Sunday Social

Hey kiddos! What are y'all up to today on this fine Sunday? I'm off to watch the Seahawks smash the Vikings (hopefully), but first, for a fun little change, I thought I'd link up with Ashley and Neely for their Sunday Social.

This Week's Questions

1. Name 4 jobs you’ve had in your life.

I got my very first job when I was in high school, as a part time receptionist in a dental clinic. I've also been a hostess (Olive Garden... Black Angus), a newspaper reporter (city government & health beat), and Cold Stone crew member in Waikiki. Yes, I remember all the tip songs, and no, I won't sing them for you.

2. Name 4 movies you would watch over and over.

Honestly, I am a chronic movie re-watcher. My mom thinks I'm absolutely nuts to waste time watching stuff I've already seen, but I just love it. Stewart constantly finds me watching random old movies on TV. Here are some of my faves:

Titanic - I'll never be able to pass this one up, no matter how many times I've seen it (and it was FOUR times in the theater, if you're wondering). "You jump, I jump, right?"

Dirty Dancing - I just caught the end of this one the other day on ABC Family or something like that. Oh my goodness, "No one puts Baby in the corner..." the lift at the end... Patrick Swayze's hot bod... CHILLS!

A Christmas Story - 'Tis the season, so I thought I would throw this one in. Honestly, "24 hours of A Christmas Story" is a bit much... but somehow I end up watching this movie at least two or three times every year. Never gets old...

Newsies - This '90s Disney movie is kind of a cult classic, and it doesn't get near the amount of recognition it deserves. It's rarely shown on TV, but I own the DVD and I pop it in any time I feel like I need a little cheering up (hello, Christian Bale). Carryin' the Banner...

3. Name 4 places you have lived.

Lacey, Washington - Toddler until I left for college in 2000. Hometown represent!

Bellingham, Washington - WWU until 2004! Oh, the college years, what a blur...

Waikiki, Hawaii - Three months in 2003. A brief period during which I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.

Seattle, Washington - 2005 to 2013... I call these my "single and fabulous" years. Until I met Stew, of course.

4. Name 4 of your favorite foods.

Macaroni and Cheese (any kind, from anywhere, at any time)

Pad Thai (Veggie w/ tofu from Wild Ginger if I get to choose, but I'll eat it from pretty much anywhere)

Big Mac (Don't judge! I know this thing is literally poison in the form of a hamburger, but it's one my absolute, all-time favorite things. I eat about two a year and never regret them)

Sushi (Wasabi Bistro is my fave, and I already have big plans for Stew to bring it to me in the hospital after I deliver)

5. Name 4 things you always carry with you.

iPhone, lip gloss, hand sanitizer, and these days, a tiny human.

6. Name 4 places you have been on vacation.

I just had this conversation with someone the other day... is a trip the same as a vacation? In any case, here are some I've been to quite a few times:

Eventually, my plan is to post about all the places we went on our 2010 European tour, but that's something for another day.

  Have a great rest of your weekend, everyone!  

Love, Fun and Football

I know what you're thinking... this post HAS to be all about me, right?

NOPE.

I'm talking about Erin at Love, Fun and Football, who recently completed this amazing blog redesign for me!

You were wondering if you were in the right place, huh?

Welcome to the new and improved Life As Always!

Erin is an Ohio girl, and I think she might actually love football a little more than me. Like me, she has a journalism degree and is using blogging as an outlet for those unutilized skills. She also married the coolest man on the planet (weird, I did, too!), and loves Mexican food, Disney, and reading. Except for the fact that she likes cooking (which I loathe), she might just be my internet doppelgänger.

Anyway, Erin is just all-around fabulous and sweet, and working with her on my new blog design was easy and fun. Definitely check her out if you're feeling like your blog needs a little face lift!

Have a great weekend, my lovelies!

Dear Baby... 15 Weeks

Dear Baby,

 

I thought I might have felt you move the other day... but it could have been indigestion. It was just the tiniest little flutter, but I know I've never felt anything like it before. Last week was our 14 week checkup, and the doctor said I've gained two pounds... how that happened while I was barfing so much is beyond me, but it's okay. At least I'm starting to show a little bit now! I can't wait until you grow bigger, and I have a legit baby bump I can show off to the world.

