This is it...

Holy crap. It's August. That means that, without a doubt, I am having a baby THIS MONTH.

I have been filled with emotions lately - all different ones - as Jeromy and I countdown the weeks...days...hours. Like many big life events, it's interesting to reflect back on the journey. In many ways it seems like time has flown by, and it was just yesterday that I was sneaking back into bed in the early morning hours and whispering to Jeromy, "I'm pregnant!!" On the other hand, there are days where it's hard to remember not being pregnant, and not preparing, in one way or another, for our dear Sweet Pea's arrival.

As the months have dwindled down to weeks have dwindled down to days (!!!), I have gotten a lot of the same questions, which are (complete with answers) as follows:

How are you feeling? Surprisingly, I've been feeling pretty good! I say surprisingly because I've heard tales of the difficult third trimester...the aches and pains, difficulty sleeping, etc. Also, the heat in the Cities has been obnoxious recently, which I assumed would affect me more than I'm finding it actually is (a welcomed surprise). I'm regularly up at least once a night, sometimes twice, but very rarely more than that. Getting back to sleep is a bit frustrating, but not bad, and I know not comparable to waking up with an infant in a few weeks! I'm proud of myself for having been really careful about staying healthy and active, which has helped me gain only abou 20-25 pounds. I think that's a big help with how I feel!

Are you ready? This is the harder question. In many ways, I am absolutely ready. Jeromy and I have wanted this for years, and I think are well prepared to be good parents. In other ways, I know that there is no way to really be "ready." I've heard from many that parenthood is the most difficult (but most rewarding) experience. I've heard about the sleepless nights, emotional roller coaster, sore body, etc. that will be our reality soon. It's hard to not feel anxious.. which leads me to...

Are you nervous? Yes! One of the worst parts is the anticipation of labor, delivery, the first few weeks, etc. This could easily happen "any day now" or it could realistically be another three weeks! How do you prepare for your biggest life event, when you don't even know when it will really happen or how it will go?! The answer (I guess) is that you try to prepare as much as possible in ways that you can prepare, and then be as comfortable as you can with the unknown. This is not something that comes easily to me. I'm trying my hardest to remember that my body was made to do this, and that there is an AMAZING prize at the end. It helps sometimes...but I'm still nervous.

So...nervous, anxious, excited, anticipating, happy, in disbelief, elated, frantic... that sums it up pretty well. I can't believe it is all approaching so soon...in a way, I can't wait till it's all over and she's here, but I know that at the same time I want to savor every moment...

SHOWERED with Love!!

Facing parenthood for the first time is daunting... there's no two ways about it. Jeromy and I have wanted this for as long as we've been together, and both knew we wanted kids before that too. But somehow when you are face to face with the "finish line" (although, in some ways it's just getting started, huh?) it's overwhelming.

One thing that helps this GREATLY (more than I can express, quite honestly) is the love and support of family and friends (you all!). Jeromy and I are blessed beyond blessed with a rockstar group of supporters. One thing we've been so thankful for these last few months are all the showers that folks were so generous to throw in Sweet Pea's honor. Having that emotional support has been so valuable for Jeromy and I.

Aside from the support that we so greatly need, there is also a lot of stuff you "need" for a baby (need in parenthesis because some things are legitimate needs...and some things are not needs, but certainly make life easier!) Equipping for a baby is certainly a challenge too! With the showers came LOTS of amazing gifts as well...cute clothes, helpful gear, books, stuffed animals, blankets, and lots more!

We've been lucky to have more showers than we could ever expect, so here's a post to summarize them all! Special thanks to those of you who attended or hosted any of these...your support is AWESOME!

June 12th - Church Shower: The first shower was back on June 12th, and hosted by Lynette and Pat, two special ladies from church. It was an open house style, held in Lynette's BEAUTIFUL backyard. It was a delightful afternoon... nice desserts, and tasty lemonade...poolside conversations...and wonderful support from our church family! As the pastor's daughter, it is particularly overwhelming to be so well supported by people you feel like you barely know. Because they love my mom, they love me, and they love Sweet Pea! It's so wonderful to know how many people have us supported in love and prayer.

Some favorite memories and gifts from this shower include: conversations with multiple generations of church women, a fun box full of books and story telling props from Joyce (who I've known since I was a little girl...), cupcake set from Harriet (knit cupcake hat, and soft blanket), and lots of cute dresses! (Picture: me and my mom from the shower)

June 18th - Family Shower: On June 18th, my "cousin-in-law" Sarah and aunt Barb threw a family shower for both sides of my family, as well as Jeromy's mom, my sisters-in-law, and nieces. It was GREAT to have both sides of the family together...including my grandma (soon to be great-grandma to Sweet Pea!).

The shower was so fun. Sarah used a book theme, encouraging people to each bring a personalized book instead of a card. It was so fun to see what books people brought...lots of good ones! Sarah also put her sewing talents to work, with lots of fun personalized touches. She made gifts for game winners, and everyone got a handmade bookmark as a gift as well! In addition, she made some gifts for Sweet Pea...blocks, a teether toy, and a cute book bag (I can't WAIT to use that for trips to the library!).

Some favorite memories and gifts from this shower include: the sweet, personalized book from my grandma (she is a soft-spoken Swede, so it was wonderful to see her grandma handwriting delivering such a heartfelt message to her future great-granddaughter), my goddaughter Claudia poking my belly and asking, "Is that your baby in there??!", lots of fun, personalized books, and a game where we had to draw Sweet Pea on paper plates. The tough part? We had the plates were on our heads and we had to draw without looking! I'm so thankful for all the amazing women in my family! (Picture: the whole group, ranging in age from 10 months-89 years!)

