspired by a wonderfully heartwarming story I saw on the news about a company that decided that, because the food banks are so low this year, they would donate their $4500 holiday party budget to a food bank. So instead of drawing names, my family agreed to donate to a charity of our choice. Trip and I did the Second Harvest Food Bank and the Humane Society of Silicon Valley. Christmas shopping -- CHECK! Now next year I realize will be quite different, as our son's first Christmas is sure to be an extravaganza (to say the least). But let me tell you, I have definitely enjoyed being mellow this year.

Speaking of the peanut (or English cucumber, as BabyCenter claims a 26 week baby is the same size as), everything seems to be going along smoothly. We have our 6 month appointment this Wednesday (6 months?!?), so I'll be sure to give an update, with new belly pics. I swear, the belly (among other things...) has been growing on a daily basis. As has my appetite, so go figure. At this visit our OB said she would schedule another ultrasound, just to make sure my placenta has moved up. I'm so looking forward to getting another peek at the little guy!

It was Tripple's birthday yesterday, and we had a really nice dinner at our favorite vegetarian restaurant, with a few of our favorite people. My birthday gift to him was driving him and Adam downtown to see a hip hop show on Friday, then picking them up at 1:30A. I think that wins me some Wife of the Year awards, don't you? I was a trooper again on Saturday night, when we went to a friend's party, where we stayed until after 1AM. I figure I better let Trip have some fun before it's all about the baby. Plus he deserves a little R&R after a hard first semester at work, some pretty demanding graduate school courses, and all the extra works he's had to pick up around the house (painting, kitty litter duty, cleaning the kitchen and bathrooms, carrying things up and down the stairs for me, and cooking dinner most nights -- yup, he's a keeper).

Okay, I've rambled enough... I'll try to post soon after my appointment on Wednesday -- Christmas Eve!

Glucola and Truffles.

I had my 1-Hour glucose test this morning, for gestational diabetes (a standard test for pregnant women between 25 and 28 weeks). I knew the glucola was not going to be tasty -- I can't even drink a Coke because it is too sugary for me -- so this was a bit of a challenge. I had fruit punch flavor, which actually wasn't too bad, as long as I drank it fast (you have to drink it within 5 minutes anyway), and didn't think about it.

I drank it in the car on my way to the lab, so still had half an hour to kill before they could draw blood. I was playing solitaire on my iPhone when the nausea hit me. I was a little unprepared for that. Trip warned me this morning that it would probably make me feel sick, but I didn't give it much thought. Ugh... sitting there for half an hour trying not to get sick was no fun at all.

So they called me exactly 30 minutes later to draw blood. I had a younger technician, who was very sweet and asked me if I had a fear of needles. I told her no, I just felt a little queasy. "Oh, that's why you look a little pale." No, it's December and I'm half British. I am pale. Thanks for pointing that out.

While she was checking both my arms and deciding on a vein, there was an elderly couple in the chair next to me. The wife was the one giving blood, and she was clearly not happy about it. She literally had both her hands over her eyes as her husband wheeled her in, and it took two technicians to calm her down. As soon as they pricked her she yelled, "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW, NOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW," at the top of her lungs. No joke. Talk about an uncomfortable moment -- for her, and the other five of us sitting there about to go through the same thing.

Okay, focus on the technician.... She's sweet, she knows what she's doing. After checking each arm twice, she decided on the arm and vein she was going to attack, pricked me, and started filling the vials. As I was intently focused on her, I noticed she had a bump under her lap coat.

ME: "Oh, I just noticed you're pregnant, too. Congratulations."

TECHNICIAN: "Thanks!"

ME: "How far along are you?"

TECHNICIAN: "I'm seven months."

ME: "Oh wow, you look great!"

TECHNICIAN: "Thanks! Ya, I noticed how much bigger you are than me, and your not even six months yet, right? I mean, you're all belly. But it's so big already."

Wow, she is full of compliments, isn't she? Okay, first off, "it" is my son, so back off woman. Second, I'm proud of my big beautiful belly. It proves to all those haters that you can give birth to a healthy baby without meat. He's obviously doing just fine with tofu and beans, thank you very much.

So after calling Tripple and yelling at him for impregnating me with a freak of nature (kidding, of course. I just had to tell him that story), I went home, made myself a yogurt and flaxseed smoothie, followed by some truffles. To which my son thanked me by apparently doing cartwheels.

Five Month Belly!