 

Right now you are roughly the size of an apple (four inches long, weighing about two and a half ounces). Your legs are now longer than your arms, and your bones are getting harder and stronger! Your skin is still thin and transparent, but you have developed a thin layer of hair to help protect your body, called lanugo. Let's hope that this disappears before you're born, otherwise we'll have to name you Fuzzy. 

 

Everyone wants to know whether you are a boy or a girl, and so do we! So I set up our gender reveal ultrasound for my birthday in December... I thought that would be a wonderful present! We have lots of girl names picked out, and only one boy name, but your daddy doesn't like it too much (don't worry, he'll come around).

 

I'm finally starting to feel more like myself... I've been hitting the gym for low impact cardio about three times a week, and I also started prenatal yoga on Wednesday nights, which I look forward to every week! The two hour class combines breathing exercises, movement, meditation, relaxation and education about childbirth. I feel like it's a great way for you and I to connect, away from the hustle and bustle of my crazy stressful life. And it's actually been fantastic relief for the back pain I've been experiencing!

 

Maybe next week I'll post a "bump" photo to show how you've distorted my body so far, but this week your daddy has been working overtime and I wasn't able to get it pulled together. So this seven week ultrasound photo will have to do for now.

 

You're just a blob here... only seven weeks old!

 

Stay safe and warm in there, my precious darling!

 

Love Always,

Mommy

You Are My Sunshine...

A while back, in the midst of all my puking and crying, Jamie at You Gotta Have Hart nominated me for the Sunshine Award! It totally brightened my day, but before I could do anything about it I either fell asleep or dissolved into tears or something. Anyway, if you haven't checked out Jamie's blog before, you should. She actually lives in the Sunshine State with her fiancé and fur baby, and her blog is funny, completely honest, and full of heart. Stop on by...

And now, on with the award!

The idea of the award is to nominate bloggers whose posts brighten your day.

The Rules

1. Include the award logo in your post.

2. Link to the person who nominated you - You Gotta Have Hart.

3. Answer 10 questions about yourself.

4. Nominate 10 bloggers to receive the award. Link the nominees to your post and notify them!

Jamie's Questions

1. Win the lotto or find your perfect job? And why?

Of course, win the lottery! Assuming I'd win enough to live off for the rest of my life, that is. Because let's face it; I really only work to support my "real" life. I do get some professional satisfaction out of my job, but it's nothing life-altering, and if it were up to me I'd spend the rest of my days with my family, traveling the world, without any cares or worries about my next paycheck.

2. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Actually, my company offers a three month paid sabbatical after ten years of employment, and five years from now will be just about that time for me! So if everything goes as planned, Stew and I will have had our second child by then, and both kiddos will be old enough to leave with my parents for a couple months while we knock off some of our bucket list items... hopefully that trip to Australia/New Zealand, and maybe South Africa, too. We also need to get back to Europe.

3. What's your idea of an awesome girl's name?

Well I can't really spill the beans about my favorite girl names here, because someone might steal what I want to name MY baby (if she turns out to be a girl)! However, have you guys heard of Malala Yousafzai? At 16 years old, she is the youngest woman ever to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Malala is an education activist from Pakistan who was shot by the Taliban at point-blank range for her beliefs. I am dying to read her book about her miraculous recovery and extraordinary journey. Talk about awesome.

4. Your favorite teenage memory?

This is so dumb, and kind of embarrassing to admit, making Varsity Cheerstaff in high school is probably one of my very favorite memories. When you make cheerleading at my high school (at least back in the late '90s) the current senior cheerleaders let you know by kidnapping you from your house in the middle of the night, sometime after tryouts have been held. Then, following a night of bonding/hazing at the coach's house, the new, mortified cheerleaders are forced to attend a day of high school in their pajamas, sans makeup, hair products, or dignity. But we still felt like we were pretty special, and let's face, it we loved the attention. Some of my favorite high school memories for the next few years involve that group of girls, and it's a time I'll never forget!

5. What's the one thing that made you laugh the hardest this month?

Oh jeez... probably this text message exchange on Halloween with my father-in-law. What a goofball!

6. Are you the kind of person who wants to be the big fish in a little pond or the little fish in the big pond? Why?

Honestly, I think I'd rather be a little fish in a big pond. I don't generally like a lot of attention or fanfare (in fact, it makes me super uncomfortable). Instead, I prefer to just keep my head down, do my job, and live my quiet little life. I like to blend in with the crowd, not stand out from it... surround myself with people who have intelligence, abilities, wisdom, and talents that can support and supplement my own. Plus, I'm claustrophobic, so the alternative just kind of gives me anxiety.