June 18th - Faith Group Shower: You're seeing the dates correctly, we had two showers in one day! This one was a surprise to us! We had a Faith Group gathering scheduled, but when we showed up, it was shower in Sweet Pea's honor! Our Faith Group has been such a special group for us for the last four years. We have grown together, and been through a lot. Sweet Pea will be the fourth Faith Group baby!
We enjoyed a delicious dinner with our group (it was fancier than usual because it was an "adults only" dinner, meaning the other little ones of the group were with babysitters). They decorated with fun baby decor, balloons, and fun stuffed flowers. They even got a cake made (see picture). They generously gave us a bouncy seat and a book of prayers. As I said, Jeromy and I are so grateful for this group. They have really been a special part of our life. It's been fun to grow closer as a group, and be with each other in through these big changes in our lives!

Some favorite memories and gifts from this shower include: time for great conversation with wonderful church friends, the fun, personalized cake, the book of prayers, that will be so special to read to Sweet Pea. What a blessing our Faith Group is to us! (Picture: me and Jeromy with our awesome cake!)

June 24th - WOWZA Shower: For those of you who don't know, the WOWZAs are another group of very special people. The WOWZAs (Women of Wild, Zany Adventures) are my dear group of college friends (plus Sarah, because she's awesome like that). There's 7 of us total, and have been with us through thick and thin. As we began to get married, we added the "MANZAs" to the mix, and now we are even expanding to "Lil' MANZAs" and "Lil' WOWZAs." Gavin (friends' Jackie and Tom's little guy) was the first Lil' MANZA, and Sweet Pea will be the first Lil' WOWZA. These friends are my best of best friends. They are each so special to me.

It's become a tradition to have a cabin weekend with the WOWZAs/MANZAs up at Sarah's family cabin each summer. The weekend is filled with conversation, pontooning, and lots of fun! This summer we planned the traditional cabin weekend - but with a special event in the mix - a intimate little shower with the WOWZAs! I requested something low-key - just some time to spend together, no games, but maybe a fun craft project. And man, did these ladies deliver!

Friday night of cabin weekend we had a shower. The ladies planned an awesome craft of handmade bibs and burp cloths! So cute! We also had delicious desserts - chocolate fondue with cupcakes and strawberries (do they know me, or what?).

The WOWZA "aunties" also generously showered Sweet Pea with amazing gifts! We had such a good time celebrating together. (We missed you, Rachel!!) What fun it will be to add another little one to the mix.

Some favorite memories and gifts from this shower include: SO many beautiful handmade gifts: the burp cloths and bibs we made, a wonderful quilt from "Auntie" Kirstyn, a "hooter hider" from "Auntie" Bethany, and a painting that says "Sweet Pea" from "Auntie" Jackie; we had fun time doing crafts together (I get rather proud when I can be "crafty," and I definitely have good role models in this group!) So blessed to have these women in my life! Sweet Pea is blessed with lots of "aunties" to love her. (Pictures: the WOWZA ladies, and our Lil' MANZA enjoying a pontoon ride; Bethany and I hard at work on the bibs and burp cloths)

July 9th - "Last Supper/New Years Group" Shower: July 9th brought another shower for both Jeromy and I. The "Last Supper/New Years Group" is a group of life-long family friends who have known me since I was a baby. They are some of my parents best friends, and together we have really long, fun traditions with one another.

Mark and Linda hosted the shower, and pretty much the whole group was there! It's extra fun, because Darcy and Jared are expecting their second baby just a few weeks after Sweet Pea is due! Yay babies! :-)

We enjoyed a delicious feast of brats and sausage, and all the typical BBQ sides. We even enjoyed finger Jell-O, a staple for our gatherings when me and the other "kids" were younger. Yum! The evening was wonderful...low-key, catching up with old friends, celebrating all that we've been through together.

Some favorite memories and gifts from this shower include: catching up with old friends, enjoying our enduring traditions, sharing the excitement of pregnancy with Darcy and Jared, the group got us a high chair and a Boppy pillow. A very special gift also came from Linda...the completed quilt for Sweet Pea's nursery! I got to choose the pattern and fabric, so it was EXTRA fun to see it in its completion. This will be a treasured possession for MANY years to come, and really made the nursery feel complete!

July 23rd - "Brooklyn Park" Shower: Last, but certainly not least is the shower from this past weekend. This was another shower filled with friends I've known my whole life! How blessed I am (and Sweet Pea will be) to have these dear friends in my life!

Our super neighbor when we lived in Brooklyn Park, Holly, and my "Mom #2," Marva co-hosted this lovely lunch time shower. I was delighted to be surrounded by friends I hadn't seen in a long time, but knew me and my family so well. We did a great job picking up where we had left off!

We played a few games, enjoyed a delicious lunch, but most of all, just relished in each other's company and conversation.

Some favorite memories and gifts from this shower include: seeing and reconnecting with old friends; long conversations with Brooklyn Park neighbor, Kelly (it's funny because growing up, Kelly was my sister's friend - she was closer to Beth's age than mine...so we hadn't really been close or had a lot in common now, I suppose, until now! She's got two little boys, and we had tons of fun talking about all things parenthood!); favorite gifts include: an adorable windbreaker and overall dress from Marva and some Sweet Pea things from Lynell. What a fun time! (Picture: the whole group, minus my mom, who was taking the picture)

Dear Sweet Pea...

