JANUARY 22, 2012

how we shared with family and friends

JANUARY 20, 2012

week 18 – sweet potato

1/1/2012

5.6 inches. 6.7 oz

i must have bought a sweet potato on steroids because that thing is huge!! i’m thinking if i cut it in half that would be about the right size. it doesn’t really matter since it will end up going into our compost bin. unfortunately, i have nothing really good to say about the sweet potato. it doesn’t get any love from me.

i was dreading coming home from dc because it was a nice distraction from the fact that we have to wait two more weeks to find out if you are a boy or a girl. two. more. weeks. i am not a very patient person. we are starting to play the guessing game and so far everyone thinks you are a boy, besides my mom (she thinks girl) and me (i’m undecided). how do people really know anyways?

perhaps my reward for being not-so-patient was that i felt you move for the first time on thursday evening. i was sitting on the couch reading for class when all of a sudden i realized there was this fluttering/tingling sensation in my lower abdomen. i sat and waited until i felt it again and then ran upstairs to tell A. sure enough you have been fluttering around like crazy ever since. i can feel it mostly when i am sitting or lying down. it’s the craziest thing because as i am having conversation with anyone and you are fluttering away inside. i smile but they have no clue why, it’s like our little secret. i love it.

week 19 – mango

1/8/2012

6 inches. 8.5 oz.

still waiting. i tried to convince A to go have a 3d ultrasound done so we could find out the sex sooner. he is not swayed so easily. boo. you are moving around a lot, but there does not seem to be any rhythm or pattern yet. i have tried to describe it A and the best example i can come up with is it’s like having a bee trapped inside a glass jar and he is buzzing around hitting the sides. i know it doesn’t make that much sense, but that is exactly how it feels. oh and we did attempt to eat the mango. peeling a mango is not an easy task and most of the fruit ended up on the cutting board, it did make for a delicious smoothie.

i mention to A the other day how thankful i have been for the past 19 weeks. not only because of our little bean but because it feels like we are back to who we were before all this infertility stuff. i am not sad anymore. i don’t cry every week. i am still sensitive. still when i see a pregnant woman or family there is a surge of jealous inside me. then i have to remind myself of where we are and this is happening less and less. we are laughing a lot more. things at home are relaxed. we don’t have on-going heavy conversations about our next steps, finances or dealing with our emotions. it’s such a good good thing.

week 20 – cantaloupe

1/15/2012

6.5 inches. 10.6 oz.

half way done!! that seems really hard to believe. the first trimester seemed to go so slowly, i guess because everything seemed so fragile and day-to-day. now i go about my day with an assurance you are there and healthy. this makes the worrying less and time pass quicker.

the best part of this week was thursday and the ultrasound. i was really nervous going in. i knew besides telling us if you were a boy or a girl, they would be looking at your brain, heart, and measurements. i always had it in my head that after twenty weeks, if everything looked okay, then it was time to breath easier. the tech looked at everything at everything and said you are a-okay! she even mentioned that my sack had reattached. andreas being the chatter box and curious sort was asking all sorts of questions, and very casually he said “so i guess the tail is gone.” i hope i didn’t roll my eyes at my husband (i am guessing that i did), but i thought of course the tail is gone! it’s been gone since week 6-7. the tech reaffirmed my eye rolling saying, “yes the tail is gone…but i do see another little tail”. that is right our little bean has a tail. i was shocked, and A just grinned so big and squeezed my feet. a boy. oh boy, oh boy.

JANUARY 15, 2012

our weather has been very bah-humbug this year

what you see is all the snow we’ve had

by this time last year: 4 snow days!

it’s been a balmy 50-60F

it makes me grumpy

and yes, our christmas tree and outdoor lights are still up

i am still waiting for winter to arrive

JANUARY 10, 2012

is where amanda, theo, charlie and bean (their bean, a furry fellow, not my bean) live, and we went to visit them. i had forgotten how good it is to leave home for a little while. new sights to see. so many questions to ask. different shops, people, restaurants, houses, roads even the squirrels are different. we had such a relaxing time. basically our routine consisted of the following: sleep in, make breakfast, watch tv (they have cable and hgtv is so additive), shower, get out of the house, eat out (we ate at some fabulous restaurants) and back home. it was wonderful.

another reason to visit them is because they are the proud new home owner of a large, quaint, work-in-process row home. we oohed and aahed about the work that was completed, i took the first bath in their new bathroom, we talked paint colors, and dreamt up ideas for the backyard.being dc we did managed to sneak in a couple touristy attraction. the national smithsonian was a huge disappointment. ford’s theater and a christmas carol were a delight but the biggest hit of all? the national air and space museum by dulles airport. seriously, as we walked in andreas and theo began to drool. but i guess that is what a lockheed blackbird, space shuttle enterprise, and air france’s concorde can do to a man. next time, the botanical gardens are on our list.

JANUARY 2, 2012

week 15 – orange

12/18/2011

4 inches. 2.5 oz

my doppler arrived this week (best $90 spent in a long time) and we have been listening to your heart every night

i’m beginning to believe you are really in there

it was my last week of school for the year. thank goodness

last minute knitting is happening around the clock

the only craving i have had so far: berries! i can finish a pint of blueberries in 2 minutes flat

week 16 – avocado

12/25/2011

4.6 inches. 3.5 oz.

merry christmas little bean!

your papa purchased two little oneies for you. as i opened them i shed a tear. he is a keeper.

i’m beginning to notice my belly is a little bigger and my pants are a little tighter

your eyelashes and hair are filling in. will you be blonde or brown?

week 17 – onion

1/1/2012

5.1 inches. 5.9 oz.

your first plane ride to visit amanda and theo in DC

we dined on brick fire pizza, greek tapas, raclette and chocolate cake

i bought my first pair of maternity pants and it feels so much better!

amanda and my mom heard you on the doppler

just realized that i am not nearly as tired as i was a few weeks ago. hello, 2nd trimester!