>Confessions From a D Cup

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Over the last several weeks I have been having some issues, if you will, in the boob department. I knew my girls were going to grow and I knew it was going to be painful and uncomfortable, kinda like going through puberty all over again. I had grown out of my comfy B-sized bras within the first 2 months of my pregnancy and was almost proud to be sifting through the Cs in Target. I settled on a bra, I thought, would be comfortable with a little more room to grow as I knew that would happen as well. This was only 6 weeks ago and after 4 weeks in, I was pulling at the sides to adjust my girls which followed with my complaints to B about the discomfort. He genuinely felt sorry for me, even though he is so not complaining out the new and improved figure I'm sporting. So a few nights ago I finally had enough and took myself over to the Playtex outlet store. I have never asked anyone for help sizing myself and knew I could not buy another bra without some help. I had no stinking idea what I was doing.

I walked into the store and marched right up to the first employee I saw and poured my sorry heart out to her. She smiled and nodded and gave me that look in her eye of sympathy. Finally, someone can help me! She made a few suggestions and I was stuffed into a changing room. She started me off with Cs. At first look and feel, I thought it looked alright. Once she checked me out (haha, no pun intended!) she yanked on the back to pull it down and pointed out the giant gap (aka: clevage!) the girls were creating in the bra. Oh that won't do, honey. And off she went to get some Ds. Ds!! Seriously?? Have I really gone up TWO sizes in FIVE months?! I made my purchases, which included a sleep bra (thank GOD I finally learned of this blessing!), and off I went.

Now this brought me to the whole idea that "wow, I have big boobs now!" and "hum...what do I really think of them"? Prior to pregnancy I sometimes thought it would be nice to fill out a B a little more, but never EVER would consider a boob job. Now that I have bigger breasts, I find they annoying and painful. My upper back is sore, they sweat ALL THE TIME, and now they enjoy resting on my growing belly. This is such a weird feeling for me to experience that skin to skin contact between two things I thought would never even come close to touching.

I am getting used to my new and ever changing body. This is the first week I truly felt like my belly is BIG. I can rest things on it. It's hard and MOVES when baby moves. I am beyond thrilled to become a mother and these little things are just part of the process.

I am not going to do stats this week. Not much has changed from last week, other than getting some new wardrobe items, so I will leave you with the first of many maternity photos. B and I went for a georgous drive up to Rocky Mountain National Park and this is what came of it...

>Our Beautiful Creation...

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Proudly introducing our beautiful little BOY!

(head on right, you can see his profile and the torso swings up the left, like he's upside down)

(his profile)

(both hands are up, one nearly brushing his face)

(21 weeks! took this pic just before we left for the big appointment and yes, it was COLD yesterday!)

WOW!! What an incredible experience! I am going to write about every detail and while it might be boring to you, it was one of the most special days of our lives!

B and I started our day out by sleeping in, eating breakfast, and enjoying our new PS3 (B's baby daddy gift). We snuggled on the couch with the dogs as it was quite cold outside. After lunch I peed one last time at 1pm and then began my 32oz H2O binge. Drinking that much water was not as hard as I thought it would be. I paced myself and was able to finish right at 2:30, one hour before the appointment. While we waited, B played his Batman game and I watched House Bunny. Soon enough it was time to leave! We gathered the dogs and headed to the vet to pick up some meds for Butte (don't worry, she's fine...she will forever be incontinent due to a screw up during her spay as a puppy...oy).

We arrived at the office at 3:30 on the dot and only had to wait a few minutes before we were taken back to the ultra sound room. B had a seat behind the bed I was laying on and the tech was to my right so we could both see the screen really well. I had to take EVERYTHING off, minus the bra, and this was about the time I started to feel like I really need to pee. Before the tech started, who, by the way, is one of the sweetest people at the office, she told us that since we wanted to know the sex, she would determine it and keep it a secret to let my OB tell us afterwards. B did not hear this part...more on that in a bit.

My belly was gooed and it was finally time to see our baby! We were both so excited my blood pressure was a little high! First thing she did was find the heartbeat and there it was! Big and healthy! Then she started to take measurements. First the head, then the femur, and lastly the torso. Then she pointed out the kidneys, stomach and bladder. Both the stomach and bladder were full of that amniotic fluid it's drinking now. I have yet to feel hiccups.

Baby was moving around all over the place! Kicking and moving his hands and arms over his face like he was playing peek-a-boo. It was just adorable. B could not stop ooing and awwing and I was just as taken back as he was. That's our baby! Next the tech checked out the heart in more detail. We could see the valves flapping and pumping at 150 BPM (once she said this, I KNEW even more so that this babe was a boy!). Then we heard the HB and it was so beautiful! The rest of the appointment was mostly just watching the baby move around and be cute. She took a bunch of pictures for us. When we were finished I finally got to pee! At that point, I was in physical pain from such a full bladder. B asked the tech if she knew what the baby was and she said, "Oh yeah, since the beginning I've known. I can keep a secret!" See, B was not listening at the start...lol.

