Dear Baby Clay,
Well, you survived your first family Christmas. Okay, okay...this one doesn't really count. But you did get presents already. Uncle Joe and Aunt Kari gave you a vibrating bouncy seat. It has an owl on it. And the continued to follow my requested theme with a onesie with an owl saying "Whooos the cutest?" or something similar. I'm pretty sure you're going to live in that onesie, it's that cute. Also, Grandma Sween (it's strange to type that because I had a Grandma Sween and she was really nothing like your G'ma Sween. I'll tell you about her sometime. She was a very special lady.) gave you a monkey towel. She also already has a stocking for you. I'll have to pick one up as well at some after Christmas sale for 50% off. (You'll learn early on how I like a deal. Or you can just ask Aunt Jess about that. She has some thoughts on that one.) The monkey towel went with Grandma Sween's theme of monkeys. She made sock monkeys for everyone. Homemade. Yep, your grandma is very crafty. You'll learn that soon too. Once I told her I was sad because I never had a sock monkey and always wanted one. I told someone at work this too, and she gave me a sock monkey a couple weeks ago. So it turns out I did now own a sock monkey, but there was something very cool about having my mama make one for me. And that she shared that joy with everyone. Yes, the sock monkey was my favorite gift this year (okay, maybe second if you count the stroller that Dad and I bought for each other. I can't get over those owls.)
Maybe now is a good time to apologize to you if you don't really care for owls. Because I have a feeling there will be an abundance of them around you. I can't even tell you where my sudden love for all things owls sprung from. It just kind of started that day I found that plush, pastel owl at that drug store in Maine. Your Dad and Aunt Jess convinced me to buy it and cart it all the way back home. So really, if you hate owls, you can blame them.
Love,
Mama Clay
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Another Doc Appointment
Had another doctor's appointment today. Nothing too interesting to report. I did gain 3 pounds since last month. But that might just be from all the Christmas goodies I've been eating. Today I had to unbutton my jeans for them to be comfortable. I originally blamed this on the fact that I put them in the dryer, but maybe it has something to do with those three pounds. Either way, I don't think I look overly pregnant yet. Still at that stage where people who don't know are probably looking at me and thinking to themselves "Is that girl pregnant or just big in the middle?" It will be nice in a few more weeks when I have conclusive proof that it's a baby and not my love of frosted sugar cookies.
We heard the heartbeat again too. It's always nice to know baby's still doing alright in there. It's hard to tell when I don't feel anything. Maybe in a couple weeks or so.
Oh yeah, and our stroller came last week. I know it's way to early to buy one, but I really loved the particular pattern. Papa Clay read about it online, mostly looking for safety information and what not, and found that the company was only making that pattern for a year. So if I wanted to be sure I got the brown and green stroller with the owls on it, I had better purchase it now. So we did. We took it out of the box and assembled it. Then we tested how to lock the baby seat in, recline the back, fold it down with just one hand. After that, we chased the dogs around the room with it. Then we put Emerson in it and took pictures. He was not pleased.
"I hate this, I hate this, I hate th...Oh, look at the cute owls."
We heard the heartbeat again too. It's always nice to know baby's still doing alright in there. It's hard to tell when I don't feel anything. Maybe in a couple weeks or so.
Oh yeah, and our stroller came last week. I know it's way to early to buy one, but I really loved the particular pattern. Papa Clay read about it online, mostly looking for safety information and what not, and found that the company was only making that pattern for a year. So if I wanted to be sure I got the brown and green stroller with the owls on it, I had better purchase it now. So we did. We took it out of the box and assembled it. Then we tested how to lock the baby seat in, recline the back, fold it down with just one hand. After that, we chased the dogs around the room with it. Then we put Emerson in it and took pictures. He was not pleased.
"I hate this, I hate this, I hate th...Oh, look at the cute owls."
Sunday, December 13, 2009
So I've been neglectful about the blog. But to be fair, I haven't had a whole lot to say lately. Things have felt mostly "normal." That is, I'm not really sick. I'm not really tired. I don't feel a baby yet. I only barely look like I might have one growing in there. So what does one talk about?
Well, on Thursday I had my second sonogram. That proved interesting. Certainly more than the first one, where Baby Clay looked like little more than a squiggle on the screen. This time, Baby was what the sonographer described as "wiggly." Yep, Baby was certainly moving quite a bit. In the time that I was there, Baby flipped completely over. And during most of the picture taking, Baby looked like it was bucking or something. Very cool. I can't believe it's moving so much inside there and I can't feel a thing. The baby book says I may start feeling it around 15 weeks. That's only about 2 weeks away. If the baby continues to move as much as it was, I'll never sleep again. Way to prepare me for when you're actually born, Baby.