Dear Sweet Pea,

You'll learn pretty quickly that I'm rather sentimental (I can just imagine you giggling at this when you're older, because it's an understatement).

Anyways, I've been thinking a lot about your daddy lately (and getting sentimental). It's a really fun thing to take this journey towards parenthood with him, and I can't wait to watch him take on this new role. I love your daddy very much, and grow to love him more in little ways and big ways every day. I don't have a doubt in my mind that you will love your daddy too. I want to tell you a little bit about him before you make your appearance in this world. It'll be interesting for you to read this when you're older and see what (if anything) has changed.

First and foremost, your daddy may look big and slightly intimidating, but he is a just a big teddy bear. He's one of the most gentle and kind people I've ever known. I look forward to seeing you in his arms, and watching him gently kiss and snuggle you.

Sweet Pea, you've already got his heart. I know because of how he puts his hand on you, talks to you, and hugs you by putting his hands on either side of the bump of my belly and giving it a little squeeze. He just felt you for the first time a week or so ago. He was really excited, and couldn't wait to feel you more. He says on almost a daily basis, "I can't wait to meet her!" Me too, Sweet Pea. Me too.

Your daddy is not really sentimental like me...but he certainly is loving and a great caretaker too! There's a story that your Grammy tells about when your dad was younger. He was 12 or 13 when your Auntie Gracia was a baby. Grammy says that he got up when Auntie Gracia woke up in the middle of the night. He would take care of her, and made sure she was okay. What a guy! I know he'll take good care of you too. And although he may not say it as outwardly or often as I do, he loves you very, very much.

You and your daddy will have lots of fun too! He talks about all the things he wants to teach you and do with you. He's a good teacher - very patient with stubborn people like me. You've already shown your stubborness...so he'll be sure to be patient with you too.

I think it's been a little hard for your dad to not know you as well as I feel I do already (you and I spend lots of time together!), which is especially why I look forward to when you come so that HE gets a chance to meet you, hold you, and love you. You are such a special part of our life already, Sweet Pea. We can't wait to meet you!

Love, Your Mom

Mother's Day

Yesterday was Mother's Day. A few wished me a happy Mother's Day...including sweet cards from my parents, and Jeromy's mom and step-dad. Some friends also wished me a happy Mother's Day, which was very sweet.

While I appreciated the sentiment, I was a little torn...is it cheating? Do I "count" as a mom yet? I suppose in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter...but it was in my mind all the same. When do you become a mom? What makes someone a mom?

I was also thinking about my own mom. Not that I'm biased, but I'm fairly confident that I have the best mom in the whole world. Seriously. She's the best. I have big shoes to fill. I can only hope that I'm half the mom my mom is to Sweet Pea. I have learned a lot about good parenting from my mom, and I hope that I can use those parenting skills on my own daughter. My own daughter - even saying (typing) that takes some getting used to. :-)

Above all, yesterday I was thinking that next year's Mother's Day is going to be amazing. I can't wait to celebrate with Sweet Pea in tow. Mother's Day will never, ever be the same for me again...and I'm thrilled about that. :-)

Making Her Presence Known...

We had another fun pregnancy milestone last night, that happened in the most perfect way! Allow me to elaborate...

I've been feeling Sweet Pea gyrate her little behind for over a month now. It took a while for me to realize that that's what it was...but after a conversation with my doctor, it was clear that those thumps were Sweet Pea! I've had fun the last few weeks paying attention to when she is most active, what her movement feels like, etc. Sweet Pea tends to be most active mid-day. Usually around lunch time or shortly after, I feel her thumpin' around in there. Other movement tends to be a bit more sporadic throughout the day. She's not big enough yet to tell "what's what" (as in fist vs. foot, etc.), but you can definitely tell when she's on the move!

Since then, both Jeromy and I have been eagerly awaiting the time that he could feel her. When she was particularly active, I would put my hand on the bump to see if I could feel her from the outside. A few were strong enough that I thought I could...but it's hard to distinguish what I'm feeling on the outside from what I'm feeling on the inside. That, and you have to time it just perfectly...bigger kicks are less consistent, so he would have to have his hand on the bump at just the right time...and that's just what happened last night!

I was having a bit of an emotional breakdown. I was feeling overwhelmed with a variety of baby and non-baby related things. Jeromy and I were laying in bed as we got ready for sleep. I was a bit teary, and we were talking through things (have I mentioned he's the best husband ever?). He had his hand on my abdomen as we talked. We were mid-conversation, when Sweet Pea unleashed a HUGE kick (punch?). I kept talking, used to being able to feel her and have others unaware. But I noticed that Jeromy's hand kind of jumped, so I paused to ask him, "Did you feel that??!" He responded with a wide-eyed, "Yes!" and then immediately, "I want to feel it again!"

So Jeromy gently shook my stomach, hoping to get her to move again. We both waited silently...nothing. So I tried wiggling around a bit. This time, she gave a one, two punch...lighter than the first blow, but still felt by Jeromy. Excited, I wiggled around again, and ANOTHER one, two punch!!

Maybe I'm getting too sentimental, but it felt just perfect to me. It seemed like Sweet Pea was reminding us (well, mostly me) what's TRULY important. Even if we are stressed to the max, poorer than poorer, have a stained/mismatched glider when she gets here, we will have Sweet Pea. She will be ours. And she will be (is) perfect.

