Holy Cow!

It's a girl!


I am still totally trying to wrap my mind around this turn of events, haha. Don't get me wrong, I am so very excited to know what we're having, and to know that she is healthy, and to have gotten to see her for so long today and to hear her heartbeat again. I can not explain why, but for some reason I was fairly convinced that we were having a boy, so when the doc said "It's a girl!" I was a little surprised, haha. Will just take some time to adjust my thinking from rocket ships and science themed room, to something a little more feminine.

I think I was less scared about the thought of having a boy because I actually grew up as a girl (deep thoughts here... stay with me). So, having been a girl, I know the silly things girls do... oh please Dear God, do not let my daughter do some of the stupid things I did!! Oh man, I might have nightmares thinking of that thought... new topic!

Here is a profile shot of my sweet baby GIRL... gotta get used to that, haha. Doesn't her sweet little nose look so wonderful?

And the tiny little toes... can't wait to put socks on those little feet.

So, Dr. Reyna took a long time with us in the sonogram room... measuring everything she needed to, showing us all the sweet pictures of the baby. She was kicking up a storm during the whole thing, but after about half an hour of being pushed and manipulated, I think she was done. To tell you the truth, I don't blame her... So, she started covering up her face, but you can see a good arm shot. I still think it's pretty cute.

So, now I must go be quiet and relax a little... I am absolutely exhausted. Mentally and Physically. I need some time to process... I think today just made everything that much more real! I think it felt like I was playing up until now.

And for those of you asking, no, we don't have a name picked out yet, but we do have a list. I'm sure Drew and I will be talking about that now, though!

It's A...

haha, made you look. Ok, that's the last time I will "cry wolf" because we actually get to find out the gender of this sweet little bambino TOMORROW! Woohoo! Here is one excited Mama. This baby better not be shy... one day I am sure I will say "don't sit like that, close your legs", but tomorrow, well, hopefully baby hasn't learned any manners yet!

This weekend was, as Darla from the Little Rascals might say, the Fourf of July. It has always been one of my favorite holidays because it is so low pressure, and you get to blow things up. We learned this year that pregnant women should not have access to fire and explosives, but that's another story all together. Needless to say, I think I might owe our friend, Sam, a new shirt, haha.

Anyway, here is a photo of me on the fourth of July at 19 weeks pregnant. It's hard to tell from here, but those of you moms who know, do you think I am carrying high or low? It is a question in my baby book, and I honestly do not know how to answer it!

And just in case you couldn't see through my rotund pregnant self, here is a photo of our awesome new "retro" glider that we purchased this weekend to further complete our awesome outdoor space.

You can also see the awesome cactus conglomeration that Drew got for me (half price) this weekend. I love it! So interesting looking, and so low maintenance. I just have to remember to bring it in when it's supposed to rain so I don't end up killing it like I did the aloe plant I bought, and I have nearly killed the hen and chicks that Grandma Dodd gave us (Diane, don't tell her, haha). My grandfather is a Master Gardener - certified and everything. I wish that talent hadn't skipped my generation in the gene pool. I have absolutely NO talent for keeping plants alive whatsoever. But don't worry, I can keep animals alive, so this baby has a chance!

I have really not been feeling well this week at all. Sunday night my right arm started hurting incredibly badly. My fingers were swollen and it felt like every joint in my arm was stiff and in a ton of pain. I could barely grasp anything, much less lift anything. Of course with it being July 4th weekend, my doc was out of town, and the on call doc took THREE HOURS to get back to me! When he called back, he told me to take a Tylenol and go to bed. Gee, thanks for the advice... So, I suffered through all day Monday, and when I woke up on Tuesday, it was feeling a little better. I called the nurse at my doc's office and talked to her about it, and she said if it didn't feel better today to call back and she would get me in to see the on call doc... no thanks. But luckily, I am feeling much better today. Just tired and a little achy.

So, there is my cue to end this post and go lay down on the couch and watch tv. Why is it that days when you are waiting for something good always go by SO slowly?? I can't wait for tomorrow at 4:15!