In other news, we were at Target the other day and wandered into the baby section. Papa Clay decided he just had to buy something for the baby. So we settled on a light green/blue/yellow comforter. It has an owl on it (I guess that's going to be our theme. I like it. I've never seen an owl baby room before. Jungle animals, sure. Noah's ark, of course. But owls? I have to admit it's a little weird. But then again, aren't owls always a symbol of intelligence?). And also a big letter "C" that's supposed to stand for "caterpillar," but I'm sure it's really meant to be "Clay." Perfect. We also found a sweet stroller with owls on it. After PC read online that it's a special model made only for Target and only in limited quantities, we decided we better just purchase one while it's still available. So yesterday we hopped on Amazon and did just that. Our first major baby purchase. Looks like we'll have to start making some room for Baby and all it's stuff.
I can't believe I also forgot to mention what else I learned at the sonogram on Thursday. I asked the lady if she could tell gender, fully assuming she would say it's way too early. The book says 20 weeks. But the lady said she had a guess that was better than 50% (which I could guess at 50% accuracy). She says girl, which is what I've thought all along. I'm not getting too attached to that idea since it is so early. I'll wait until we're at about 90% accuracy. However, I did take a few minutes to browse through the baby girl section in Old Navy the other day. Eesh. If I have a girl, I'll go broke from buying clothes. There are just so many cute things out there for little girls. And I want them all.
Other things to note:
--My boobs are officially a cup size larger.
--Pepperoni and my digestive system are not friends.
--I went into a maternity clothes store looking for a new bra. I also tried on a couple pairs of pants--they have pillows in the fitting rooms that you're supposed to use to measure how big you'll be in a few months. Ack! Soon I won't see my feet.
--We got some good cream for stretch marks from PC's mom. He's been rubbing it on my belly every night. I think he's more worried about stretch marks than I am. Isn't there just a surgery to fix that?
Well, on Thursday I had my second sonogram. That proved interesting. Certainly more than the first one, where Baby Clay looked like little more than a squiggle on the screen. This time, Baby was what the sonographer described as "wiggly." Yep, Baby was certainly moving quite a bit. In the time that I was there, Baby flipped completely over. And during most of the picture taking, Baby looked like it was bucking or something. Very cool. I can't believe it's moving so much inside there and I can't feel a thing. The baby book says I may start feeling it around 15 weeks. That's only about 2 weeks away. If the baby continues to move as much as it was, I'll never sleep again. Way to prepare me for when you're actually born, Baby.
In other news, we were at Target the other day and wandered into the baby section. Papa Clay decided he just had to buy something for the baby. So we settled on a light green/blue/yellow comforter. It has an owl on it (I guess that's going to be our theme. I like it. I've never seen an owl baby room before. Jungle animals, sure. Noah's ark, of course. But owls? I have to admit it's a little weird. But then again, aren't owls always a symbol of intelligence?). And also a big letter "C" that's supposed to stand for "caterpillar," but I'm sure it's really meant to be "Clay." Perfect. We also found a sweet stroller with owls on it. After PC read online that it's a special model made only for Target and only in limited quantities, we decided we better just purchase one while it's still available. So yesterday we hopped on Amazon and did just that. Our first major baby purchase. Looks like we'll have to start making some room for Baby and all it's stuff.
I can't believe I also forgot to mention what else I learned at the sonogram on Thursday. I asked the lady if she could tell gender, fully assuming she would say it's way too early. The book says 20 weeks. But the lady said she had a guess that was better than 50% (which I could guess at 50% accuracy). She says girl, which is what I've thought all along. I'm not getting too attached to that idea since it is so early. I'll wait until we're at about 90% accuracy. However, I did take a few minutes to browse through the baby girl section in Old Navy the other day. Eesh. If I have a girl, I'll go broke from buying clothes. There are just so many cute things out there for little girls. And I want them all.
Other things to note:
--My boobs are officially a cup size larger.
--Pepperoni and my digestive system are not friends.
--I went into a maternity clothes store looking for a new bra. I also tried on a couple pairs of pants--they have pillows in the fitting rooms that you're supposed to use to measure how big you'll be in a few months. Ack! Soon I won't see my feet.
--We got some good cream for stretch marks from PC's mom. He's been rubbing it on my belly every night. I think he's more worried about stretch marks than I am. Isn't there just a surgery to fix that?
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Dear Baby,
I'm learning some interesting things about pregnancy. For instance, it is exhausting. And that's confusing to me because it doesn't really feel like I'm doing anything yet. I don't look pregnant yet. I don't feel you yet. So basically, just being awake tires me out. And that's not really normal for me. I like to spend my weekends working around the house, cleaning, catching up on laundry. But this weekend, I've pretty much wanted to sleep straight through it. That way, maybe I won't be tired when I get to work on Monday. But I know that's not true either. Because being at work tires me out too. Even though it's the beginning of the season and I can really take my time with every project. Deadlines are months away. But by about 1 or 2, I can barely look my my computer screen anymore. I really think they should have a room with some cots in them. There are plenty of open spots upstairs.