Once dressed she took my weight and took me to another room where the doctor came in and showed us the picture of our little boy! You really need to be a pro to have been able to see it but now that we have looked so much there is no mistaking this little man is definitely a BOY! I cried, which I did not think would happen seeing as how I had gone through the entire US without doing so. B is through the roof excited! The grin on his face is priceless.

We celebrated that night with my parents over dinner. I called several people showed off the pictures at work. I am thrilled, B is thrilled. We are speechless, really. There are no words to describe the feeling you get when you see your healthy baby moving around. Doc still thinks baby boy is a few days behind my actual due date but not enough to change it. We are not worried at all. This little man will show up in his own time and we can't wait to meet him!

(taken last week on our way to the hot tub. belly is a grown'!)

How far along? 21 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 15 pounds! where did those five pounds come from!?
Maternity clothes? loving all the ones I have, needing some warmer weather clothing soon...
Stretch marks? none. :)
Sleep: Great despite the once a night trip to the bathroom.
Best moment this week: duh! the ultrasound!
Movement: tons! the tech even said he is a little tap dancer! (B did not like this comment once he learned of a son...lol)
Food cravings: cookies, bbq chicken
Gender: BOY!!
Labor Signs: no way jose
Belly Button in or out? in, but it is no longer a cave...
What I miss: nothing! I am so happy I am just going to enjoy being pregnant!
What I am looking forward to: everything! life is so wonderful right now...
Weekly Wisdom: if you wait, baby will kick you!

***No, we are not revealing the name until he has entered this world so don't ask and if you do know, you better keep it a secret! ;) ***

>Dreaming of the Babe!!

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I had my THIRD dream last night that our sweet babe is a BOY!! Yes, the third one reveling a boy. We find out for sure tomorrow afternoon so get your last minute vote it!! AHHHH!!!!

SOOOO EXCITED!!!

>To My Little Babe...

>Dear Baby Mac,

Today you are a little more than half way grown in my belly. I have known of you, though, for much longer. Daddy and I wished and prayed for you since the day we said "I Do", knowing that soon enough God would bless us with you. It has been so fun getting to know what you like and don't like and, finally, you have started to really show me how much you love dancing. You definitely get that from me. You love when I sit in the glider that Grandma Patty gave us for my birthday and usually in the morning when I am eating breakfast with Butte at my feet. You love Life cereal and pop tarts but are not really a fan of bagels, even though mommy really loves bagels. You despise tomato soup which makes mommy sad since I just figured out how to make a super yummy bisque. We will have to wait until we see your sweet cheeks for me to try that stuff again. You love when I am quietly reading and when daddy puts his hand on my belly you get shy. Don't be shy! He loves you more than anything.

We are starting to prepare for your arrival and it is so much fun! In just 5 short days we will know if you are going to be a baseball player or a ballerina and mommy can't wait to get to decorations! The crib that Grammy and mommy used as babies will be where you rest your sweet head. It is set up waiting for you, even though you still have some cooking to do.

Your grandparents cannot wait to feel you kick them so when we see Grandpa Jerry give him a good kick, would ya?

You are the most precious blessing we could ever hope or dream for and we pray for your health daily. Stay strong, little one. We love you.

Kisses,

Mommy and Daddy

>Inappropriate Status Updates for Facebook

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PLEASE be sure to vote in my sidebar as to what you think our babe is packing! Only a few days left!

My dearest cousin Heidi did a very similar post wayyyy back when she was not even on blogspot and lately, I have the need to follow in her footsteps. Let's make this fun, shall we?

Status updates that show my true feelings, but aren't very appropriate:

"my nipples are KILLING me!!!"

"is it bad that farting is almost just as good as the big O right now?"

"I am the worst person, sitting here watching the Biggest Looser eating loads of cookies..."

"my bladder is NOT a trampoline, little one!"

"my yoga instructor is a MONKEY! hair.... everywhere!"

...those are just a few. Mostly I want to post things about my boobs as those are a daily annoyance but having family members as friends is a little weird... so now it is your turn!

What are some updates you want to post, yet don't? Let it all out ladies!!

::smoochies::

>20 Weeks!! Half way, Baby!

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(my shirt says "pregnant is the new sexy")

OMG!!