I can't wait for her movements to get a little more consistent and strong, so that Jeromy can continue to share in the wonder that is Sweet Pea. :-)

Since I haven't updated lately, I'm almost 26 weeks (!!!) along. Most days I feel GREAT. I've continued to be as active as I can. I am still doing Zumba once a week, and getting to the Y at least 3 times a week. Now that the weather is nicer, Jeromy and I will be taking more neighborhood walks as well. My weight made a big jump (7 pounds in 4 weeks!), but the nurse said that's to be expected, given my slower weight gain at the beginning. Sweet Pea continues to grow and show indications of great health. Also at my last appointment, my glucose was tested. I haven't heard anything back (the test was a week ago), so I'm assuming no news is good news? I'll try to post again soon...including some pictures!

Oh! We put together the crib tonight, so nursery pictures will come shortly too!

Funny Question...

Jeromy and I have so enjoyed sharing the excitement of Sweet Pea the last few months - especially after so many weeks of having to keep her a secret. We consider ourselves so blessed to have family and friends who are so supportive of us, and of our growing family. People have been so kind...asking us how we are doing, how I'm feeling, sending us cards and gifts, letting us know they are thinking of us.

Amidst all of this there's a question we get quite often that makes us laugh:

Are you excited?

I suppose it's very similar to my feelings of the question, "How's married life?" when you are newly married. Now I'll be the first to admit that I have probably asked others both questions...guilty as charged. But they are both a bit ridiculous.

Of course we're excited! This baby has been talked about and dreamed of for literally years... we planned her carefully, and even if we hadn't been planning, her impending arrival would make us, two happily married, stable individuals who have always wanted children VERY excited.

Of course there is also nervousness. Sometimes LOTS of nervousness. We've heard from many that parenting is the most challenging job one can ever take on. Jeromy and I have faced lots of "tests" in our relationship, and we're certain that parenting will bring a whole new set of unimaginable "tests." I'm definitely nervous. I hope that we're ready (or as ready as we can be). I hope that we will stay financially stable. I hope that we will be able to raise Sweet Pea to be a strong, confident, and loving young lady.

And then there's the whole business of actually giving birth. This gives me so much fear that most days I just have to push (no pun intended) it out of my mind. Don't get me wrong...I'm so thankful for the opportunity to give birth. I know others who have had problems with it...and I'm infinitely thankful that Jeromy and I have not had similar difficulty. I don't want to seem ungrateful. But nervous...nervous I am.

Jeromy and I joked of how we could answer the question, "Are you excited?" We giggle about what people would think (or course we wouldn't answer this way A) because it's not the case and B) because we couldn't keep straight faces: "Noooo...." or "No...(under your breath) the condom breaks ONE time and this is where we are..."

Further, I've had people ask me, "Is your husband excited?" Ummm...last time I checked this was a two-person situation. We wouldn't be expanding our family if we both weren't thrilled about it. Yes, Jeromy's excited. We both are! And we are both nervous. Both seem to be appropriate emotions. And they can co-exist.

But admist the excitement and the nervousness, we also both rest assured that we are, and will continue to be well supported...by our families, our friends, our church family, our co-workers, etc. There's another emotion for that...grateful.

Week 22 Picture

I forgot to add the latest belly picture to my last post...so here you go... The bump is growing, slowly but surely. As I talked about in the previous post, some days it feels really big, and some days I hardly feel pregnant. I am proud of myself that the weight gain has been slow and low, and am also proud that I've been able to stay pretty active this 2nd trimester. As always, stay tuned for more...

The Case of the Disappearing Bump...The Bump Glance...and a Pregnancy Milestone

Wow...it's been a while since I last posted...sorry about that. Jeromy and I have been busy the last few weeks (some just "regular life" stuff...but also a trip to Madison to visit good friends Marshall and Christy, and their son Everett). We've had a great couple of weeks. Lately, I've been getting a little nervous about how quickly time is moving...so I look forward to getting cracking on the nursery and registry stuff soon (which will be in the next few weeks). I can't believe we are over halfway there!! Ahhhh!!!

Everything as of late has been going very smoothly. I continue to feel good...nauseous spells are few and far between, and when they do come on, they don't last long. I have a decent amount of energy...and most days I "feel like my old self again." My last appointment with the doctor showed that everything has been going great - my weight and blood pressure are great... Sweet Pea's heartrate is wonderful. My growing uterus (TMI?) is right on track. Interesting fact...did you know that the measurement of the uterus in cm (pubic bone to top of the uterus) is equivalent to how many weeks along you are? Crazy!) Jeromy and I have been enjoying watching the bump grow...although I've been surprised with how slowly it's been growing (I'm sure that will change any day now!). It's comforting to know from the doctor that everything is, in fact, as it should be.

For the last few weeks it's felt like a case of the disappearing bump... some days I feel like I barely look pregnant...I'll stand sideways in the mirror and wonder where Sweet Pea (who is now about 10" in length and weighs about 1 lb.) hides. Other days I'll look in the mirror and wonder how I got so big overnight. I think it all depends on what I wear...certain clothes cling to that particular area and make it obvious...others do a better job masking it. I've been reading in my e-mail updates that Sweet Pea will double in weight in the next few weeks...so I think this phenomenon will be very short lived.

Another thing I've noticed lately that kind of makes me laugh is what I'll call "the bump glance." I've noticed that people who know that I'm pregnant will oftentimes say hi to me, and then steal a quick glance down to my belly...an "up down" of sorts... I suppose I'm guilty of it myself with other pregnant women...it's just funny to me. I want to tell them, "Yup, it's there. Yup, it's getting bigger." I suppose the bump glance is better than people outright staring at it, so I suppose I should be grateful.

