10 weeks

Like I said in the last post, pregnancy is the most unusual thing I have ever been through in my life... it is constantly changing and evolving and growing, and I never know one day to the next how I am going to feel physically or emotionally.

Perhaps the 3-4 hours of sleep I have gotten every night this week have exaggerated my emotional state, but it seems as though every little happy thing makes me want to tear up this week. I don't mind it, but it is a very different state of being for me - a very privately emotional person.

Saturday afternoon was the 9th Annual Methodist Hospital Pink Ribbon Tea Party, hosted by my aunt Jerri. I genuinely enjoy going to this every year, sipping tea and eating fancy little treats with my grandmother and cousins. I am always so proud of my aunt for the work that she does to make the Tea happen - it is always a packed house - full of ladies in their nice clothes with their fancy hats, all wearing pinks and with smiles on their faces. This year, I wore a dress that I found with my friend, Rebecca, at Nordstrom Rack. It is fairly form fitting, and the fact that I can't really wear things like that has not fully sunk in to my brain yet :) So, below is a photo of me in my fancy dress, taken with my fancy iphone in front of my husbands anything but fancy mirror in his closet in a not very well lit room, haha. I think the look on my face is absolutely descriptive of how I have been feeling lately - confused - is this really me? Am I really having a baby? Nothing about this experience so far seems "normal," but I obviously have not been through this before, so who am I to say what's normal??


Allergies have been the theme of my 10th week. I have just barely started feeling a little better on the morning sickness front, only for that to be replaced by the most severely horrible allergies I have ever had in my life! Monday morning, I awoke to a very bad sinus headache and no clue of how to cure it. So, I called in sick and laid in bed for most of the day - which of course helped both my head in the physical sense of the headache, as well as mentally - I think I am starting to get burnt out this year and desperately need a break (good thing summer is coming up soon!)

Monday was one of my best friend's birthday, so we met Rebecca and her husband, Jeremy, at the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. As always, it was delicious, and I went home full and happy.

Tuesday, while Drew was at class, I finally got around to making a home cooked meal. I haven't cooked much since I found out I was pregnant because of the "morning" sickness. Plus the fact that I have been absolutely exhausted! Building a baby is very hard work! But I digress.... I made my wonderful husband one of his favorite meals - Caldo de Pescado (fish stew to those of you non Spanish Speaking readers). I have to say, it turned out just like I intended, thanks to Rachel Ray and a little of the cooking talents I inherited from my mother (thanks Mom!).

Thursday was a good day, except again for those absolutely HORRIBLE allergies poking in where they do not belong. I really have amazing students this year. They are genuine and wonderful, and I have been very blessed to be able to call them mine - even if just for this year. My yearbook class specifically has been absolutely wonderful this year, and so we scheduled a field trip to our publishing plant to see how Yearbooks are printed and bound. It's really an intriguing process, and at the end of the tour, Mickey, our sales rep, came in to say hi and brought us the very first finished yearbook. It is absolutely the most amazing yearbook I have ever seen! I am SO proud! We weren't expecting to get to see it so soon, so it was really a great surprise.

Another new thing that has developed this week is this sense of worry... am I eating well enough to keep my baby healthy? Did I drink too much caffine this week? Is this benedryl ok to take? How about a Tylenol? I don't feel sick anymore, and therefore, don't feel pregnant - morning sickness is really the only symptom I have had up to this point, so it is the thing I associate with FEELING pregnant. I know that is silly, but it really has crossed my mind a few times.

But the most exciting thing is that my little Frijolito is the size of a lime this week! He (I think the baby is a boy... don't know why) is growing so fast! In just a few short months I will have a sweet little baby to snuggle in my arms and I get so overwhelmed and excited just thinking about it. And then I think "oh my gosh, it will be November, and it will be cold! How will I make sure he stays warm in the crib at night? How will I make sure he is warm in the car on the way home from the hospital??" Why are these silly little worries plaguing my mind?! This baby is totally in God's hands, and has been since before he was conceived. Just gotta keep reminding myself of that :)

Ok, just a couple more things and I swear I'll end this post, haha. I know it is the length of a short novel already.