7. What bad habit would you be willing to give up if it guaranteed you would live to be 100?

I am a chronic snoozer. Honestly, my snooze alarm habits might have caused the worst fights Stew and I have ever had. I know it's a terrible habit to press the snooze button two five times every morning, but I just can't help it! Although I would, if it really guaranteed I would live to be 100. In that case, I'd jump up bright eyed and bushy tailed when the first alarm went off every morning. Maybe...

8. If you had to evacuate your house immediately, what is the one thing you would grab on the way out?

I know I talk a lot of smack about her, but let's be honest: the first thing I would grab is my cat, Jasmine. I do adore that annoying ball of fur, and we've really developed quite a bond over the past 10 years of living together. Even though she does love Stewart more than me.

9. What is your greatest strength?

Thinking about your own best qualities is hard, so I did what I usually do when I'm in a pickle... I asked my sister. Her answer came back almost immediately: LOYALTY. She's right. I am loyal to a fault. My people are MY PEOPLE, and I will bend over backward to support them, love them, make them smile, catch them when they fall, listen to them, laugh and cry with them. Honestly, if you become an important person in my life, I'll stick with you through thick and thin. Just don't stab me in the back, 'cause in that case you're dead to me.

10. What makes you unique?

I have genetic Heterochromia Iridium, which means that my eyes are totally different colors. One is blue, and the other is mostly green (but about a quarter of it’s brown). Having different colored eyes is classified as “very rare” by the National Institutes of Health; it affects only one in a million people, or less than 200,000 in the U.S. population. So I guess I'm truly "one in a million!"

MY Fabulous Nominees

I'm a cheater and did more than 10, but there were just too many to pick from!

Deidre @ Decoy Betty

Elizabeth @ E is Random

Meg @ Henning Love

Laura @ Oh Laura Darling

Kenzie @ Life and Lemons

Kristine @ Living Barefoot and Crazy

Betty @ Northwest Betty

Becky @ Rebeckann's Random Thoughts & Recipes

Susannah @ Simple Moments Stick

Sue @ As It Seems

Jenny @ Love Jenny xoxo

Rachel @ Trying for Sighs

 And My Questions

1. What's the nicest thing someone else has done for you?

2. What is one thing you always wanted as a kid, but never got?

3. What is your most impressive skill?

4. What would you refuse to do for one million dollars?

5. If you were home on a rainy Sunday afternoon, what movie would you like to watch on TV?

6. If fat, calories, cholesterol, etc. were not an issue, what two foods would you feast on?

7. Who is the most famous person you have ever met?

8. What is the greatest pain you have ever suffered?

9. If you could be a member of any TV-sitcom family, which would it be?

10. How do you like to relax?

I know that these posts can be involved and time-consuming, but I love reading them, so I hope everyone plays along. Either way, thanks for blogging, and for bringing a little sunshine into my day!

Emotional Basket Case

I promise that eventually EVERY post won't be about me being knocked up, but hiding my pregnancy for two months was TOUGH, so I think I deserve a little slack, and room to word vomit some of my complaints here for a second.

 

Growing a human leaves you feeling delighted, anxious, exhilarated and exhausted — sometimes all at once. But even if you're thrilled about being pregnant, the situation still adds emotional stress to your life. For me, this translated into extreme mood swings and bouts of uncontrolled (and often unexplained) weeping.

 

No, I'm not talking about a single, angelic tear.

 

 

 

Or something like hot, vulnerable Miley Cyrus, misunderstood Gretchen Wieners, or friendship betrayed Lauren Conrad.

 

For me, it was more like a combination of "Joey chose Pacey over me??" plus "I traded my voice to the Sea Witch for legs and Prince Charming still doesn't love me," and "I'll never, ever get back to my life before I fell through this damned rabbit hole" all rolled into one.

 

    

Seriously, Stewart started to think I had gone totally Looney Tunes. My body was completely flooded with hormones, and almost anything could set me off. Reruns of Full House, almost every single link posted on Facebook (especially "Giving is the Best Communication"), and any sentimental TV commercials: credit cards, McDonald's, Hallmark... especially the one for Extra Gum.

 

Shows or movies with kids or babies in them, pretty flowers, sad songs, sirens in the distance... I couldn't go a day without something setting me off.