This week was a pregnancy milestone (albeit a silly one) for me. For the first time this week somebody asked me directly if I'm pregnant. This person is a co-worker - though not someone I work with directly who would know of my pregnancy. We know each other, but not super well. What this told me is that, despite the "disappearing bump," I apparently look "pregnant enough" that someone is confident in asking me directly. Most people know not to ask this question unless they are absolutely sure. It was kind of exciting to know that it's noticeable! Although stupidly, my next thought was "aww...do I look fat?" I know, stupid girl-ness, but it's there all the same. This has been a bit of a struggle for me as I watch the bump grow and weight on the scale go higher and higher.

All in all, it's been a great few weeks. I'm feeling better, and I feel rest assured that all is well with my Sweet Pea. She's been moving around a lot lately. I look forward to having Jeromy be able to feel her move - hopefully soon. Stay tuned for more soon...likely to include pictures of the nursery in progress.

Sweet Pea is a SHE Pea!!

That's right...the verdict is in...Sweet Pea is a SHE Pea!!

As indicated previously, Jeromy and I have anxiously awaited our 20-week ultrasound for weeks now. The appointment finally came a week ago today (March 24th). We had decided from the beginning that we wanted to find out Sweet Pea's gender, so this was an important pregnancy milestone. I know some people don't agree with this...but it was the right decision for us.

That morning we headed to the doctor's office with much anticipation. As usual, I was nervous that something might be wrong...Jeromy as always was there to reassure me that everything would be fine (he's so smart).

So there we were, in the dark exam room watching the monitor screen, eagerly waiting to see our little Sweet Pea, and find out if it was a She Pea or a He Pea. There Sweet Pea was, filling the screen and looking SO much more like a baby than even a few weeks ago (the last ultrasound was in mid-February). Jeromy and I watched amazed as the tech. pointed out baby's heart, spine, feet, and other parts. It's so incredible to see all of those things. Oh the wonder of our amazing bodies!! I can't even explain how amazed we both were as we watched our baby in there. Big smiles all around. :-)

The tech. busily took pictures, letting us know what she was seeing in the process. Some funny things of note: Sweet Pea had the hiccups the WHOLE time, making it a little difficult for the tech. to get real clear shots. Sure enough, every few seconds you could see Sweet Pea's whole body twitch. Poor thing. Also, at one point the tech. noted that Sweet Pea, "was gyrating her butt." You could totally tell! She was shakin' it. YES! We have a dancing baby already. I'm so proud! :-)

After several shots of various parts of Sweet Pea's anatomy, it was time to have the gender revealed. "It's a GIRL!" the tech. exclaimed. I think both Jeromy and I were shocked! SO many people had been convinced that Sweet Pea was a boy. I think that was what we were both expecting. Of course, we were both incredibly overjoyed amidst our shock. I asked the tech. if she was sure, and she explained that Sweet Pea was not shy, and gave us a real clear view. Later in the appointment, she gave us a few more views that confirmed that she was for sure a girl.

Another funny thing throughout the appointment is that the tech. kept saying that Sweet Pea was super stubborn. There are certain shots that the tech. is required to get, and apparently Sweet Pea was refusing to move to allow the tech. to get the shots she needed. Throughout the appointment, the tech. had to lower the head of the bed a couple times, shake my belly, and even have me go to the bathroom in attempts to get sweet Sweet Pea to move her cute little behind. Eventually, she cooperated and the tech. got all the shots she needed. It does make me laugh though...stubborn, and already shaking her behind? That's my girl, for sure!!

After the appointment, we made lots of phone calls. The only person who really wasn't surprised by our news of our little girl was my dad, who had predicted girl the whole time! Good guess, Dad!

In the week that we have found out that our dear Sweet Pea is a She Pea, her wardrobe has expanded greatly! We have received nice gifts from many (thank you, everyone), and have gone on a few "shopping sprees." The most notable was a fun shopping day with fellow mamas Jackie and Alisson. I found out about this HUGE garage-type sale sponsored by a mom's of multiples group in Eagan. The sale did not disappoint - tons of cute clothes for great prices. I made it out of there spending about $35 and getting tons of cute clothes for Sweet Pea - including two adorable sets of Osh Kosh overalls (Jeromy and I had determined this was a must for our children early on in our married life). Jackie, Alisson, and I (and babies Gavin and Megan) got to enjoy lunch and conversation afterwards, which was wonderful!

We also got a bunch more clothes from Jeromy's mom and step-dad, and they generously purchased our crib! We can't wait to put it together and start seeing the nursery take shape. We've decided on colors - lavendar, sage green, and light brown. Now, to set aside time to paint!

Things are starting to shape up, and fall into place. And it's so much more fun now to have the correct pronoun to use. I love our baby girl SO much already. She is already a loved little baby by many too. Jeromy talks to her daily, and gives her hugs (which basically means putting his hands around my belly and giving a little squeeze. Dear friends and family like you ask how she's doing on a regular basis. She is so loved! Thank you for loving us, and thank you for loving her! As always, more to come!

Dear Sweet Pea...

Dear Sweet Pea,
We have lived connected, you dependent on me for several months now. We have literally shared every moment of every day. You breathe what I breathe. You eat what I eat. Your heart beats quickly amidst mine.

And yet there's so much I don't know about you...so many questions that have yet to be answered. Who will you look like? What will your personality be? Will you be tenacious and sensitive like your mom or quietly steady and reserved like your dad? Will you have mommy's brown eyes or daddy's bluish grayish green?

