What not to say to me!

This blog is WAY overdue. I need to get something off my pregnant chest:

IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING NICE TO SAY TO A PREGNANT LADY DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL!

And when I say "nice" I mean using certain adjectives that describes her body in a way that makes her happy. Let break this down..

These are things that have been to said to me in the past few months:

* "Wow, your huge!" No sh*t Sherlock, I'm pregnant!

* "I'm so happy I got to see you fat." Yes, someone said this to me.

* "Everyone thought you looked so much farther along then 7 months." Fantastic, because I didn't feel like the giant baboon at the party now it's confirmed by people I don't even know.

* "How much weight have you put on?" Less weight then you put on and your not even pregnant.

* "Are you having twins?" read past blogs for that response.

* "Are you really going to eat that?" Are you really going to question my eating habits when you just ate your weight in frozen pizza?

* "Why are you so tired?" Oh, I don't know, maybe because there is a small human inside my body sucking the life force out of me.

* "Let me tell you about how painful my labor was." Yes, please tell me how painful it was, and how you did it without medication. Scare the living crap out of me months before it's my turn, great idea!

* "Enjoy your life now, because it's all over once the baby gets here." Oh this one drives me crazy. Life as I know it is going to be different, but it's exactly what I want. If I have the baby and my life is same I will want a refund.

* "It seems like you have been pregnant forever!" For you it may seem like forever, try being the one carrying the baby, it feels like eternity! Back off, it takes almost a year to cook the bun in the oven.

* "Wow, your boobs are enormous! Your husband must be happy" Yes I have a Pam Anderson chest, that has been wrapped up and out of order since March. My husband is super happy I wear a maternity bra to bed every night and complain about how sore they are. He's thrilled!

* Do you have stretch marks yet? No, but thank you for bringing up the fact my skin is expanding at a rate it's not use to therefor going to put large purple battle scars around the base of my belly. Fantastic thing to remind me of.

* Is this the pregnancy hormones talking? Would you rather my fists do the talking? Seriously, just because I am not smiling and maybe having a issue does not mean it's a direct link to the pregnancy. Being angry or frustrated about life isn't because of the baby but because sometimes life is hard!

* "Well, you wanted this" Argh! Yes I want a baby, I didn't want cankles, stretch marks, acne, leg cramps and saggy boobs. HUGE DIFFERENCE!


Here's what you say to a pregnant woman, even if it's a lie.

You look stunning.
Wow, your beautiful.
You should be a pregnancy model.
You make pregnancy look easy.
Wow, you look great!
This baby is so lucky to have you as it's Mom

Bring pregnant is a marathon. A pregnant lady needs a cheering section because the last few miles/months can see like eternity. Give her encouragement, tell her she's beautiful, and most of all tell her you love her.

Remember if you say something mean to us pregnant ladies we can bite back and blame the "hormones" !!!!

The Traveling Pregnant Woman

So I went to Boise this weekend to see some friends. This would be the last trip I take by myself for a long, long time. Any trip in the future would include family or new baby. Oh goodness. This trip was just for me.

Traveling pregnant reminds me of those news stories where Sea World is attempting to ship a whale to another zoo. It takes many handlers, prep work and special planning. Plus there are tons of people who stare at the process of moving a 5 ton whale onto a truck. This weekend while at the airport I became Shamu, I was the whale that everyone was looking at.

Have you seen the movie "Away We Go", super cute movie. About a couple who's pregnant in search of a new place to live. They travel all over the country in search of their home. There is a scene where they get the airport ticket desk and the agents won't let her travel because they think she is 8 months pregnant when in reality she is only 6. Very funny... Watch the clip below.
I swear I thought this was going to happen to me! That I was going to get to the airport and someone was going to stop me from flying because I was to pregnant to travel. I was so nervous about this I wore a shirt that didn't hug the belly to much and sweater to cover it. I even went as far as to travel with a really large bag to put in front of me so I could go "unnoticed." Thankfully I could get my boarding pass online and not have to deal with ticket agents so that was one hurdle I didn't have to cross.

Next hurdle: being pregnant and needing to eat at the airport and only finding a spot at the bar! There I was, having a full on hot flash because for one I am pregnant and two I was wearing a sweater to cover up the fact I was pregnant. I get the courage to take off the sweater, well not really "courage", I am close to passing out so I take off the sweater. I sit at the bar and order my sprite and soup. I get these really odd stares from the business men around the bar. A pregnant woman holding her belly nursing her sprite like it's a gin and tonic. I try to make a joke to the guy sitting next to me "nervous flier, got to get the drinks in before I get on board" He doesn't seem amused by me and I soon realize he didn't hear me when I ordered a sprite, he thought I was really drinking liquor. I quickly ate my soup and waddled out of the bar.

