Pregnancy Update

Looking down at my desk and seeing my calendar read "FEBRUARY" kind of freaks me out a bit! Where is the time going? January was a jam packed month filled joy, laughter, tears and pain. Highlights included the birth of Grace Makenah and Lily Sue, as well as our church's One Thing week. Denis and I also brought in the New Year in Watertown NY with the Christopher Hopper Band. We spent new years eve in a quite dorm room talking about what 2010 will bring, while watching TD Jakes online :) What may sound boring and lame, was actually the best new years eve. Just me, Denis and Norah. (and TD Jakes!)

Seeing how time is just flying by i thought i would give a little bit of a pregnancy update cause before i know it, she will be here! Don't think there will be much time for blogging once our little one arrives. (but I'll do my best, mom)

Here is an overview of being a human slow cooker for the past 7 months:

First Trimester:

How i told denis: To make a long story short...it was a Sunday and i was really sick. just didn't feel right all day and ended up throwing up in the evening while Denis was out with Larry for dinner. I asked him to come home since i didn't like being alone when i was sick. He walked in the door and asked me to take a pregnancy test. I refused. I was so sick of taking them and i didn't have any in the house anyway (purposely). I tried convincing him i just had a little bug and that i all i needed was soup and Gatorade. So he drove to the store, picked up soup, Gatorade and SIX pregnancy tests. There was no convincing this man otherwise, so against my will, i peed on those ridiculously expensive sticks! :) I put it on the window sill while i washed my hands. When i picked it back up just 60 seconds later and there were 2 bright pink lines. First reaction= freak out. i thought "i have to push this thing out!" second reaction= pure joy. a feeling i can't describe. Third reaction= dang it, i have to go in there and tell denis he was right. And that is just what i did. I walked into the living room where denis was listening to Stevie Wonder (so fitting)...he looked up and smiled (like he just knew) and i told him he was going to be a dad. He FREAKED and started saying "i knew it!" I crawled up on his lap and we just held each other. I wish i could have frozen that moment in time. We laid around on the couch the rest of the evening dreaming about our little baby.
Her first Nickname: Olive-- given by Rachel, Christy and then again by Meghan Moody. The reason behind the name, because she was only the size of an olive when we started telling people we were expecting. I loved it, Denis hated it. Never once called her Olive.
Favorite Food: nothing. absolutely nothing. i lost all sense of hunger and eating was a form of torture. I would cry at the thought of it.
Favorite memory: Seeing her for the first time. We had our first ultrasound at 10 weeks. Seeing her little self up on that screen was breath taking. watching her move....wow. i still am in awe of it all.
Least favorite memory: having to sleep downstairs for a month because the upstairs of our apartment made me sick...sounds weird...but it was true. and my incredible hubby slept next to me on our lounge just so he could be in the same room as me!
Things i avoided: The smell of coffee and anything from a cow (besides milk...which i drank ALL the time...) Both made me gag until i threw up. And of course, coffee and steak are 2 of denis's favorite things. I am so thankful for an understanding husband.
Hardest part: Having "night" sickness. I was fine all day. I was sick from 6pm to 7am.... like clockwork... but i did help that i wasn't sick at work or church. so that was a perk.

Second Trimester:

My first trimester i had convinced myself that i would never get pregnant again. My doctor promised me that i would start feeling better by week 14. I prayed he was right.

he was. at 14 weeks and 1 day, everything changed. Life was easier. Sleeping was possible. eating was...well...i never did regain my hunger, but when i had to eat, it was easier.
Favorite food: Pizza. (but that was no different than the last 28 years of my life) I also loved Raisin Bran. I would eat it every night for dinner.
Favorite Memory: Finding out she was a "she." Leading up to our ultrasound i was starting to get second thoughts about finding out. i just wasn't sure i wanted to know. But denis NEEDED to know (he is the planner of our family. he read all the books, got the weekly updates and researched everything before we registered..not your normal dad!). She didn't cooperate very well at our ultrasound. it look our tech a while to figure the sex out since she had her little lets tightly crossed. My little lady :) But when she said GIRL...my eyes filled with tears and i just stared at Denis trying to get a read on him. "i have a daughter" is all he said. it was all he needed to say. love him. I would also have to say that feeling her move is at the top of my favorites list. Now that she is bigger, it feels so incredibly crazy. but i still love it so much. Denis said i won't be saying that when i am 38 weeks pregnant and trying to sleep.
Least favorite memory: All the worrying. i shut down before every dr's appointment cause i was sure i would go in and get bad news. but with every visit the good reports kept coming. now i actually look forward to seeing the dr. (who we LOVE...we our dr. specifically so we could deliver at Unity. He is awesome. Denis and I are so pleased...).
Things I avoided: people's birthing stories. for me, ignorance is bliss. I keep telling myself that my body knows what to do, and my doctor knows what to do....there are only a few people i have asked... and even then, i don't go for the whole story. Amy has told me the most and i only pray i am as strong as she was through it all. I will have Denis take pointers from someone besides John though :) JUST KIDDING JOHN! (Arby's)
Hardest Part: having people ask me if this is my first....never quite sure how to answer that...

Third Trimester:

I have only been in my third trimester for a week now. That is still freaking me out a bit. I was telling Amy the other day that i am going to miss being pregnant. It is something i have grown to LOVE. The only time i feel "bothered" by it is when i want to sleep on my belly. There are so many pillow in our bed now that i have a hard time knowing if denis is even in the bed with me... So we try to have time each night without the pillows so it isn't like we are sleeping alone. It doesn't help that the man needs his own body pillow as well. aka: the mistress.

Things i am looking forward to:
My baby showers
Birthing classes
Our next ultrasound appointment
Getting her room ready
Kissing her little face.
Watching Denis hold her for the first time.
Being a mom

That's where I'm at. 29 weeks pregnant. Monday we leave for our "Babymoon." Our last trip just the two of us.....even though technically she is with us. She is just really easy to handle right now. :)