 

Some days I would come home from work, collapse into bed, and start sobbing. Poor Stew would ask me what was wrong, and all I could explain was, "I just don't feel good!!"

 

One night, while I was taking a nap, Stew made us dinner. I was super impressed and thankful, and told him so, to which he replied, "See, I'm still capable of taking care of myself." I thought he was insinuating that he will one day again be single... bring on the waterworks!

 

Oh, and let me tell you about the time we tried to watch Blackfish. If you can watch this documentary without weeping, you're freaking dead inside. I happened to tune in right when they were separating the baby whales from the rest of the pod, and I about lost my ever-loving mind. It took quite a while to stop the hysterical sobbing, and Stew finished that movie on his own later.

 

I honestly don't think there is any good way to cope with these emotions during pregnancy, except to remind yourself that what you're feeling is normal. Stew provided me with an amazing amount of support, understanding and encouragement during the first trimester, and now that a lot of the extremes are over we're able to look back and laugh.

 

Although those reruns of Full House still really get to me...

 

I hope everyone is enjoying themselves on this Veteran's Day. I always especially remember my Uncle Dean and my Granddad today. And thank you to ALL the veterans who have served our country so bravely.

Why this blog has been a lie lately...

My pants should totally be on fire, because a lot of my life has been a complete lie lately, both here and in the real world.

 

 

Let's face it -- the vast majority of bloggers lie. Or at least exaggerate the truth. We showcase the most interesting parts of our lives, publish the most beautiful photos of ourselves, and generally do our best to make our existence seem fascinating and fabulous. Ironically, I think it's often the down and dirty parts that people enjoy most... tales of our struggles, shortcomings, and heartbreaks allow others to relate to us, and make us seem more real. I try, for the most part, to be an open book here, showing you the good, the bad and the ugly, but let's face it... some days I'm just as guilty as the next person of sugarcoating my life.

 

The past couple months have been the worst... but hiding a pregnancy is tough!

 

Remember when I went to Port Townsend in August for a family reunion? I was pregnant, but didn't know it yet. And that whole weekend I remember being crankier than a 15-year-old with PMS. I could hear myself snapping at my relatives, but I literally didn't even care. Everything and everyone was irritating the crap out of me for two days straight, and I had no idea why. Oh, and that cider I'm holding? It was the last alcoholic beverage I had pre-pregnancy.

 

Oh, drinking alcohol... I'll miss it!!

I heard from my doctor the night before we left for the lake house for Labor Day Weekend, and Stew and I had a foolproof plan on how to hide the pregnancy from our friends. The first day went okay; Stew filled up empty beer cans with water and gave them to me on the sly to drink. But by day two, the girls had caught on. My excuses to get out of shots, beer shot-gunning, and my ability to make myself mixed drinks without breaking the seal on the vodka bottle eventually gave me away. So all those times it looked like I was drinking... I wasn't.

 

That beer can is filled with water.

Remember the weekend we went to a concert, a wedding, and a Seahawks game? I was absolutely miserable, and I puked the whole time. I wasn't used to morning sickness yet, and I was trying all sorts of random remedies that weren't really working. The tailgate was particularly agonizing, because I had to pretend I was drinking and run into a fast food restaurant to throw up. It sucked. In fact, I skipped the following week's home game against the Jaguars so I wouldn't have to go through it again.

 

Looks like I'm having fun, eh? There's ginger ale in that cup.

 

When I went to Denver with Brooke, I had discovered Zofran (but not it's side effects), which got me through the plane ride and the majority of the trip puke-free. However, I had an extremely terrifying episode of spot bleeding during our murder mystery dinner show that had us rushing back to the hotel early to call my doctor and spend a sleepless night tossing and turning. Spot bleeding is actually quite common in pregnancy, and everything turned out to be fine.

 

Behind this fake smile there is sheer panic.

 

It may have seemed like I had a blast at the Mill Creek garage sales, but my energy only lasted a few hours, and I actually spent most of the afternoon sleeping in the back of the van while my relatives were scoring cheap goodies. And the Saturday we crammed in four events, exhaustion literally almost killed me. Haley helped mix me fake drinks at the next tailgate, but boy did I hear it for not participating in the shotski fun (I feigned a hangover). Oh, and the week I worked 60+ hours, but no one at my office knew I was knocked up was not super fun. I fell asleep at my desk once, but no one seemed to notice.