Are we really half way to meeting our little Baby Mac, who will soon have a name starting next Tuesday? This pregnancy is starting to really fly by! Before I go any further, here are the stats:

How far along? 20 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 10 pounds!
Maternity clothes? I have received a few more donations from friends which is sooo nice! I am starting to really go through all my clothes and weed out the things I really cannot fit into. I plan to take a trip to Good Will to drop some things off I don't even want to wear post pregnancy.
Stretch marks? none. :)
Sleep: Great despite the once a night trip to the bathroom.
Best moment this week: A SERIOUS kick on Friday night! And several more to follow since. YAY!
Movement: kick jab punch!
Food cravings: see previous post: cake and cookies, milk
Gender: still leaning towards a boy, but we find out in one week!
Labor Signs: no way jose
Belly Button in or out? in
What I miss: mmmm a Corona!
What I am looking forward to: our big US next Tuesday!
Weekly Wisdom: Escaping acid reflux is in the cards so just deal and take your drugs.

Again, SERIOUSLY?!?! I cannot believe we are half way done. I can honestly say I love being pregnant and I am sure that may change in the coming weeks. I had a massage tonight that was both relaxing and painful. My sciatica has been so bad and I mentioned that to the masseuse and he really worked on it. I also did a 3 mile walk yesterday and am super sore today which I am sure did not help the pain. My insurance covers the massage so I may be going more often. :)

I managed to clean the house top to bottom, even though we are a one floor apartment, do all the laundry, dishes and bathrooms and vacuum not just the floor but our doggie haired couch. Three hours later I went grocery shopping and here I am! I feel like today has been great and productive. If only I had one more day off to just relax and enjoy my clean house.

>This is What a Pregnant Craving Looks Like

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(chocolate chip cookies and a la leche chunk of cake)

First of all, Kanye West is a dick! I have always loved his music but that duche has lost any respect I had for him. If you have no idea what I am talking about, I am sure you can google kanye+taylor swift and find the video on youtube.

Back to my most intense craving yet...

This would be a perfect Not Me! Monday post but I will just cut to the chase and admit the things I should be ashamed of.

I did express to B my need for cake, pronto.

I did tell him more than once over the next hour that I HAD to have cake, even if that meant it would be my dinner.

I did talk B into pausing his Resident Evil Zero game so that we could go to the store together to get me some cake and yes, my loving husband, obliged.

We did take the dogs with us, even if only for a 10 minute car ride, to get me some cake!

Once at the store, I did manage to read every label on every slice of cake multiple times, standing there for what felt like 10 minutes, just trying to decide what kind of cake I wanted. That, my friends, I had not thought of until I got there and no, I have never been smacked in the face so hard by indecision about something I wanted so badly.

B did happen to help me make up my mind on what I discovered a few moments later to be the best cake ever! ( not really, but that is what it seemed like at the time!)

And while waiting for B to pick out a drink, I did grab a package of chocolate chip cookies off the end cap because what is cake without cookies?

So that is what you see at the top, my dinner, with milk in the orange glass and The Time Traveler's Wife upside down on the right. A combination I found lovely.

Oh but don't worry, I did manage to balance all that sugar out with an orange. It was divine!

***

I have been having issues publishing my posts so that is why you did not see a 19 week update. I tried twice and finally gave up. I do not have that kind of patience anymore! So tomorrow you will see a 20 week post (HALFWAY already?!).

I spent my weekend with on of my most favorite people, J, and we had a wonderful time. I made a zesty lime dressing to go with our avocado salad (which, as I was falling asleep last night I realized I TOTALLY forgot to put bacon in it! dang it!). It was sooooooo yummmmmy!!! Then we watched The Reader, a movie I am not crazy about, but enjoyed watching with J. B came home from hanging with his friends and (here comes a tangent) had shaved his beard almost completely off!! I am about to totally knock a restaurant I usually love so here goes: Red Robin is a bitch! B has been there for over a year and a half and was sent home to shave his beard off! It was either "go home, shave, and come back" or "go home and don't come back". Yes, people, they would have fired him if he did not shave his beard! He is not a cook, so I do not see why that is even an issue! Grrr....hate them right now. I am sure when I am craving a Santa Fe burger I will get over it.

Anyway.....our night ended with the Rockies loosing (boo!) and going to bed.

This morning I made B breakfast in bed because J and I were off to walk in the Memory Walk, an organization to end/fight for a cure of Alzheimer's. This was my second year doing it and it was great! We walked and it was so nice to just chat. We took Tulo with us and did a great job once we were walking and moving through a place with a ton of new smells. The breakfast burritos were yummy and then we headed back home. J and I decided to go see Julie and Julia, very cute, and then I colored her hair! I can't believe how great it turned out! She went darker, which just makes her eyes pop! Love it! Then, we had to say goodbye. It was such a lovely weekend and much needed girly time for the both of us. My craving kicked in shortly after J left.

And on a final note, the NEW New Moon trailer shown on the MTV music awards is effing amazing!!! I was yelling and clapping so loud I scared the dogs. Can. Not. Wait!

Toodles!

>One Year Blog Anniversary!