This morning I woke up pretty sure I was going to barf. And I still haven't ruled that out. But I'm pushing forward. I'm trying to forget about it. I'll let you know how that goes.
Love,
Mama Clay
I'm learning some interesting things about pregnancy. For instance, it is exhausting. And that's confusing to me because it doesn't really feel like I'm doing anything yet. I don't look pregnant yet. I don't feel you yet. So basically, just being awake tires me out. And that's not really normal for me. I like to spend my weekends working around the house, cleaning, catching up on laundry. But this weekend, I've pretty much wanted to sleep straight through it. That way, maybe I won't be tired when I get to work on Monday. But I know that's not true either. Because being at work tires me out too. Even though it's the beginning of the season and I can really take my time with every project. Deadlines are months away. But by about 1 or 2, I can barely look my my computer screen anymore. I really think they should have a room with some cots in them. There are plenty of open spots upstairs.
This morning I woke up pretty sure I was going to barf. And I still haven't ruled that out. But I'm pushing forward. I'm trying to forget about it. I'll let you know how that goes.
Love,
Mama Clay
Saturday, October 31, 2009
First doctor appointment--Check.
First failed attempt to listen to heart--Check.
First ultrasound--Check.
First photos of baby who is not even an inch long--Check.
So the first appointment was on Thursday. The whole thing took forever--about 3 hours. First I sat in the waiting room for about 20 minutes. Then I was weighed (eesh!), and then I spoke to the nurse for awhile. Did an extensive family medical background. "No, no cystic fibrosis in the family. Yes, husband has diabetes on his side. No, no twins." Again, I was asked about 5 times if I was taking prenatal vitamins (I am).
Then the doc came in. She seemed impressed by the speediness that I made it back in (I saw her in July for an annual and told her yes, we were thinking about trying for a baby). Then we did the basic appointment. The LMP would have put me at ten weeks, though I thought that was impossible. She put it somewhere around 8-9 weeks. Then we tried to listen to the heartbeat. She warned me ahead of time that it was early and we might not hear anything. I imagine there are women out there who would freak out if they didn't hear something. Thankfully, I'm not one of them, as the only heartbeat we heard was mine (though that was pretty cool too).
Then I made monthly appointments for the next 4 months. Then I scheduled an ultrasound so we could figure out just how old this baby really was. They had an opening for Friday morning, so I snatched it up. Then I went for bloodwork. I'm pretty sure they took about a pint. Oh yeah, and I rounded out the trip by peeing in a cup.
The Friday morning ultrasound was scheduled for 9:30 and came with very specific instructions. Drink 32 ounces of water by 8:30 and come in with a full bladder. Now, that's just a cruel thing to do to a pregnant lady who already has to pee all the time. I managed to get all the water down without problem, but at 8:30 I had to pee. I told myself if I went now, my bladder would surely be full again in an hour no problem. So I went. But by 9, as we ate McDonald's breakfast before the appointment, I really had to go again. Like, if I sneezed I would have wet myself. That's how bad. So I went. But I cut myself off partway through. So I still felt like I had to pee, but I was pretty sure I wouldn't explode if I hit a bump in the road.
We got into the room and it was like every baby movie I'd ever seen. Goop on the belly. Big black-and-white screen. And then there was baby and baby heartbeat. The lady determined the baby to be about 6 weeks, just old enough to see a squiggle on the screen with a bright white dot in the middle--the beating heart. She estimated Baby Clay to be about 6 millimeters, just slightly under 1 inch. And then she handed us a couple photos, though it may be a little soon to start putting them up on the wall.
First failed attempt to listen to heart--Check.
First ultrasound--Check.
First photos of baby who is not even an inch long--Check.
So the first appointment was on Thursday. The whole thing took forever--about 3 hours. First I sat in the waiting room for about 20 minutes. Then I was weighed (eesh!), and then I spoke to the nurse for awhile. Did an extensive family medical background. "No, no cystic fibrosis in the family. Yes, husband has diabetes on his side. No, no twins." Again, I was asked about 5 times if I was taking prenatal vitamins (I am).
Then the doc came in. She seemed impressed by the speediness that I made it back in (I saw her in July for an annual and told her yes, we were thinking about trying for a baby). Then we did the basic appointment. The LMP would have put me at ten weeks, though I thought that was impossible. She put it somewhere around 8-9 weeks. Then we tried to listen to the heartbeat. She warned me ahead of time that it was early and we might not hear anything. I imagine there are women out there who would freak out if they didn't hear something. Thankfully, I'm not one of them, as the only heartbeat we heard was mine (though that was pretty cool too).
