25 weeks down, 15 to go

Here we are...month 6!!! I can't believe it. Drew and I were talking about how fast the time is moving now. Well, it has the whole time. In about 3 months I'll be prepping for my last day at work before maternity leave. 3 months!?!! Just think about what was 3 months ago. Thanksgiving? Me entering my 2nd trimester. Our little peanut will be here in no time.

We had our 6 month appt. yesterday and everything's coming along nicely (e.g., my tummy's as round as it's supposed to be [[I promise to post pics in the next post]]). And she has a good, strong heartbeat. According to my newsletters, she's gaining about 4 oz. a week. Whoa. I feel it. She's about a pound and a half now, about the size of an eggplant -- which of course I stared at last night in Bel Air. It's amazing!! She's gaining her baby fat now and starting to look like a baby, not an alien baby.
The nursery is just about complete, there's just a few odds and ends to do. But honestly, I think if she came home early, we're prepped (not mentally, but who ever is?).

So, any new cravings? Not necessarily, but if I want something, I want it NOW. Here are just a few examples: Mac & cheese, chocolate milkshake (from In-N-Out), cheesey potatoes (that Laura makes), fruit pizza (just search for it on the Pillsbury web site), Nutella and banana sandwich (hot or not) -- which sounds amazing right now, chocolate milk, frosted flakes...oh, man, I think I could go on for a while. I better stop. And, I'm eating a lot right now. Not just frequently, but quantity too. It's kinda insane. But I have to be careful not to over indulge. I've made myself kinda sick a few times.

Well, I hate to keep this short, but Hollywood auditions on American Idol are starting. More later!

2010 - the year of Baby Girl Paul

I cannot believe it's been so long since I last wrote. I guess I've been a little preoccupied creating life.

We had a great Christmas and New Year's. We were planning to share the big announcement at Christmas, but I couldn't keep my mouth quiet long enough. But I managed to do it for two whole weeks. :) We shared the news with Mom, Jennifer, and Larry first just a few days shy of my 30th birthday. We were lucky enough to have a DVD of the ultrasound. It was great watching them watch the video and the excitement they reached when they knew it was a girl. It was awesome! We then gave Mom a gift: a picture frame "Oh Baby! It's a Girl" and a cute little outfit to keep at her house.

A few days later, on my birthday, my Dad and Laura invited us over for dinner. We again shared the big news, although without the DVD this time. We gave him a gift: a picture frame "I [heart] Papa" and an outfit to keep at his house. I think it took him a minute or two to realize what was going on. In the meantime, Laura was already celebrating with us. LOL!

Everyone is so excited to meet little Courtney.

We wrapped up the news story by sharing with Drew's parents and family on the day before Christmas Eve. We weren't sure when we'd get a chance to talk to everyone on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Again, there was much excitement. We were able to share with a few others on Christmas Day -- it's just an overwhelming joy to be able to tell everyone. Much like when we shared that we are expecting. :)

December was a very good month for this momma-to-be. I had more energy than I had in the past few month. But now that we're nearing the end of the 2nd trimester (can you believe it?!), the exhaustion is setting in again. And I'm not too happy about it. I was really enjoying the energy. Now, I don't know for sure if it's b/c the 3rd trimester is just weeks away -- or simply b/c I'm not sleeping well. I'm up at least 2 times during the night. Most of the time to pee, but also to move.

We had our medical ultrasound on 1/5. Everything looks great. The technician showed us everything from her kidneys, to her heart, to her brain, to her girly parts. Remember, we didn't wait for Kaiser to tell us what we're having. But boy, was there a sign of relief when they confirmed what we already knew.