I can't adequately express (or even comprehend) how much of a joy it will be to finally meet you, and even more to watch you grow and reveal to the world who you are. It nearly brings me to tears just thinking about it now. I can't wait, Sweet Pea. What fun we will have...me, you, and your daddy. You are and will always be a beloved child of God, and a beloved child of ours.

Your daddy and I WILL find out one piece about you tomorrow, and we can hardly wait! Tomorrow morning we have our 20 week ultrasound scheduled, and we will get to find out if you are boy or a girl (a Sweet HE Pea or a Sweet SHE Pea as we've been saying). Although this piece of information will not change how we feel about you or how much we already love you, it's a significant piece of information, and a way for us to start to know you better.

I think I've been feeling you move around in there...and I can't wait for you to move more. Soon your daddy will be able to feel you too, which will be so special for us.

We love you, Sweet Pea. We loved you from the moment we knew you were inside me. We talk about you a lot, and even talk to you. We think about what we will name you, who you will be, and how much you will forever change our lives. We look forward to "seeing" you tomorrow...and learning more about who you are.

I love you, Sweet Pea. Now and forever.
Love,
Mommy

18 week Review

Almost halfway through already! It's really hard to believe. As of late, I have been feeling MUCH better, which has greatly improved my attitude and spirit. I've been feeling much less nauseous, have had a bit more energy, and am generally feeling "more like myself." I still have waves of nausea and fatigue every once in awhile, but it's MUCH less often and severe than it was even just a couple weeks ago.

I'm feeling so good, in fact, that some days I find myself almost forgetting that I'm pregnant! I'm getting anxious to feel Sweet Pea, find out the gender, and start looking pregnant (I kind of am now, but I still feel like I still just look plump, rather than "with bump.") I keep telling myself that soon enough I will be looking and feeling huge, feeling uncomfortable, and missing the days when I was wearing regular clothes, able to move around normally, etc. And, as always, I am constantly reminding myself what a blessing this is, and how incredible my body is that it can do this.

Next week is our big ultrasound, where we will find out Sweet Pea's gender. We can't WAIT!! I feel like once we know that, and once I start feeling Sweet Pea, everything will feel a bit more real. A co-worker friend (who is due 2 weeks before me) and I were chatting recently about how this is kind of a weird "limbo stage" of pregnancy. I'm feeling better, so I don't have the daily (hourly) reminder that there's something growing inside me, I don't feel Sweet Pea moving around, I don't really look pregnant (and further, people don't really know unless I've told them). It just doesn't feel real yet. It helps to talk with other people (like said co-worker) who can relate, because it's easy to feel like I'm just weird!

Jeromy and I have been slowly starting to pick out "baby gear" for Sweet Pea, the most significant being a couple weeks ago when we picked out nursery furniture! I admit, I was a little apprehensive...I mean...there are so many choices! And so much of it is just online. And then there's the question of what types of pieces do you get? A crib, obviously. But a changing table? A dresser? Bookshelf? Bedside table?

So we decided to stop at Babies R Us after church, just to see what we could find. Luckily, Jeromy and I have VERY similar tastes in furniture, and seem to share a similar vision of what we want Sweet Pea's nursery to look like. This is the furniture we have chosen:

We love it! We both really like mission style furniture, and feel like this furniture really fits that style...as well as the style of furniture we've used in the rest of our house.

We also really like the color of the wood. Very classic. We haven't purchased the pieces yet (I think we'll hold off a bit...get some painting done, etc.), but I'm really eager to get them, and start to see the nursery shape up. This is still kind of crazy...we're having

a baby!!

Not much else to report right now...stay tuned next week for the reveal of Sweet Pea's gender, as well as a big sale that I will be attending (and hopefully finding some great deals!)

A Boy...or A Girl...that is the Question...

Even though we have our "big" ultrasound scheduled, and Jeromy and I are both set on finding out the sex of the baby, I find that it still occupies my mind... a lot.

Everyone seems to have their opinion of what the "sure fire" method is to determine if it's a boy or a girl. What I've discovered is that it's all...well...crap.

And yet it STILL bugs me. Sweet Pea's heartbeat has been consistently over 140...which says girl. But my hair has been growing faster than normal...which says boy. Then again, I've been pretty nauseous, and it tends to be worse at night, which says girl. Although the "ring test" says boy. The Chinese gender calendar says boy. And a silly test about the gender of your first pet matching your first baby (which consequently holds true for all three babies in our faith group) says boy.

So I guess there are more signs that point to boy...but they are still all crap. Seriously. Everything I've read says there's no real predictor, other than seeing it for yourself. Which we'll do. In just over 3 weeks. So why can't I just be patient and not think about all the bogus tests??!

I think the answer is that I'm just so DARN excited. I used to think I could wait for the surprise. Now I have no idea how people do. Kudos to them for the self-restrain... but I can't do it.

I think knowing if Sweet Pea is a boy or girl will help make it real. And for me and Jeromy (planners, particularly me), we'll be able to start making purchases, decorating, registering, etc.

Stay tuned...the answer will follow shortly. :-) Until then, I will try to ignore the old wives' tales.

"The Beginning"

As promised, I wanted to add posts to here that I wrote when we were trying, and then before the news was out. So here's the first round...from before we knew I was pregnant.

September 25, 2010

Whelp. We are officially “trying.” It seems so weird to write those words, after so many months of it “not being the right time.” Even though it seems like such a little step in the whole process of getting pregnant, being pregnant, birthing a baby, and raising said baby, it feels like a very significant step.