What do you think about the name Elliott Benjamin for a boy?

Also, I found this amazing website this week with the most beautiful stories about birth and adoption, and seeing the little one for the first time. You should check it out!

http://www.designmom.com/?s=thoughts+on+pregnancy

I highly recommend reading "Birth Story Once Removed" and "Is that my Uterus in that Taurus?". Both made me laugh til I cried and cry again til I laughed.

Doctor's appointment on Monday - expect another update! One and a half more weeks til the end of the 1st trimester, YAY!

Week 7

Being pregnant is... well, different than anything I have ever experienced in my entire life. Never in the past would I have EVER been ok with being sick every day and tossing my cookies regularly. But I have to say, all I have to do is think "oh my gosh, I'm having a BABY!" and then I get this little butterflies in my stomach and it doesn't matter if I can't keep anything down. It is amazing how one little word on a stick that I peed on could change my life so drastically. Sometimes, I will be working on a project at school, or being busy doing something and I will temporarily forget that I am "with child" (haha), then something will happen - I'll start feeling yucky, get a bit of a cramp, or someone will call me "Mama", and I'll get this crazy electric shock feeling and smile, get nervous and feel like I am going to tear up all at the same time!

That brings me to my next topic... Pregnancy hormones. They are seriously intense and flat out crazy! Weird things have started to change - like my hair. My hair has been straighter than anything my entire life, and now all of the sudden it has a bit of natural curl to it. I love this! I can scrunch my hair and be ready to walk out the door in half the time it usually takes! The tearfulness is also something I will have to get used to. I am not normally very open with too many of my emotions, and these days when I feel any sort of intense emotion, I am tearing up! Not actually crying, mind you... just eyes watery kind of tearing up. Oh, and the weight gain thing. This part is really starting to get to me. Before you judge me, I know... it's for a good reason! But my goodness, I can't button my jeans!!! I have made many a promise to myself in my pre-pregnancy days to never ever buy a bigger size pair of jeans than I am in right now, and now as Mama Marcie, I can not even button these that I vowed for so long to fit into for the rest of my life! I guess it shouldn't bother me too much, but it does make me need a bit more affirmation that I normally need (Drew, hope you are reading this :) )

Today: Doctor's appointment and sonogram... hopefully I will get to hear the heartbeat today! I'll post another sonogram photo soon! :)

5 weeks

See that little black spot? Yeah... that one. Well, world, I would like to introduce you to the most amazing creature in all of the world. Meet Frijolito (the name we are going to call our little one until we find out if it is a boy or a girl... it means Little Bean in Spanish).

Right now, Frijolito is the size of a small bean (think Lentil or split pea). The doctor measured the "sack" that is holding the baby to be about 6 millimeters. Think half of the width of your pinky finger! He/she is working on developing all four chambers of her heart this week - and I think she needs LOTS of yummy food to get this job done because man has Mommy been hungry!! By the end of the week, Frijolito should have a fully functioning heart that is beating on it's own! Not to mention arms and legs and the beginnings of little baby fingers! By next week, baby will be the size of a blueberry... they grow up so fast :)

Gonna have a BABY!!

Oh my gosh... I... don't even know where to begin! Drew and I are going to have a Baby! I am totally in shock and totally happy and all sorts of emotions that I can't quite sort our just yet. I don't know too many details yet, but I think I am about 4 weeks along. And if I am right, that will put the due date at very late November or early December.
It has been so much fun to tell all our family - life has been quite crazy lately for my side of the family and this was such welcome news. My mom and dad yelled and were so excited. Meme and Papa were probably the best response I got, hehe. Papa got this huge grin on his face, and when it finally dawned on Meme what I was telling them, she started crying and grabbed on to me in a 5 minute or so hug, hehe. Jerri said she already guessed, so she wasn't surprised, and the girls didn't seem to interested, haha. Drew's mom was just leaving a baby shower for a friend of hers when she heard the news, and Drew's dad was in a Sportsman's Paradise.
On Saturday, we had gone over to some friends house to hang out and I got pretty sick. I went home and put on pjs and got in bed, and just for kicks, I took a pregnancy test. The line was so faint I wasn't sure what I was seeing, so I took it into the den to show Drew. He wasn't sure either, so I figured I would wait til the next day and try again. In the meantime, my bff Macy had seen on Facebook that I wasn't feeling well and gave me a call. She is quite observant and figured out quickly what was going on, so I sent her a picture of the test. She was pretty convinced that it was positive, but told me that she was coming over the next day (Sunday) and would bring me one of the fancy digital tests that leaves no wondering. And it was POSITIVE! I was so happy that Macy could be there to go through that with me, haha.
Stay tuned for updates on doctor's appointments and due dates!