OH! I almost forgot to share BIG NEWS! More big news. On 1/12 I felt our little peanut kick for the FIRST TIME! I knew exactly what it was when it happened. Funny enough we had our routine prenatal appointment just the day before. There I was, laying on the couch (on my back mind you, which I can no longer do comfortably), and I was just about to get up to pee (again!). Then all of a sudden...KICK...um, what was that. KICK. Oh wow!!! She just kicked me! I called for Drew, who was in the den and didn't respond as quickly as I expected. He finally arrived to see his wife with tears in her eyes and trying to get the words out of her mouth. "She kicked!! She kicked me!! I felt her kick!" He just smiled. I think I saw a look of what am I supposed to do here? Then of course I ran to the restroom. I still had to take care of that. LOL! I feel her all the time now. From just moving around, settling in, and kicking. It's an AMAZING feeling that I can't even put into the appropriate words. It's almost like I love her even more now that I can feel her. It's just a new emotion.

As the weeks carry forth, we are patiently preparing for the arrival of our little love. Just a few weeks ago, Dad and Laura came over and helped Drew paint the nursery and put some furniture together. Here are the results:


And of course Hannah & Buster had to check out the new hiding place:
I can't wait to finish decorating, but money doesn't grow on trees. And it may not be until after the Shower. That's why retailers invented the Baby Registry!

For now, I'm enjoying the in-utero bonding with Courtney Jane. She's growing more and more every week. For the 23rd week, she's heading towards the size of a large mango:

Drew has begun reading to her. And he's been able to feel and see her move a couple of times. I really need to take some maternity photos. Especially since I just got some super cute new clothes! Stay tuned.

The BIG announcement!!!

Drew and I made a special trip to The Baby Connection so that we could surprise our family and friends for the big holiday.

Here are a few photos of our little one:

So...any final guesses?? Ok. I'll tell you.

It's a....

And, yes, we have a name picked out as well. :)

Courtney Jane

Happy days are here again...!

For so many weeks I've been tired and just "here." I feel like nothing has really happened in the last few weeks, since my last posting, but I know that's not exactly true. From Thanksgiving to Christmas planning and shopping to...oh yeah, creating life!


Our little one is now approximately 5 inches big and weighs about 5 ounces (every peanut is different, this is just what the newsletters tell me) -- the size of a turnip.

We’re getting closer and closer to finding out what we’re having, a little girl or boy. About 28 days to go (1/5/10). I am crawling out of my skin with excitement!! Of course a handful of people are “suggesting” for us to wait. Are you kidding me?! Hellz no. As soon as we know, I’m ready to decorate.

Thanksgiving was our first family event during the pregnancy. It was great to share the excitement with my aunt and uncle and close family friends. Of course they all knew already, but I haven’t seen them in-person for quite some time (since March?). We celebrated Thanksgiving day at Mom’s and “2nd Thanksgiving” at our house w/ Dad. Drew made an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G turkey and D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S pumpkin cheesecake. I’m anxious to see what he comes up with for Christmas Eve.

Mom and I have already started talking about Shower dates. Crazy! This time last year we were gearing up for the Wedding. Yet, that seems so long ago. We sent our invitations out the first week of January. Wow. Sorry, just a moment of reflection.

The good news is that I still haven’t had any major “morning sickness.” More often than not, if I do have some, it’s in the later afternoon (just about quitting time). I am constantly snacky and starving now. I’m so glad my appetite is back. Some of my favorite food options are: creamy pesto salad dressing from The Spaghetti Factory (I’m actually going tonight w/ Jillian and fam), the caramel sauce from Leatherby’s (Drew bought me some the last time we were there), Sprite w/ lots of ice, and walnuts. And I love strawberries w/ homemade whipped cream (thanks Larry!).

This past Friday night was the first night in a long time where I felt like I actually got some rest. Every night is a struggle. Whether it's because I'm uncomfortable or I have to pee every 2 hours or I'm having disturbing dreams. I woke up Saturday morning feeling quite good! Drew and I were even able to get out of the house for the day. And I felt really excited about being pregnant -- don't get me wrong, I've been super excited but like too tired to really illustrate and process it. I'm starting to show now and have officially retired my "regular" jeans and am sporting the maternity version. They're comfortable, so no complaints here. I'm all about comfort these days!

Well, I guess that's about it for now. More stories to come! Hopefully I'll get better at posting more often. ;)

Now entering the 2nd trimester!