Baby Swag

This weekend, I went down to Austin to visit my Aunt Lisa and my cousin, Katie. We had such a fun time hanging out, and they were so excited to get to go baby shopping with me that it filled me with excitement too. I have been a little down lately because I have been so tired from my summer job, and just feeling quite awkward and uncomfortable (it's hard work growing a baby!), but spending time with these two fun loving ladies lifted my spirits and we had so much fun!
Plus, they spoiled me rotten. Here are a few of the wonderful early shower gifts I got from Lisa (with help from KK):
If you live in Austin, you should definitely check out this really cute baby boutique called Picket Fences. It was so cute, and they had some really interesting items. For that matter, check out Inchbug.com for even cuter things. But all advertising aside, these swaddler blankets are ridiculously soft and sweet. They are made by aden + anais and they are the Swaddler set. We originally fell in love with them because of the elephants, then because of the fact that I want to rip the box open right now and sleep with them myself, haha. These blankets alone have made me decide to go with an animal theme in the room... of some sort. Don't quote me on that yet... my mind changes itself a hundred times a day. But the fat little elephants are so flippin cute, and they would be easy for a Mama to paint to put in the room somewhere....

Speaking of animals - check out this adorably sly little Fox. This is made by the company Blabla, and I am convinced that it will be Bebe's favorite lovie - I mean, I want to carry it around with me everywhere I go, so why wouldn't the baby!?

And then, by far, the sweetest and cutest of all the baby splurge purchases... TINY tiny baby bamboo socks. These socks will change your life. They are so incredibly small and so incredibly soft and I can not wait to bring my baby home from the hospital wearing these sweet little things. So, whatever outfit we choose to bring baby home in, must coordinate with the green socks! I hope they still fit at Christmas time - I can't wait to show Grandma's these sweet little socks!

Mom and I also had a lovely afternoon on Sunday. We had lunch at Le Madeline and then went to Babies R Us and spent a year there looking at every single product on the shelves (well, close, haha). I think we might have come to a conclusion on the bedding that we like, though I still want to look around a little and wait to see if it's a boy or a girl to see if that changes my mind at all. (Speaking of which, 10 days til we find out!!!) I can't wait to go and register and pick out all the sweet little things that will help take care of my sweet little Bebe. Makes my heart just melt to think about bathing, clothing and rocking this little one... and makes all these aches and pains and uncomfortableness not quite so horrible.

So, this is the beginning of week 18. Almost halfway there! And only a few more days (10) until we get to find out if it's baby Boy Dodd or Girl Dodd, haha. Don't worry, I'll post photos and let you in on the "secret". You only have 10 more days to go vote on what you think it will be! Look to your right and vote, people!!

Week 17 and the Fantastic Voyage

Here we are, in week 17, with 159 days of pregnancy to go (give or take). I just read an article about "What Summer Activities to Avoid" during pregnancy, and I am happy to report that riding my bike is now a no no (at least for the next several months). I have to say, it was never my favorite thing to do anyway, but it's nice to have an actual excuse, haha.

The past couple of weeks have left me feeling a little blue about the whole "growing a baby" thing. I had visions in my mind of what an amazingly beautiful and lively pregnant woman I would be, and now that it's here, I just feel fat and uncomfortable. And itchy, let's not leave that part out. I'm sleepy nearly all the time, but have such a hard time getting comfortable in bed that it makes the idea of going to sleep quite upsetting. I think I could sleep if I were in a zero G environment... yeah, that would be great. Anyone know where I can find a portable Zero-G that will fit roughly on my side of the bed? I was always quite sure that my hips had enough padding around them to cushion a person nearly twice my size, but as of late, I am thinking differently. Laying down, my hip digs into the bed, sitting in the office chair as I type this blog, my right hip bone is digging into the chair.

The other physical complaints are just a little too graphic for the blogosphere, so I'll just suffice to say that though I am already deeply in love with this baby, and SO very glad that God has blessed me with this little life, I do wish that it were a little more comfortable in the making. The lack of sleep and uncomfortableness are also affecting my temper and my zen like mental state (ha!).