I'm apparently a Doer/Organizer... HA!

Take this Quiz to see what career is best for you. I guess teaching is what I am meant to do after all. Who'd have thunk?
Quiz here: http://www.careerpath.com/career-tests/colorcareercounselor.aspx

Best Occupational Category

You're a DOER

Keywords

Emotionally Stable, Reliable, High Energy, Practical, Thrifty, and Persistent

These adventurous types prefer action-oriented, concrete problems rather than dealing with thought-provoking, ambiguous, abstract dilemmas. Fields of interest include mechanical, construction, and outdoor careers. They might also enjoy working with machines, tools, and equipment to repair or build something.

DOER OCCUPATIONS
Suggested occupations are Engineer, Auto or Aviation Mechanic, Telephone Technician, Emergency Room Supervisor, Gardener or Groundskeeper, Plumber, Police Officer, Criminal Investigator, Rancher, Electrician, Forester, Machinist, Flight Attendant, Radiology Technologist, Vocational Agriculture Teacher, Industrial Arts Teacher, Building Contractor, Software Technician, Horticulture Worker, Professional Athlete or Dancer, Military Officer, and Cabinetmaker.

DOER WORKPLACES
Consider action-oriented workplaces such as the construction, mining, and energy industries where physical risks could be present, but constant pressure to change or accept new procedures or ideas is not. Consider small towns or rural communities. And avoid workplaces that force you to be the center of attention or talk about yourself.

Suggested Doer workplaces are manufacturing or industrial firms with tangible products such as aviation, trucking, local transit, engineering, and technical firms. Organizations structured with clearly drawn lines of authority, for example the armed forces, enforcement agencies, and security protection occupations will work best for you.

2nd Best Occupational Category

You're an ORGANIZER

Keywords:

Self-Control, Practical, Self-Contained, Orderly, Systematic, Precise, and Accurate

These conservative appearing, plotting-types enjoy organizing, data systems, accounting, detail, and accuracy. They often enjoy mathematics and data management activities such as accounting and investment management. Persistence and patience allows them to do detailed paperwork, operate office machines, write business reports, and make charts and graphs.

Wish List

So that I don't forget, I am going to list a few things on my wish list - things to buy when I have extra money, or things to ask my mom and hubby for for the upcoming birthday (still a couple months away, hehe).

First of all, a dutch oven. I found this one at World Market. You can see a link here. I have been in the kitchen a lot lately whipping up all sorts of new recipes and I have run across quite a few that suggest using a dutch oven. I know I don't have a ton of room in my kitchen, but I feel as though I at least need to be adequately prepared with the basics so that I can continue my new found hobby.
Next, a pretty pie plate. It doesn't have to be this one, but I did find this at Anthropologie (my favorite store ever, btw). Food tastes so much better when it comes out of something that looks pretty, right?
And speaking of looking pretty, isn't this cute?? And incredibly well printed! I think it would look awesome hanging from my silverware drawer where I usually stash my kitchen towel.