Five months -- can you believe it? Next week, Thanksgiving... then soon after Christmas... next thing you know I'll be posting baby pics! Okay, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, I know. But I just can't believe how fast time has flown by. My mommy friends all tell me to enjoy this, because the last month craaaaaawls. So I am!

Let's see... this month the belly ring had to come out. I took a straight-on shot so you all can see that it looks like my belly button will probably pop out. I'm pretty dang close. Tripple is a little freaked out by it, but I think it's cute.

I think I'm huge already, but my mom's last reaction was, "Is that all?". I didn't gain any weight the first week of my fifth month, and then only half a pound the second week, but I quickly made up for it and gained 4 pounds total this month. I've really been into baking lately, so the cookies have probably helped. :) And late night hunger started this week, so I'll need to stock the fridge with some quick and easy snacks for midnight munchies.

Baby boy is very active. I feel him moving around all the time, particularly when I'm getting ready to eat (demanding baby already!). Tripple and Auntie Nay both have felt light movements! I can't wait for Tripple to feel him like I feel him (well obviously not exactly how I feel him... just more strength to those little kicks).

We started work on the nursery this month. We're at least getting the painting done before my mother-in-law arrives on Sunday. Tripple is almost done, actually. Just another coat and touch-up. It's frustrating not being able to help, but there are plenty of other things for me to do.

Baby boy is spoiled already! My mom and dad bought him his first present -- a fully functioning collectors train set. Auntie Nay bought baby a super cute turtle that lights up the ceiling with constellations. My friend Desiree's daughter Zoe picked out his first teddy bear. And I hear my mother-in-law has been doing some shopping out there in NC (no surprises there :p). Not only are we blessed with this wonderful gift of life, but our son is already blessed with such kind and generous family and friends! How fortunate are we?!?

So here it is -- the five month belly:

112# and 33"


Baby has stretched to the size of a spaghetti squash, weighs almost a pound, and is nearly 11 inches.

PHOTO: BabyCenter

My progress:
One Month: 100# and 24"
Two Months: 101# and 25"
Three Months: 104# and 31"
Four Months: 107# and 31.5"
Five Months: 112# and 33"

We're Having a Boy!

As I mentioned in my Four Month Belly! post, we had a little scare last Monday that prompted a visit to the doctor. To make sure everything was okay, she did an ultrasound. During the ultrasound the doctor said, "I think I know what you are having..."

"Can you tell us?" I asked.

"Well, I think you're having a girl. I can't be certain, because baby is straddling the umbilical cord, but see that..."

[She points to some blurry image that apparently made up girl parts.]

So of course Trip and I translate "can't be certain" as "you're having a baby girl!" So all week we had it in our heads that we were having a girl. Trip bought a book of baby names and we didn't even look in the boy section. We were already disagreeing on the shade of pink we would paint the nursery.

Fast forward to Friday, our second trimester ultrasound. Now, our OB had warned us that some technicians can be pretty testy, perhaps even a bit cold. But we were so fortunate -- our technician rocked. She was definitely all business in the beginning, but just thoroughly explained what the process was going to be, and said her main concern was our baby. She asked us if we wanted to know the sex, and that she would tell us during the warm and fuzzy family part at the end of the exam, after about 30 minutes of seriousness. 

So during the important, serious, technical, don't-talk-to-me-because-I-am-concentrating exam, she says, "Well, I know what you are having. Quick, tell me your guesses."

"Girl."

"Girl."

"Girl, huh. Well, you're wrong. It's a boy. See, there's his wiener."

(Apparently the important, serious, technical term is "wiener".)

A boy. Oh my goodness, a boy! Of course we were both shocked at first, only because we were so certain we were having a girl. But that quickly faded for both of us as soon as we thought of our beautiful baby boy. We can't wait to meet him! I must have cried five times that day thinking about him...

Tears of joy for our Baby Boy Johnson.

(Or, "Baby Boy with a Johnson" as our technician proudly joked. Did I mention already how much we loved her?)

Four Month Belly!

Well, I "popped" this month. It's actually good to be past the looks-like-I've-let-myself-go belly and on to the full on preggers belly.

107# and 31.5"
It's hard to believe that I only grew half an inch this month, but I think everything has rounded out and moved to the front. :)


Baby is as big as a bell pepper and weighs almost 7 ounces, and is about 5 1/2 inches, head to bottom.