So far I have made to the gate without anyone telling me I am to pregnant to fly. But something else is creeping in my brain. What if I am to fat to fly?!? What if the seat belt doesn't fit around my new belly and I am going to have to ask for a seat belt extender! I am seriously freaking out about having to maybe ask the flight attendant to help strap my fat pregnant ass into a seat! I get on board and pray to all that is holy that the seat belt fits... thank goodness it does, with plenty of room to spare. The belt can go under the belly, light bulb moment for me! All that worry for nothing.

I arrive in Boise and all is well. I check into my hotel room. Which I have to say was fantastic. A little slice of 'all alone' heaven. Large king bed and tv ALL TO MYSELF! Plus a huge tub! When I got settled into the room I almost thought about not calling my friends and just staying in my hotel room and basking in my little heaven. The only problem with a hotel room is that there isn't a kitchen attached. This dilemma hit me around 10 pm when I realized soon the baby would want to feed again. My nightly ritual of having a snack after two hours of sleep was haunting me. I wasn't hungry yet but what if I was in a couple of hours!! What in the world was I to do, this hotel room didn't have a mini bar only a super fancy room service menu. And that room service closes in 30 minutes. I immediately called room service and ordered a very expensive pizza. 20 minutes and $20 dollars later I had my own personal sized pizza. I wasn't hungry so I put it in the fridge, just in case I needed it later. I basically ordered a $20 security blanket. Which in the end I only ate one slice from. But I slept well knowing it was there!

The rest of the weekend went well. Hanging out with friends before the baby was just what I needed. Putting my feet up and just gossiping with my girlfriends refilled my energy to come back to Seattle and hash out these last few months.

Plus leaving home always makes you appreciate it a little more. Seeing the hubby and Darwin pull the car up to the airport curb made my heart skip and I could feel the baby getting excited. Baby bump and I were happy to be home, happy to have hubby's hand on the belly and Darwin licks all over my face.

Shamu is home, safe in the water again.

Sleepy Me.

I would love to blog about all the wonderful and funny things going on right now. But my brain has stopped working. I haven't had a good nights sleep in about a week. From the baby kicking me and keeping me awake to the 5 trips to the bathroom. I seem to be getting maybe 3 hours of straight sleep and 20 minute cat naps throughout the night.

Hubby looked at me and said that this is just the beginning of the next 18 years of no sleep. He then reminded himself that he still has a couple of months of blissful uninterrupted sleep. Which was SO the wrong thing to say to a crazy sleepy pregnant woman because now I plan on waking him every time I am kicked awake and tell him it's "training"!

Surprisingly I haven't really needed caffeine to help battle the coma. My body just seems to realize this is just the new way of being. No amount of caffeine is going to perk up the situation.

If your getting a good nights sleep, just know I am really jealous of you.

Pregnancy is the new prozac

I stopped myself this morning and actually recognized I am so happy today. A little taken back by this overwhelming feeling of bliss. It's odd to have happiness stop you dead in your tracks. I felt like I had to find the source of this joy. And as I was searching for the source I realized I've been blissful for months now.

I doubt most people question their happiness like I have done. I know my search stems from the fact that if I would of seen a doctor I would of been told I had depression the last 3 years. I don't think I am the only person that would agree with that either. I know my Mom and hubby have mentioned it in the past.

Moving to Seattle was such a huge transition for me. It may sound very cliche but the weather really affected me. Coming from Idaho where you get sunshine 350 days a year to Seattle where the sun is only out 100 days a year was hard. Seattle doesn't have rain everyday but in the fall and winter its grey. The sky is just grey. It also is dark at 4pm starting in September and lasting tell March. I could never really adjust to it. I would want to be in bed by 5 and just sleep.

Add a new city away from family and friends and put infertility on top of that you have yourself a recipe of depression. When I look back I was sick a lot in those 3 years. Colds, headaches anything that was out there I caught it. It was just a really hard time for me.

I also at the time didn't open up about my struggle with infertility. I only opened up to my Mom and best friend. And the one person I had physically in front of me every night, hubby, I blocked most of my pain from him. Looking back now, I should of reached out sooner. I shouldn't of let the pain overtake me like that. I was just making matters worse.

I noticed a change in myself around New Years. I started the blog and was open about my infertility and accepted the fact I live in Seattle. Although that is sometimes a struggle, I am now open to the city more. Trying new things, making an effort to meet new friends.

Now that I am pregnant I don't have any of those old feelings. I have excitement again. As the belly grows I feel I am reminding myself of who I use to be. I am reintroducing myself to me. The struggle of doctor appointments and negative test results are gone. I've joined a meet up group for other expectant moms and hubby and I have really started to explore the city more each weekend.