My first semi baby-related purchase (and by this I mean the first purchase when Baby Pod is even a moderate reality and not just a “someday” thing) was prenatal vitamins. I’m not sure if other women have experienced this, but even that seemed surreal. Standing in the vitamin aisle of Target (hoping no one we know happens to mosey by), comparing various parental vitamins, making sure the ones I pick have the most of everything for me…and eventually Baby Pod. Weird. Amazing, exciting weird. But still weird.

Jeromy and I had dinner and game night at friends’ Kirstyn and Dave’s place tonight. The topic of babies was definitely in the air, given that fellow WOWZA Jackie just gave birth to the first WOWZA/MANZA baby, Gavin, earlier this week. We gushed about how cute Gavin is, and how fun it is to see Jackie and Tom as parents…and took guesses at who might be next.

It’s no secret Jeromy and I want kids…and have for quite some time, but we’ve decided to keep the “trying” thing a secret (or at least as much of a secret as it can be, being that both Jeromy and I have been very vocal about wanting kids for awhile). I can certainly understand now why people like to share this news…it’s exciting!

We’re early on in the process, and I’m constantly reminding myself that the reality of this is that it could take a long time yet before we even start on the road of pregnancy. But here’s hoping it happens sooner rather than later. :-)

October 10, 2010

I knew, as admitted in the previous post, that pregnancy can take long time. I knew that pregnancy right away is a major rarity. But I’m still a bit disappointed that this month wasn’t the month. It’s stupid, I know…but it’s there all the same.

I’ve spent the time since we started trying being so attuned to my body. Any symptom may have been “the symptoms.” Now I know that they weren’t. I’m preparing myself to face other months like this…and working on having a better attitude. It’s just hard when pregnancy and babies seem to be everywhere…except this house. We’re just at the beginning, I know…but this is something we’ve wanted for so long…

December 1, 2010

I hate this time of month…where I feel like I’m just waiting to be disappointed. Sigh. How can people get pregnant so often ON ACCIDENT, but people who try and really want to don’t?

Appts. (Thus Far)

Hello Blog World!

As I've alluded to, these first few posts will probably be a bit random as we get back to blogging, and get everyone caught up with the events of Sweet Pea thus far. As promised, I will still post some entries I wrote before the word got out, but there are other things I wanted to share that I didn't quite get around to blogging about...until now.

So this post will be devoted to information about our appointments for Sweet Pea (thus far), as that has been one thing I wasn't good about blogging about...

Again, a little back tracking...I first took an at-home pregnancy test early in the morning on Friday, December 10th (another post about that to come). Two pink lines right away! I called the doctor that afternoon! Although I anticipated having to wait a little while until our first appointment, I didn't think it would be so long...January 6th! UGH! For those who have been through pregnancy before, you understand how painstakingly slow those weeks go (especially when you are waiting until after that appointment to tell ANYBODY...which we were).

So we waited. And waited. And waited some more. We made it through Christmas and New Years without telling a soul, and keeping it pretty well under wraps too! Until finally...January 6th! We eagerly drove to the doctor. I, admittedly, was super nervous. We have had a good number of friends experience miscarriage, some of them with no symptoms until the 1st ultrasound that revealed that baby simply did not develop properly. In many ways, I think I was just bracing myself to have bad news...which is just an awful feeling!

Our first appointment was with the nurse practitioner (at our clinic they alternate between seeing her and the doctor). Our nurse is very nice. Kind. Reassuring. She listened as we asked typical "nervous first-timer questions" (my phrase, not hers), and calmed our fears, assuring us everything we were describing was perfectly normal. After answering our questions, and reviewing my health history came the best part...the ultrasound.

There are really no words to describe watching the ultrasound screen turn from black to bright with the unmistakable sight of a womb...and a baby! There Sweet Pea was...looking not quite babyish, but amazing and beautiful all the same. (See picture to see what I mean...) The best part...a little flicker in the middle of the "blob" that our nurse proudly proclaimed was the heartbeat! I said, and I quote, "Holy crap!" as I beheld the first glimpse of our baby. All of a sudden, this was more real. All of a sudden, it's not just a dream or a hope or a "someday." It's a now. Now there's a baby. A living, growing, heart-beating baby...inside me! Holy crap.

Although at that point according to "the numbers," I was 8 weeks, 6 days along, the baby was measuring a full week smaller at 7 weeks, 6 days. The nurse said this was nothing to worry about, as babies and gestation times vary. She explained that at the "big" 20 week ultrasound, they will remeasure and be able to better predict the due date. However, in order for the due date to move from the predicted August 12th, the baby would need to be measuring a full 10 days bigger or smaller. Everything checked out, and the nurse sent us on our merry way, knowing that Sweet Pea was safe and healthy inside of me.

The following days and weeks we got to FINALLY spill the beans (more on that to come). It was weird (but wonderful) to finally be able to talk about Sweet Pea with more people than just me and Jeromy!

Four weeks following our appointment with the nurse (February 4th to be exact) was our first appointment with the doctor. By the time the appointment came, I was nervous again. What if something happened to Sweet Pea? What if they can't find a heartbeat? What if they missed that something was wrong on the ultrasound? Uff. I am a 3rd generation (at least) worrier, and it's hard to fend off sometimes.

The appointment with the doctor was much shorter. A flu shot. A check in about how things are going (fine but still sick - which was normal). A check of my blood pressure (also normal) and weight (only a pound gained since my first appointment - normal, given how sick I'd been). I really love my doctor. I had seen her once before for my annual physical (in addition to being an OB, she is also a gynecologist). She is FABULOUS (thank you for the great recommendation, Jackie!) And it's funny, because since letting the word out I found out that at least one friend has had her as an OB too! She's super nice, and friendly. Really easy to talk to. And has fabulous "bed side manner." I look forward to working with her in the months to come!