 

I talked once about why I hadn't been blogging much this summer, but that was a partial lie as well. Really, the first trimester of pregnancy and all it's side effects were consuming my life, and it was hard to put together a post about anything else.  

 

Stew and I made the decision early on that we wanted to wait until the second trimester to reveal the big news. For us, it was just the right decision. So other than a few close friends and family members, everyone was probably wondering why I was so cranky, tired, and supposedly hung over all the time. I worry that some people were starting to suspect that I was an alcoholic.

 

So yeah... a lot of this blog has been built on untruths lately, but I can't really apologize. It won't be the last time I do something to protect my child, I'll tell you that much. But going forward I hopefully won't have any more reasons to stretch the truth, and I'm so happy to finally be able to openly share this journey with you. The good, the bad, and the ugly.  



Surviving Morning Sickness

Whoever coined the term "morning sickness" can SUCK IT.

 

Mine was all day, all night, all the time, every living breathing hour for more than eight straight weeks. It was like having one of the worst hangovers of my life, except it didn't get better after twelve hours of sleep, Pedialyte and a #1 with Diet Coke from McDonald's. Oh, and I didn't get to drink first.

 

For the first couple of weeks after I found out I was pregnant, I thought I might get to skip morning sickness altogether. Not so fast, Sarah. Remember when the Seahawks played the Panthers and we had some of our good friends over to watch the game? That was the first morning I threw up. And probably the first and only time I've ever turned down a mimosa in my entire life.

 

From that day forward I proceeded to spend each and every day puking my guts out.
It's hard work growing a human.

 

I'd usually vomit about five times a day. Always in the morning, usually right when I arrived at the office, often before lunch, frequently upon arriving at the park and ride in the evening, and sometimes before dinner. In between, I was completely nauseated all.the.time. It was extremely difficult to focus on what people were saying to me, because in my head I was repeating, "Don't throw up... don't throw up... don't throw up..."

 

It was not awesome.

 

The thought of eating became almost unthinkable. However, I soon learned that if I ate a small amount of food immediately after vomiting, the nausea would sometimes abate for about 15 or 20 minutes. So using trial and error, I discovered some of the few foods I was able to stomach during the first trimester, while my baby literally sucked the life out of me... 

 

1.  Cheese Pizza.
Sometimes, after a long day of praying to the porcelain gods, I'd actually feel like eating (it was amazing how I could be simultaneously nauseous and starving). And there was something about Totino's triple cheese party pizza that my poor stomach was okay with.

 

2.  White Carbs.
I hang my head in shame. Processed carbohydrates are something that I desperately try to avoid in my life, and purchasing a loaf of white bread hurt my soul a little bit. But it was one of the only things I could fathom eating at the time, and if I found something I was able to swallow without gagging during this period, I was eating it.

 

3.  Saltine Crackers.
My mom used to give these to us when we were kids and got the stomach flu. For that reason, the sight and smell of them still makes my stomach roll. But pregnant women swear by Saltines, so I gave it a shot. When my alarm went off in the morning I'd reach for one without moving my head, and then nibble and wait for it to hit my stomach before getting up to shower. Nine times out of ten I threw it up 10 minutes later.

 

4.  Macaroni & Cheese.
Y'all know this is one of my very favorite foods, like ever. And it was also one of the things I could keep down while my body totally betrayed me. Maybe because it's so bland. I'd usually make a whole pot, eat a few bites, and then give the rest to Stew to polish off.

 

5.  Honey Crisp Apples.
This was a weird phase I went through for about a week and a half, around the time of the Mill Creek Garage Sales. I craved apples like crazy, but they had to be Honey Crisp and they had to be sliced into thin strips. I also went through a lot of apple juice during this phase (something that I normally hate).

 

6.  Cheese Quesadillas.
Can you tell I was on a white carb/cheese kick? For some reason this was another food combination I could actually stomach, and I'd occasionally make quesadillas and nibble on them in bed or on the couch.

 

7.  Frosted Flakes.
I discovered this gem while I was in Denver with Brooke. Our hotel had a continental breakfast, and this sugary breakfast food was the only thing there that didn't make me want to barf. I ate it every morning and immediately bought a box when I got home (which I mostly ate for dinner).