We’ve officially begun the next phase of our pregnancy. Thinking back on the previous 3 months, it really did fly by. I’m so anxious for the upcoming months. This week our little peanut is the size of a peach. A peach?!?!

It’s amazing how fast he/she is growing.

In week 11 we had our 2nd prenatal appointment. The NP and I went over all of my blood test results. Momma and baby are very healthy and there are no concerns about early delivery or complications. Daddy joined us and we heard our little one’s heartbeat for the first time. Now it can be difficult to hear it at this point, but the NP found it for a quick moment. With the background noise of my heartbeat and the swooshing of my veins, the NP decided that we should show and tell. So she brought in the ultrasound machine and we got to see our baby live. We saw the flutter of a heart and he/she was moving his/her arms around, kicking his/her legs, etc. It was awesome!

It’ll be a few months before we know what we’re having, but after the appointment Drew shared that he thinks it’s a girl. When I asked why, he responded with, “If that were my son, he’d be chillin’. Not moving all around like that.” Considering how mellow Drew is and how active I am, this could have some truth to it. Hahaha. We’ll know the truth on January 5.

I don’t remember if I’ve mentioned that we bought a crib and changing table. So, if I did, please move on to the next paragraph. We found a great deal on some baby furniture at Babie’R’Us.

We’ll use an existing dresser after we doll it up with some new hardware and potentially update the stain/color. Trust me – as soon as we know the gender, the true decorating will begin. I can’t wait!

What else is new and exciting in the world of creating life?

My memory has gotten worse. I forget the simplest things. Just now, as I was typing about the dresser, I couldn’t remember the word “stain.” I tried a variety of words and a brief second before I got up to ask a co-worker, I remembered. Phew. I’ve been asking enough odd questions. I don’t need to keep embarrassing myself.

My appetite is huge. I seriously have to eat something every 1.5-2 hours or someone will pay. Ok, not that serious, but it could get there. I have to be careful not to overeat too. I’ve done that a few times, and well, I’m the one paying the price. And there’s my metabolism too. Since we’ve regulated my thyroid condition, I’ve had more energy and I can feel the calories burning faster. If that makes sense.

Clothes, clothes, clothes. I desperately need winter clothes. I went through a major closet clean-out last Spring or so and got rid of a lot of winter stuff. Mostly because they were getting worn out. I figured, hey – I’ll just buy new stuff next year. I deserve it. Right! Right. Now, I have to wait. Well, the tummy is growing a little bit. Clothes are fitting a little differently. I’ve bought maternity jeans – so comfy! – and a few sweaters. I’m just not ready to wear them yet. I’m going to prolong as much as I can, but I know I’ll give in sooner than later. Maybe next month even.

So what’s up next? Our 3rd appointment is scheduled for December 8. We’ll get to hear the heartbeat again and they’ll start measuring my tummy. Oh goody! ;) But we can’t wait.

What she said.

One of my co-workers let me borrow a book titled "Pregnancy Sucks for Men". I have not yet opened it, but I'm sure it has the typical things like the bodily functions of your SO, the crazy crap you are expected to do at all hours of the night (luckily PB pickle and chive ice cream has been requested at 3am), and every other pregnancy cliche ever crammed into self-help books.

But I digress. As my pregnant wife has posted, there are certain.... pleasantries that come with being pregnant (you can read in more detail below). Pregnant brain, mood swings, additional bodily functions, lack of energy, appetite changes, bigger boobs (NO idea how this one even makes the list), etc.

So how have things been so far? Great. We're just a little over 10 weeks into this. We have another Dr. appt in a week or so. Deciding when/where/what we want to buy baby stuff (furniture, clothes, car seats, etc.) We'll get another picture of the baby in two months and find out if the stem is on the apple or not.

The key is to do things together and not stress about the details, everything will fall into place if you let it. :)

The Simon's baby news!

Gregg, Jillian, and Callie are expecting a BABY GIRL on February 22, 2010 (about 3 months before our little peanut arrives). Drew and I are so excited for the Simon's!!!! It's baby time around here.