This morning I scheduled a maternity photo shot. Seems unreal to me. Next Wednesday, hubby, Darwin and I are going to take photos of our growing family in a city I am growing to like... I couldn't of imagined this 3 years ago.

Here I am happy.

Ice cream, you scream.. I crave!

There is a new devil on my shoulder.. his name is ice cream and he haunts me daily! I can't get over him no matter how hard I try, I just can't. And to make matters worse it's SO easy to get everywhere you go.

I have never been one for desserts or sweets before. I am more of a salt and carbs girl. No thanks cake, pass the pasta! This has all changed in that past two months. I would give up having breakfast, lunch and dinner to get my hands on soft serve ice cream.

My other issue with this craving is that its so cheap! Did you know you can get a soft serve ice cream cone from McDonald's for only 50 cents. 50 cents!!! Name something as perfect as soft serve that's cheaper then 50 cents. ( although hubby doubts that there is any cream or ice in a McDonalds soft serve ) I feel like a drug addict who just learned that they are selling discounted crack on the corner.

I even base my dinner options on this craving. Hubby being the most supportive husband ever, ALWAYS gives into my desire. He's my enabler. If hubby takes me out for dinner I think in my head if they have dessert or if it's close to McDonald's to get my 50 cent soft serve. Example, last night we decided not to cook and get something simple for dinner. I immediately pick Subway, not because I wanted a sandwich but because the Subway close to our house is attached to TCBY!

And when my craving for soft serve has been satisfied, I get this eerie calm that settles over me. Basically getting my fix is such a high. I think I need ice cream rehab. Move over Lindsay Lohan you have a new bunk mate.

Even writing this blog now has me devising a plan to get my fix. My only saving grace is that there is portion control with this craving. I just need a little. And McDonald's gives the perfect little amount.

Even Darwin is on this addiction. For one, our McDonald's give doggie treats when you go through the drive in. He loves to go on rides for ice cream. Plus, I give him the bottom half on my cone after I have got every last drop of cream out. It's a vicious circle at our house. My pregnant self wanting soft serve, a hubby who doesn't tell me no and a dog who loves his ride to McDonald's.

A week from now I meeting some other pregnant ladies for dinner at a Mexican restaurant. I am very excited to meet up with these ladies but to be honest I am more thrilled about Mexican fried ice cream! Take this craving to whole new level, fry it!

If you need me I will be at the Ben and Jerry's ice cream rehab center, it's right next to the cookies and cream detox clinic!

Mrs. Whine

Did you ever read to your kid or as a kid did your parents ever read to you the Mr. Men and Little Miss books? Maybe you did but you can't remember what they are...

The Mr. Men is a series of 48 children books by Roger Hargreaves started in 1971; they feature characters with names such as "Mr. Tickle" and "Mr. Happy". Little Miss is an accompanying series of 42 books by the same author with female characters that started in 1981.

The most famous of the series is probably Little Miss Sunshine. There is also Mr. Grumpy and countless others. They are very small easy to read books and each character goes on a little adventure that explains their name. You can guess what Mr. Sleepy is about. I have several of these books and remember enjoying them a lot.

I was reminded of these books this morning. I was recalling last nights events and after remembering my actions I think I have a new Little Miss name,
Mrs. Whine.

Let's start this out with saying it's been a rough couple of days. The heat wave in Seattle basically put me at ground zero of emotional instability. I lived in Idaho where the summer temperatures where far worse and constant then here in Seattle. But there is a key difference to Idaho, they believe in air conditioning. Here in Seattle, they don't. We are in a brand new construction town house that has three floors and NO AC!!! The house also gets direct morning and afternoon sun, which is fantastic on normal days but on days where it is getting close to 100 degrees... oh man! Our master bedroom is on the third floor... the heat rises and our room got around 87 degrees these past few days! Our poor little window AC had to work 3 hours just to get the room to 76.

I had no clue that when you become pregnant your body temperature raises so dramatically. Feels like a hot flash that just lasts all day. It could be winter outside and I think I would still walk around in just my underwear.

So now that you have back ground on my discomfort lets see last nights events through the eyes of hubby.

Hubby came home around his normal time to find his pregnant wife in just her underwear standing in front of the window AC on the verge of tears. Now this could be a very romantic moment to come home too.. no, there's nothing romantic about an almost 7 month pregnant woman standing and sweating with the look of devil in her eyes. At this point he has agreed to take this beast of burden to dinner. Such a nice gesture, offer the crazy lady food she doesn't have to cook and go to a place with AC. This gesture made his pregnant wife very happy. He even let her pick out the restaurant. I know what your thinking, he's a saint.