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It's party time! I mean, you can all take a drink for me. How about that? ;)

My official blogging anniversary was on Sunday, September 6th but I have not been feeling really well the last few days (hence my lack of a 19 week post). So in honor of this milestone, I thought I would post my very first post ever!

Before we get started though, I went to the doc today to find out why I've been feeling so cruddy. Super nauseous and nothing I ate helped. The verdict? Acid Reflux! Awesome...while I don't like the fact that I have to take extra meds now, I am thrilled to death to be relieved of this constant nausea.

So, without further a due, my first post.

Enjoy!

9-6-08

I never give out my personal information. Never, being the operative word. For one short second, possibly while on drugs, I broke my own rule. I can see the look on my father's face, shaking his head at me and scoffing at my inability to pay attention to red flags. When I go shopping and clerks ask me for my e-mail or zip code or phone number, I quickly ask if it is necessary (it is NEVER necessary) and kindly decline passing my information onto the technology drone that might steal my identity or send me outragous mail. This practice is not enough anymore as those drones are becoming more creative and persuasive in their skeeming ways. I contradict myself: I guard my heart with new people, but I give out my personal info to a stranger...??? I know what you are thinking and you have every right. Now, let me explain this rather embarrassing and almost life-shattering lapse.

I actually have no idea how life-shattering this could have turned out, but I am going to just assume the worst because we already know I'm an ass.

"I need tutor for my son of seven in English language..." blah blah blah. I skim over this ad on the now tainted craigslist and quickly resond, desperate for some part-time something. I suppose that is the bottom line--I was desperate. And I digress...within 24 hours I received an e-mail stating in great detail how a "father" in Denmark needs a tutor for his "son" that he is sending to the states for a month. He said he would pay $50/hr and to send him what I think the total would be for a month. Skiping all the boreing details, I was FedXed a check two days ago for $3500 and was to wire or money gram the remaining $2900 to Marva McGibbon in Florida. My husband and I quickly got over our excitement when we took the check to the bank and had them verify that yes, it was in fact a fraudulent check. Of course, before I had received the check I had a few e-mail conversations with the "father" that seemed convincing enough and so much so that I had given him too much information--until I found an identical ad for someone's son in Austrailia the night I received the check. Wow. I was scammed. And here I was thinking all along that I was doing the right thing in withholding my information out in the public. For one minor second, I forgot that the internet is as pubilc as it gets.

At the very least, my husband and I learned a VERY big lesson within the first month of our marriage. I know this is happening to people all over the world as I write and hope that those under the sound of my typing can learn something as well before the pigs get dirty and start enjoying it.

(please, eat my cliches and enjoy it)

>Prayer Callous? I think not...

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I don't know about most of you ladies out there, but I find blogging as a way to reach out to others, this being just one of the many reasons why I write. I mostly write for myself but sometimes, I might be feeling like I need some advice or a pick me up and none of you ever let me down. I don't depend on it, but it certainly brightens my day regardless. Sometimes to vent, sometimes to share joy, sometimes to share sadness and sometimes to ask for prayer.

Through other blogs, like MckMama and Kelly's Korner, I have learned how powerful prayer can be whether it be to heal a breaking heart or thank Jesus for incredible blessings. Those women are always lifting people up to their readers. He is so powerful and when we all get together and lift someone or something up, it is amazing to see the results. I can feel it.

So when I posted about the fellow blogger who recently lost her baby at term, I was only reaching out to all of you to keep this fellow woman going through great pain and loss in your prayers. I know that for many of us, that is something we cannot imagine happening and for me, being nearly halfway through my pregnancy, it is scary, yet humbling to realize how precious life is. I think there is a special bond in this blog land that happens when you get to know someone through their blog and reading about life events and seeing someone go through something tough and lifting that person up with prayers and positive words. I have been following Caz's blog since before she found out she was expecting so while I am not sure if she follows my blog, I was so sad in finding out about her news and I knew that (most) of you would lift her up.

Someone left a comment that my post was "callous". I disagree. Asking for prayer is never callous whether it is for you or someone else. When Kelly lifts families up, she is not being callous, but gathering the blog land prayer warriors. I am not going to defend myself here. I did what I thought was right and those of you who commented I can tell felt the same way. So, to those of you who might disagree with something I post, then you can go elsewhere. I am not writing for you. I am writing for me. I appreciate all of the lovely blogger friends I have made here and love how supportive we are for each other.

>Devistated

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When you think everything is just fine, your worst nightmare happens.

A dear blogger, Caz, has lost her baby girl two weeks away from her due date.

My heart is broken.

Pray.

>MOVEMENT!

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Today has been amazing! I was sitting at work and all of a sudden Baby Mac just started thumping around! I could feel the baby moving and poking me in the right side of my tummy. SO COOL!!

I am so happy I just can't stop smiling. :)