PHOTO: BabyCenter

I really can't believe it's been four months. Wow. Time flies. We're almost half way through! How is that even possible?! And so far I really can't complain. My energy level is back, but I still do get tired in the mid-afternoon. That kind of sucks on the days when I'm in the office, but I deal. I've been going to the gym pretty regularly, which I think is helping me feel good overall. I met another mommy-to-be at the gym, who is due any day now, and she said the best advice she could give me is to keep working out. This is her second, and she said that even with a rough first trimester, she has felt so much better this time around because she has been consistent with working out. And let me tell you, mommy was working out! Lifting weights, using the medicine ball, working up a sweat on the treadmill. She's my new inspiration! So I try to stick to this schedule: cardio and weights Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; prenatal yoga on Tuesdays; and hike on Thursdays. Weekends are for relaxation and rejuvenation. :)

The hefty appetite definitely started this month. I've suffered from some pretty uncomfortable heartburn and indigestion (probably due to my tiny torso), but it hasn't stopped me from eating! I've had more salt cravings than sweet, which is odd for me. (Kettle chips and onion dip... Yum...) But I still have my dark chocolate every night (a pre-pregnancy ritual). Despite the pigging out, my weight gain is right on track -- a pretty consistent pound a week.

We had a bit of a scare Monday with some mild contractions, but the doctor had us come in and everything seems to be okay. Just the thought of anything being wrong with our baby sent me on an emotional roller coaster. All I could focus on was our little peanut, and making sure he/she is perfect. I guess it was my first taste of how overwhelming the unconditional love that comes with being a parent is. Let me tell you, as soon as I saw that little heart beating, I felt my entire body relax. And any time we can get a sneak peak at baby is fine by us!

We have our second trimester ultrasound on Friday, so keep your fingers crossed that everything is going well, and that baby cooperates and we are able to find out the gender. I just put a poll up in my sidebar, so let me know your guess!

My progress:

One Month: 100# and 24"
Two Months: 101# and 25"
Three Months: 104# and 31"
Four Months: 107# and 31.5"

Breaking News!

Family, friends, and friends of the interweb,

Let me first apologize to those family members and friends that neither Trip nor I have been able to contact prior to this blog post. We had great intentions of personally speaking to each and every one of you.

So... my arty, designy, greeny, lifey blog is soon to add one more category: mommy. 

Yup! That's right! Trip and I are absolutely delighted to share with you all the news of our pregnancy. It's been hard keeping it a secret, but we really wanted to make sure the baby was healthy before we spread the news. And I'm happy to report that all is well! I just starting my second trimester, with a due date of March 25th.

Even though I haven't been blogging about it yet, I have been chronicling the pregnancy, and am happy to give you a look back at my changing body and life!

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4 weeks/One Month: The day we found out I was pregnant (which happened to be the first day of BlogHer '08). Say goodbye to the flat stomach...

100# and 24"

Baby was the size of a poppy seed. Of course my family referred to the baby as "Poppy" for quite some time. PHOTO: babycenter

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8 weeks/Two Months: Really - just four weeks later and I'm already a mess? By "mess" I mean that I already had cravings, food aversions, weird cramps, sore boobies, and was freakin' TIRED. Poor Tripple... he would ask me if I wanted, say, stir fry, and I would reply, "Ew! No! Ugh!" like he was suggesting we eat roasted crickets on a bed of dirt.

101# and 25"

Baby was the size of a kidney bean. PHOTO: babycenter

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10 weeks: We had our first ultrasound this week! And pregnancy had been treating me pretty well. I actually felt really great despite the exhaustion. And yes, I was one of the lucky few that really only suffered a couple days of morning sickness (and minor at that). Bring it, haters.

101.5# and 28"

Baby's first picture! Trip got super excited when he spotted Baby's heart beating (almost knocked a tray over), and Baby even did a little dance for us -- which we of course recreate on a daily basis.

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14 weeks/Three Months: So here we are, at three months. Belly is in full force. I'll post a pic at each month from now on, so you can all be completely and utterly astonished at the metamorphosis of tiny women to big rolley-polley.

104# and 31"

Had to include this one because it looks like an alien is about to pop out of my upper abdomen. It's actually my rib. Crazy. 

From head to bottom, baby is now about the size of a lemon. PHOTO: babycenter

And just because I am pregnant does not mean I won't still be involved in the world of art and design (it is still my career, and passion, after all), and my commitment to organic, green living. I just know that the next few months (okay 6) will be focused mainly on my every increasing belly, and the trials and tribulations of becoming a new parent -- while still in school, to boot! Yup that's right, the baby is due the end of March, a full 7 weeks before I graduate from the Academy of Art and Tripple finishes grad school (at least we both finish in May - yay!).

Should be an interesting ride. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!