Anyways, no ultrasound this time -but the doc did check for the heartbeat! Again, the "realness" of it set in big time. Laying on my back, the doctor put cold gel on my abdomen, followed by the wand to find Sweet Pea's sweet heartbeat. I held my breath as she moved it around, waiting for the sound we hoped for. All of sudden we heard a swooshing sound. "There's your baby!," she said. At first I was a bit disappointed, because it didn't sound as strong as I thought it would. Soon after I thought that, the doctor moved the wand ever so slightly and the heartbeat got super super strong and loud! What a fantastic sound! The doctor said it sounded great. Nice and strong at about 150 beats per minute. YAY!!

Another exciting part of the appointment with the doctor is that we were able to make the appointment for our "big" week 20 ultrasound. The ultrasound will take place on March 24th. If all goes well, we'll be able to know if Sweet Pea is a boy or a girl! Start placing your bets now! :-)

I had another appointment yesterday, that ended up great...but came about in a not so desirable way. Late in the afternoon on February 14th I had a little bit of bleeding. I, understandably, freaked out a little bit. I hadn't had any bleeding or cramping or anything previously, but I had read the horror stories of 2nd trimester miscarriages. It's scary to think that something might be wrong. So I called the nurse line right away. She asked me a bunch of questions. She said it sounded like it wasn't anything to worry about, but encouraged me to come in just to be sure. So we made an appointment for the next morning.

I did my best not to worry that night (Jeromy did a great job helping me with that), and we were able to have a really nice Valentine's Day celebration together. I went in the next morning feeling a little more reassured, as I hadn't had any additional bleeding, and no other symptoms. I met with our nurse practitioner again, and was very pleased that she did a very thorough exam. She took the time to really check things out. Much to my surprise, the exam included another ultrasound! And this time, Sweet Pea actually looked like a baby! :-) Check out the picture at right to see! We could make out its little head and arms. And even more impressive...Sweet Pea was on the move. Lots of little twitches and movement. Once again, a nice strong visible and audible heartbeat. I'll admit...I teared up. There is seriously nothing better than that sight and sound.

While I was at the doctor I scheduled two more appointments...one in about 2 weeks with the nurse, and the next appointment with our doctor 4 weeks after that. By that appointment, we'll know if Sweet Pea is a boy or a girl!

Wow. This was a long post. Hopefully they'll become shorter once I get a chance to play "catch-up." Thanks for reading!

Sweet Pea!

Wow! It's been a long time...and I mean REALLY long time since we've last post (see previous entry if you don't believe me). I could dwell on that, and feel bad about my skills as a blogger (which, admittedly, I kind of do), but I think I may move past that onto more exciting things!

A lot has gone on since we last post. The most significant being referenced in the title of this post. Sweet Pea! Let me back track a bit...

Jeromy and I have known we've wanted kids since Day 1. It was just a matter of when. We knew we didn't want kids right away...that we wanted to get settled first a bit, and enjoy our time as newlyweds. We first started seriously talking babies early in 2009. Jeromy had been unemployed since July of the previous year, which halted the plans altogether. However, with the promise of a temp to hire position, and a secure (or so we thought) job on my part, we were able to start seriously talking about it. Well, God had other plans in mind and shortly after Jeromy got that permanent position, I was laid off from my job. There went that!

Fast forward to March of last year...I got a great new job at Capella University as an Academic Advisor! Jeromy was still at the same job, and doing very well (a couple promotions during that time, if I may brag). At last...we could start considering this whole baby thing again! Come September we decided we would start "trying" (which is such a funny term/concept to me, but that's what it was, so that's what I'll call it). Thankfully, it didn't take too long before I was pregnant! We found out early in December (I'll post some blog entries I did then on here later...) and needless to say are thrilled!

So where does "Sweet Pea" fit in to all of this, you may ask? Well, in the excitement of learning that we were expecting, I did what every modern woman does...I signed up for e-mail alerts from various pregnancy sites! The e-mails started coming in, describing the changes in my body, and (more excitingly) the progress of the baby. The first alert we got described the size of the baby as a sweet pea. We loved it! For those of you who have known us a while, you know Jeromy's college nickname of "J-Pod" and how from that some call me "B-Pod" and call us "The Pods." What a more fitting title of the offspring coming from "The Pods" than Sweet Pea?! Jeromy and I talk often these days about how much fun we'll have...him, me, and Sweet Pea. We'll be three peas in a pod! :-)

So here's an update: I'm 14 weeks today (!!!!), with an estimated due date of August 12th. The first trimester has, admittedly, been a little tough. I had always hoped to be one of those women who handled pregnancy like a pro...not getting slowed down...not getting sick. And although that was the case for the first few weeks, by weeks 7 and 8, things caught up with me. The last couple months have been characterized by waves of nausea (most days have yielded all day sickness rather than morning sickness), fatigue, and a HUGE lack of appetite/aversion to most foods. Blech! As of late it's been wearing on me...especially as I come out of the 1st trimester, and symptoms are supposed to cease. Things have gotten better, but I still have my moments/days, and I SO miss my regular appetite, and being able to eat more things than cereal, toast, fruit, etc.

As I said, I have a few blog posts I wrote before word was out of Sweet Pea's impending arrival, which I'll post soon now that the word is out. I might also try to back track a little and tell stories from the weeks since we found out. Here's hopin' that this exciting news, amazing process, and journey worth documenting will help us blog a little more regularly in the coming months and years!