 

8.  Sour Candies.
I read on an internet forum that Lemonheads are good for nausea, so I started carrying a box with me in my purse. They were especially great on the bus, when their sour sweetness would help distract me from the fact that my mouth was filling with saliva in preparation to throw up my breakfast. Unfortunately, I didn't discover Preggie Pop Drops until Haley brought me some to a Hawkwagon tailgate a couple weeks ago, but those were equally great in helping with nausea. My problem here was keeping Stew away from them... he was always digging in my purse looking for the Lemonheads.

 

9.  Lemon Water.
I had a hard time drinking water during the first trimester. I could only swallow little sips at a time or else I'd puke immediately, and sometimes even the drops I did manage to get down would make me barf. However, adding a squeeze of lemon to my water somehow made it easier to get down. I'd do this at work pretty much every day.

 

10.  Ginger.
This is a tried-and-true morning sickness remedy, and it worked pretty well for me, too. My office manager gave me the Gin Gins right after I found out I was pregnant, and I popped a lot of those suckers during the first several weeks. The Gingermints I discovered at Trader Joe's a couple weeks ago, and they worked pretty well, too.

 

As you can see, my diet was pretty nutritionally deficient for those first few months. The thought of a eating a green vegetable had me gagging and running for the bathroom. Consuming (or even thinking about) chicken caused bile to immediately rise in my throat. Oh, and exercise? Forgetaboutit. Not only was I too tired to function, but puking on a treadmill at 24 Hour Fitness didn't exactly seem like fun times, so I basically did nothing but vomit, sleep, and eat garbage for two months.

My poor tiny human... I wish I could have treated you better there in the beginning! It doesn't mean I don't love you, just that you were sucking the ever-loving life out of me.

I couldn't even swallow my prenatal vitamins without barfing in my kitchen sink. However, I soon discovered the best.thing.ever.

 Gummy Prenatal Vitamins.

Oh em gee, these things saved my life (and possibly the life of my unborn child). They were the only reason I was able to swallow anything of value during my first trimester (besides those Honey Crisp apples). The horse pills on the right were impossible, but the sugary sweet gummies on the left were easy to chew and swallow, and they didn't upset my stomach at all. I take two right before bed every night, and it's like a little mini dessert.

Anyway, here I am at week 14 and my morning all day sickness has gotten WAY better. Now I only throw up two or three times a week... a vast improvement compared to five or six times a day. In between I still have moments of nausea sometimes, but for the most part that's passed as well.

Little Baby... why did you do this to Mommy?!

Oh well, I suppose it's a small price to pay in order to grow our own Mini Me. I'm just kind of worried that my child is going to be born demanding mac 'n' cheese and frosted flakes.

PS - Thank you to everyone who offered suggestions about morning sickness a couple posts ago. Unfortunately, Zofran and I did not get along. I know for a lot of women it's a miracle drug, but for me it caused migraine headaches and stopped up my system for a week and a half. So in addition to puking, I was also lying on the floor in a ball, crying with intense stomach pains. So yeah, I stopped taking that little "miracle" pill...

It's My Momma's Birthday!!

Today is my gorgeous Momma's birthday, and I spent last weekend with her celebrating.

 

She is the reason I'm alive, she is my rock, my inspiration, and my best friend. I don't know what I would do without her in my life.

 

We started out the celebration on Saturday night with dinner at Boxleys in North Bend, and then continued on Sunday with the main event: Seahawks Sunday! Last summer we snagged my parents tickets to the Buccaneers game for my mom's birthday weekend, and somehow the Hawks managed to pull off a win (by the skin of their teeth). I think my parents had a really good time at the Hawkwagon Tailgate before the game...

 

 

Oh, the shotski. That thing means there's never a dull moment at a Hawkwagon Tailgate. It's entirely possible that one of my parents tried this thing out... but you'll have to take your guesses as to which one!

 

And the game... Sigh.

I'm not quite ready to talk about it yet. I'm afraid I'll say something I don't mean about my beloved Seahawks. Let's just say that I honestly can't remember the last time I was that stressed out, or upset, at a football game. At one point there were tears, and at another I think I wet my pants a little bit. And my throat is still incredibly sore from screaming, "Just kick it!!!"

At least we won. I guess.

FIGURE IT OUT, YOU GUYS.
 

I'm linking up with fellow Seahawks fan Kristine at Living Barefoot and Crazy today... Please stop by and show her some love!

 

 

First Trimester Exhaustion

Ah yes, the dreaded first trimester of pregnancy and all it's horrible symptoms. I had almost all of them, some of which I'll share with you here.