Other items I would love to add to my kitchen/home collection include:
1. Saladmaster pans. I have 1 that my grandmother gave me and I swear everything turns out better in Saladmaster.
2. A compost bin and a pitch fork. I have started a compost pile, and so far it is going pretty well. Drew even took out a load of composting materials last night in the rain, isn't he sweet? It would be a lot better though, if I had a bin to put said compost pile in, and a pitchfork to turn it.
3. A pretty table cloth that actually fits my table and that you can't see through. All of my table cloths either are too short or too thin.
4. A drill. Ours died the other day and hanging art and curtains will be incredibly difficult without a new drill.



In other news, Keep Calm and Bake on is on it's way to my house! Yay!

Keep Calm and Bake On

Being an adult is funny... no one ever really tells you what it would be like, and even if they did, you probably wouldn't believe them. I know I would not have believed it if anyone told me that I would experience emotions that would absolutely put to shame the happiness, sadness, anger and everything else I felt in high school. Do you remember those days? Thinking that every single thing that happened to you was the worst/best you'd ever experience? I am reminded of that on a daily basis in my classroom - seeing the tears and the smiles and hearing the laughter of my students as they go about their day. It really puts things into a new perspective, and reminds me constantly to relish each and every experience, whether good or bad, and to make the most of every situation. Life can be incredibly difficult - your house can catch on fire, your heater can break, your pipes can freeze, and you can be frustrated and sad and jealous and broke all at the same time, and then you can be walking down an isle at the grocery store and see a sweet little baby smile at you and it makes those trials seem not quite so overwhelming. I have found true joy in quiet days with my wonderful husband, and I know that for us, the best is yet to come, and I can't wait to truly live each moment.

I have also found a new joy in my life - spending time in the kitchen. I think I always thought of this as more of a chore until recently, and of course you can't enjoy a chore, or it wouldn't be a chore anymore, right? The rhyming in that last sentence was completely unintentional, hehe. I absolutely ADORE spending time planning recipes, shopping for ingredients that are the best for my family (local, organic, fresh), and then spending hours in the kitchen prepping and cooking. Heck, I even enjoy cleaning my kitchen these days, because I have so much pride in my space and can't wait to be in there again cooking away. Dirty counter tops just won't do!
In light of this recent discovery, my new must have is this: Keep Calm and Bake On poster from Etsy by KeepCalmShop. This will look so good hanging above my apron hook! hehe.
On with the photos you say! Here are some great photos from my recent adventures:
First of all, one of my all consuming frustrations has been the work being done on the den after the fire. Tim, our contractor, does absolutely amazing work. The den turned out to be quite a bit more of an involved project than anyone anticipated. Here he is stripping the ceiling: It was a big goopy mess and took weeks to finish. The walls are now done, and look absolutely amazing. Just a few more touches (outlets need to be replaced, and the floors need to be done). But hopefully it will be done soon and I can move the couch out of my dining room, haha.

Another adventure I had the past couple of weeks was making my very own bread. I hadn't ever tried this before, and I had a ton of fun kneading the dough and then hearing Drew's comments of how good it smelled when he walked in the door from school. I will definitely try this again - I can't even imagine how much money I could save making my own bread rather than buying it at the grocery store. Plus, there are so many different recipes and additions you can make so that you don't have to have the same thing every time!


Then there was the trip to Ikea with my dearest friend, Macy. A trip to Ikea is always dangerous, especially when you haven't been in a while, and when you borrow your grandfather's truck to take with you, haha. I did pretty well though, and didn't break the bank... well, the bank was probably already broken, so there was no worry of that! Drew bought an original screen print by our friend Jonathon Kimbrell of Napkin Art Studios. We've had it for a while and I finally got it framed and matted. Ikea has the best frames for cheap... this one was only $20! Plus the mat board - free, haha. Totally beats taking it to Michael's for a couple hundred bucks, right!?


I also bought a "dresser" for the office to put the random crap we had on a book shelf somewhere where it wouldn't be seen. I absolutely love it - especially having one room in the house that I know is clean and tidy, such a great feeling. The art above the shelf is an original screen print as well put out by Drew's favorite band, Isis. We love having art in our house! I would love to make a deal with some of my artist friends for some art to fill other rooms as well.


Well, I can't waste all of my day here on blogspot, so I must depart. Until next time!