But on the awesome side, I actually think I am starting to look prego.
Have I mentioned lately how amazingly awesome my husband is? I promise that is not an absent Segue... I bring it up in conjunction with what my wonderful hubby did for ME this weekend. We took an impromptu Daycation. Woke up on Saturday morning, hopped in the car with an atlas, and took off. We ended up in Dublin, Texas for our first stop. We went on a tour of the Dublin Dr. Pepper bottling facility, and had a real, honest to goodness fountain Dr. Pepper - put ice in a cup, pour in some syrup, pour in carbonated water, mix and enjoy. So tastey. Don't judge me, I have been limiting my caffine intake.
Here's a photo of me outside the museum. I'm still trying to decide if the stripped shirt is super trendy, or makes me look like an overweight inmate. I'll just keep telling myself that it wouldn't be in the stores if it weren't trendy, right?
Our next stop was on our way back in the general direction of Dallas. We drove through the square in Granbury and decided to make a stop to look in some of the shops and get an ice cream cone. Drew was wonderful, and actually went in a few antique stores with me - where I found one of the insanely cute little fiesta pitchers that I have been "collecting" for a while now. And the ice cream - YUM! It started melting as soon as it was placed in my hand, but with Mama Marcie and Daddy Drew, it didn't last long.

Third stop was to Fort Worth and Sundance Square where we walked around a bit and found pizza for dinner.

We had a great day spending time together in the car on our journey, and talking with each other. Had I been a prepared mom, I would have brought a baby name book so that we could have come up with a few ideas in anticipation of finding out if this sweet little one is a boy or a girl! Our appointment to find out is July 8th, and I have had a countdown going on for a while now. We currently have 16 days left til we find out. I was pretty sure that everyone thought it was a boy, like I do, but after spending some time with family for Father's day, and hearing that several people have changed their position, I am just not sure. My sweet tooth has definitely come back, which is an old wives tale that you are having a girl.

I have felt a few kicks, here and there, but nothing too consistant yet. I am definitely excited to be able to feel him move around more often, though the first few times it happened it made me very nauseated. Imagine something swimming around inside your stomach... make you queasy? Yeah, that's how it feels at the moment.

Well, I am a television star today - channel 5 decided to come interview me and film part of the summer Art camp I am teaching at the Bath House this summer (on the one day that I woke up late and didn't have time for a shower... of course). If I can find it online, and if my hair doesn't look too awful, I'll post it on my blog. Off to watch the news - weird.

Pregnancy - Day 101

Can you believe it has already been over 100 days since this little baby's life was formed? Oh my gosh it has totally flown by. I can't even remember what all has happened in the past several months, but I know I haven't had as many moments to sit and reflect as I might have liked.
This is week 14 of Frijolito. I *think* that I have felt a little movement, but I'm going to give it a little longer before being totally convinced. It feels kind of like the twitch under my eye when I get really stressed out, haha.
Next week is my 4 month doctor's appointment. I have to wait til 19 weeks to find out the gender, so hopefully the first week in July. I can't wait! Only 5 weeks to go!

This weekend, Diane was here. We had a great time eating and shopping - seems to be our two favorite things to do together, haha. We checked out downtown McKinney - way cool! Lots of cute shops and restaurants. I will definitely go back there sometime. I did not find the two things I was looking for - an armoire and a short dresser, but I will keep looking. And if all else fails, there is always Ikea for the storage aspect of the room.

We did go to Babies R' Us and decide on a stroller.
It is a Chicco Cortina Travel System in Discovery (that's the color). Diane and I were in the store practicing taking out the car seat, folding the strollers down, wheeling them around aisles so that we could decide which one pushed easier. It was down to a Baby Trend model and this one, and this one won in my book hands down. It was much lighter, easier to fold and unfold, and seemed to be just a little better thought out. We also asked a few parents at the mall who we saw with this stroller, and it got pretty good reviews.

Another thing I found that I like a lot is this pack n' play:
It has the regular pack n play at the bottom, plus a newborn attachment at the top so that we can use it in our room as a bassinet for the first couple of months, PLUS a changing table attachment. Not to mention that I love the color. Very gender neutral.

I also found this crib that I like a lot:
It's made by Graco and got great reviews on the Babies R Us website. It is also only $169, which for a convertible crib is outstanding. I still plan on looking around for cribs though, to make sure I find one that we really like a lot since they are so expensive!

Well, now on to shower and run a couple of errands. Funeral this afternoon for my great Aunt, Beadie.