Then I made monthly appointments for the next 4 months. Then I scheduled an ultrasound so we could figure out just how old this baby really was. They had an opening for Friday morning, so I snatched it up. Then I went for bloodwork. I'm pretty sure they took about a pint. Oh yeah, and I rounded out the trip by peeing in a cup.
The Friday morning ultrasound was scheduled for 9:30 and came with very specific instructions. Drink 32 ounces of water by 8:30 and come in with a full bladder. Now, that's just a cruel thing to do to a pregnant lady who already has to pee all the time. I managed to get all the water down without problem, but at 8:30 I had to pee. I told myself if I went now, my bladder would surely be full again in an hour no problem. So I went. But by 9, as we ate McDonald's breakfast before the appointment, I really had to go again. Like, if I sneezed I would have wet myself. That's how bad. So I went. But I cut myself off partway through. So I still felt like I had to pee, but I was pretty sure I wouldn't explode if I hit a bump in the road.
We got into the room and it was like every baby movie I'd ever seen. Goop on the belly. Big black-and-white screen. And then there was baby and baby heartbeat. The lady determined the baby to be about 6 weeks, just old enough to see a squiggle on the screen with a bright white dot in the middle--the beating heart. She estimated Baby Clay to be about 6 millimeters, just slightly under 1 inch. And then she handed us a couple photos, though it may be a little soon to start putting them up on the wall.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
First Dr. Appt
My first doctor appointment is tomorrow. Hopefully it will provide some answers, like:
Why does my sternum hurt?
Can I dye my hair?
What about bleaching my teeth? because...
I've been drinking a lot of green tea. Is that ok?
Is eating nothing but mac and cheese and corn muffins ok?
And perhaps most important...when is this baby due?
Why does my sternum hurt?
Can I dye my hair?
What about bleaching my teeth? because...
I've been drinking a lot of green tea. Is that ok?
Is eating nothing but mac and cheese and corn muffins ok?
And perhaps most important...when is this baby due?
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Considering the H1N1 vaccine
I read this on NPR and thought it made a lot of sense (even though I've just begun holding my breath): "The pressures on pregnant women to basically take a deep breath and hold it for nine months are enormous in our culture."
This quotation was in reference to a story about whether or not pregnant women should get the H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine. Basically, the doctor was saying that pregnant women are bombarded by what they can and can't do/take/eat/drink/etc. while pregnant. Now they must also decide whether or not to get the H1N1 vaccine, knowing that it was never tested on pregnant women (ethical reasons and all). That, and it's an incredibly new vaccine that was pushed out the door as fast as possible. What's the other choice? Risking the flu and a fever that's dangerous for the baby. And with so many people sick in my office, it seems more like a certainty than a risk. Eesh. I think I'll default to my doc for the answer to this one. I have my first appointment lined up for next Thursday. I think we'll be figuring out a due date. Yay!
This quotation was in reference to a story about whether or not pregnant women should get the H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine. Basically, the doctor was saying that pregnant women are bombarded by what they can and can't do/take/eat/drink/etc. while pregnant. Now they must also decide whether or not to get the H1N1 vaccine, knowing that it was never tested on pregnant women (ethical reasons and all). That, and it's an incredibly new vaccine that was pushed out the door as fast as possible. What's the other choice? Risking the flu and a fever that's dangerous for the baby. And with so many people sick in my office, it seems more like a certainty than a risk. Eesh. I think I'll default to my doc for the answer to this one. I have my first appointment lined up for next Thursday. I think we'll be figuring out a due date. Yay!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
New Baby = New Blog
Okay, I can do this. I can start yet another blog and swear I'm going to keep up with it. But this time I think I have good enough reasons to keep it going. That, and I actually have something to write about now considering I'm "with child." Ha. That feels a little ridiculous to write. I'm not quite sure it's totally hit me yet. I have, after all, only confirmed it a week ago. And only 3 other people know about it (okay, 4 if you're counting the saleslady at Home Depot who asked what we were painting the other day when we picked out a few samples).
Right now I'm sitting at home feeling the first pains of pregnancy. I've got a nasty cold and can't take anything for it. One website suggested a hot shower, fluids, soup, more sleep. That's great and all, but I can't shower at work (or sleep for that matter). I had some tea and I'm considering warming up some chicken broth. But all that can only do so much when what you really want is a shot of NyQuil. I'm going to settle for sticking my head over a bowl of steamy water.
Right now I'm sitting at home feeling the first pains of pregnancy. I've got a nasty cold and can't take anything for it. One website suggested a hot shower, fluids, soup, more sleep. That's great and all, but I can't shower at work (or sleep for that matter). I had some tea and I'm considering warming up some chicken broth. But all that can only do so much when what you really want is a shot of NyQuil. I'm going to settle for sticking my head over a bowl of steamy water.
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