 

For me, one of the earliest signs of pregnancy was complete and utter exhaustion. I felt mentally, physically and emotionally drained in a way that not even the aftermath of a 24 hour tequila binger can compare to.

 

The first time I came home from work and passed out (face first, in my work clothes, at 6pm) for two hours, Stew was kind of worried. But the big news a week or so later obviously explained a lot. It's tiring work growing a tiny human!

Until you're pregnant, it's hard to really understand what your body will feel like, or what you should expect. My friends had shared their personal stories with me, but let me tell you... until you experience pregnancy first hand, it's hard to grasp what you're actually in for.

Every woman is unique, but the vast majority who experience pregnancy complain about extreme exhaustion. I'm not talking about feeling tired. I mean all-consuming, worst hangover of your life, getting the flu, haven't slept in five days (all happening at once), DEBILITATING, "I could not function even if Eddie Vedder showed up to do a private concert on my front lawn" exhaustion.

Poor Stewie. Most nights after work I would come home, vomit (we'll discuss morning sickness in another chapter), eat dinner, and then try to spend some quality time with my neglected hubby. That usually lasted about ten minutes, when he would look over mid-conversation and find me completely passed out. 

 

 

 Sleeping ten, eleven, even twelve hours a night never felt like enough. I fell asleep on the bus, mid phone conversation, at my desk at work... during a Seahawks game for gawd sakes!  Now you know it's serious.

So for those of you I've been neglecting these past couple months, I'm so sorry. But I was asleep.

Even though I'm past the first trimester now, the tiredness doesn't seem to be letting up much. I hope that will change as things progress and Baby stops sucking the ever-loving life out of me. But it's a small price to pay, I suppose.

It's tough, growing a human... 

Knocked up, and how we found out...

As you know, we've got a little pumpkin on the way, due May 8, 2014 and we couldn't love our darling baby more. Here are the first official photos of our love-bug (not much more than a blob when these were taken at seven weeks...)

 

 

And here's how we found out we were expecting...

 

If you don't know that Stew and I are meticulous life planners, then you don't know us very well. So deciding that we were ready to start a family, and then determining the best way to go about it, was quite a process for us.

 

Finally, we came to the conclusion that there would never be a prefect time, and if we kept waiting and (over)planning, that perfect time would never arise and the opportunity would ultimately pass us by. So we chose a date (our one year wedding anniversary) and I went off the pill (eeek!)

 

A couple months later I was starting to get frustrated.

 

I mean, you spend your whole friggin' life desperately trying NOT to get pregnant, and now that I was specifically trying it wasn't happening right away?!?  Not cool, Universe. And all those stories they told us in Health class about how if you basically stand next to another adolescent teen of the opposite sex, you'll get knocked up? Now I'm not so sure...

 

In any event, it got to a point where I was obsessively checking my ovulation calendar, wondering when and if I was EVER going to get pregnant.

 

I happened to be scheduled for an annual exam right before Labor Day weekend, and since I planned to be drinking quite heavily that weekend, I asked my doc if she would add a pregnancy test into my blood work... just in case, you know?

 

I don't know why, but I was shocked when she called me at work the next day with the POSITIVE results. I really wish I had a cute story to tell you about how I surprised Stew with the news, but I just couldn't wait. Shaking with excitement, I called him right away. I honestly can't remember his exact reaction, but he was excited. Probably about as excited as this kid seeing bubbles for the first time.

That evening I rushed home from work and peed on several pregnancy tests (which I had starting collecting and using almost obsessively by this point). I just wanted to see those magic pink lines for myself.

 

Yes, I'm one of those gross girls who took a photo of the pee stick...
I texted it to my mother, and now I'm sharing it with you here.
Sorry not sorry.

 

And there I had it... proof that we had created a tiny human being. I still don't know how to describe the feeling, even to myself. But here is a note I wrote on the bus on the way home that afternoon...

 

Dear Baby,

 

Today the doctor told me that I'm pregnant, and I'm having such a hard time believing her! I've wished for you so much, for so long, that I can't quite grasp the reality of your existence yet. I am anxious, excited and terrified of what the future holds for our little family. We wanted you, wished for you, hoped for you... Imagined the joy of loving you. You were loved before you even existed. This is what I hope you will always remember. You are wanted and loved, always.

 

What an amazing adventure this is going to be!