22nd Grade

Just got a really cute email from my cousin Gillian about all the things she learned in 7th grade. I didn't realize how much they teach you about hair and fashion in school, haha. Anyway, it prompted me to think about all the things I have learned lately. So, here is a list of some of the things I have learned in 22nd (or there abouts) grade:

• If you add an extra $50 a month in Principle to your mortgage, your total amount due will ACTUALLY go down!
• Not going to Target really helps the family budget
• There is nothing about me that is good at "keeping house"
• Being pregnant is the most surreal, unusual, wonderful, horrible experience I have ever been through in my life.
• Hearing my baby's heartbeat is AMAZING
• I love my family, even if they drive me crazy sometimes
• It doesn't matter if you have friends at work. It wouldn't be called work if it didn't suck sometimes.
• I love my students, even if they drive me crazy sometimes :)
• There is much in life that is uncertain, but trusting in the promises of God will steady you enough to get through it.
  
• Always write down your user names and passwords somewhere... it's a complete pain to forget them and then try to pay a bill.
• People will tell you anything to sell you clothes at a Maternity store... including that you are "incredibly small framed with a large chest". Did they even look at me before they said "small framed"??
• iPhones are great to have, but they make horrible phones
• my husband is absolutely amazing and I love him very much
• breakfast is important
• So is midday snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and midnight snack, haha
• You'll never remember everything, so make good notes and enjoy the moment while it lasts.

Well, that kept me occupied while I tried to figure out a user name and password that I forgot (hence that thing that I learned up there). But now I gotta get back to cleaning house! Diane is coming in today, and so are G and D and Lisa... looking forward to getting to see everyone, but must finish the house before I can have fun.

Welcome Second Trimester!

I suppose I had half hoped that I would wake up this morning, the first day of my second trimester, and feel absolutely alive and energetic and strong... well, I can't say that it exactly worked out like that, haha. But before you, like my co-workers today, accuse me of being "Cynical Marcie," let me just say that I do feel remarkably better than I did a few weeks ago. I still have short bouts of nausea, and I still get tired easily, but I can now eat pretty much whatever I want without it making me sick. Getting out of bed in the morning is still ridiculously hard, but I think that might be more the fault of it being the last week of school (woohoo!) and less the fault of little baby.

So, week 12 and 13... less has happened these weeks as far as my body, but this has definitely been a busy couple of weeks. Drew and I amazingly put up with it being about 85 in our house before getting someone over to "repair" our air conditioning unit. But it is "fixed" now and we are staying somewhat cool... though every time it comes on I just start visualizing throwing money away to the electricity company. But I suppose it is worth it... when Drew is hot, he turns into the Incredible Hulk, and being pregnant makes it somewhat difficult to regulate my body temperature. I am getting to the point where I am starting to feel warm all the time (I type this as I sit in my classroom that is about 55 degrees, trying not to shiver, haha). God continues to show me over and over again that He'll take care of me. All of my financial worries are usually for nothing, because I have never had a day where I had to go without a meal, and I have a beautiful roof over my head. I need to remember to thank Him more often...

This week is a big baby week. It is the first week of the second trimester, which a lot of moms call the "golden trimester" because of how much better you feel. All of baby's important organs are there and have started functioning, and he (remember, we're calling it a he here until we know one way or the other) is practicing breathing in and out in the amniotic fluid. I think one of the coolest things about development this week is that my sweet little one has finger prints. How cool is that? It still just baffles me every time I read something like that and then hear someone say that it isn't a baby until it's born... last time I checked, a real baby had a heart, lungs, arms, legs, brain waves, and fingerprints... so, that sounds like a real baby to me!

I think the thing I am the most excited about happening in the next few weeks is starting to feel the baby move. In the books I have read, it says you can typically start feeling the baby move between weeks 16-20. That will be simply magical to me.

I am already wearing maternity clothes, but I would really like to start LOOKING pregnant instead of just overweight, haha. I think that should start happening in the next few weeks too, so they say in "the books."

New changes in the Dodd family - Drew will be teaching Forensics next year which is pretty awesome. He gets to go to a training in San Marcos this summer, and I am sincerely wishing that I could go with him and go to all the outlets while he is in class. Maybe I can go down on the weekend. I will be teaching summer camp again through Big Thought's Thriving Minds program. I have been doing a lot of planning today and I am pretty sure it is going to be totally awesome. And, Drew's mom is coming to visit (hopefully) next week! We plan to do lots of antiquing and shopping, and hopefully I can get her input on some baby things.

Wrapping up for this week, but to the right is a poll that I would like your opinion on... do you think it is a girl or a boy? I'd also really love to know WHY you think it is one or the other, hehe.