Where does the over heated balloon pick to go? Mexican food of course. Because she is thinking very rationally at this point. Her blood is boiling and it's 90 degrees outside, wouldn't everyone want to eat spicy Mexican food in this state? Hubby agrees and happily takes her. He watches her eat chips and salsa like they are going out of style and then lap up her very large burrito with all the fixings. At this point he must be thinking he has tamed the beast. She is feed, the wind as picked up so the air is cooler. He just needs to get her home, into her PJs and into bed. And then he is safe. Or so he thought.

He was able to get her to bed but she didn't stay there very long. Down came the walking misery train whining that her stomach was going to explode it was so full and it was to painful to lay in bed. Somehow a bath seemed like the right idea. It was a very good idea tell the pregnant crazy lady got in the large soaking tub and realized her stomach was now to large to be submerged in the water. She calls out to her poor husband who at this point has poured himself a nice glass of scotch and is going to watch some ESPN. She wants some company, really she just wants him to sit on the toilet and listen to her whine about how huge her belly has become. Hubby sits there, reassures her she's not 'that' big and tries desperately to change the subject. He wins the small battle of distracting her, gets her out of the tub and back upstairs and into bed.

She doesn't stay there long. Back down the stairs she comes. You should of seen his face, pure desperation and a look of 'what now?!?'. The large woman just wanted a popsicle. Popsicle in hand she goes back to bed. And luckily stays there the rest of the night.

You know, it's hard being pregnant. Crazy hormones, the ever growing bump and the sheer discomfort of it all. But man o man, the poor husbands and partners that go through it with us! He is living up to those 'for better or for worse' vows he took.

Let's hope Mrs. Whine retires for awhile since the weather has turned cold again. Let's see if Little Miss Happy comes out today. *fingers crossed*

Heat Wave

The heat has made it's way to Seattle. After a summer of 60 - 70 degrees we are hitting 90+ this weekend and most of next week. Hold on as I do my best Scarlet O'Hara hand to forehead faint. Heat is not really my thing. And then to be pregnant and not like the heat well poor hubby has a weekend of misery.

Last night to escape the heat we headed to the near by beach and had a picnic. The cool breeze off the water was so refreshing and Darwin digging in the sand made me laugh. Darwin is not a digger but there was something in that sand that kept his interest. He would try multiple ways to get the most dirt but in the end just ended up with a tummy covered in sand. When we got home he curled up and passed out from exhaustion. So did I.

Darwin, me and the baby bump


Darwin and the hubby


It looks like Darwin is in pure bliss getting love from hubby

3rd Trimester and Great Grandparents

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls... please give Melissa a round of applause as she welcomes her bump into the 3rd trimester!!!!

That's right.. I kicked 1st and 2nd trimester in the butt and I have moved on to conquer the last leg of this race, the 3rd! Not that I am honking my own horn here.. but beep, beep, I am proud of myself.

I can't say the 3rd trimester is too much different then the 2nd so far. I have noticed the tummy is getting very tight and the movement to be very defined and ongoing. I seem to have to use the bathroom a lot more. Knowing where the nearest restroom is at all times is a priority. And I think the hubby and I would like to by stock in Angel Soft toilet paper. I have been keeping a tally of my bathroom runs at night.. and so far I average about 5 trips between 10pm and 7am. I am told after child birth this issue doesn't go away and that when I get older I will blame my child for the frequent bathroom pit stops. Oh, the joy of being a Mom!

I went to the mall today to look for hubby some new shirts. When you get pregnant you get a whole new wardrobe all that once and for 6 months you get to wear all new things. I got a great shirt in the mail from my Mom yesterday and it made me sad that the hubby doesn't have anything new. So, my mission today was to get something real nice for him *said in my best Uncle Eddie voice* I did find him a nice bowling type shirt for casual Fridays at work and a couple everyday t-shirts. But since I was at the mall I thought I would get a few more items on my to do list.

I am in search of anything that says great grandparent on it. My grandpa's birthday is coming up at the end of the month and I want to get him something that has the words Great Grandpa on it. I tried all the usual sappy places, Hallmark, Things Remembered and the frames store... nothing! It got me thinking that maybe they just don't stock a lot of these items. That maybe this baby will be uncommon. It will be born with both sets of grandparents, both set of great grandparents on my side and 2 great grandmothers on my husbands side. When you think about that it pretty rare to have so many generations. Not only that but very healthy generations to boot. This thought alone made my day. Sometimes I get wrapped up in the way I feel about the baby and forget there are so many other people who are just as excited and emotional about this experience too. I am just so loved by my parents, grandparents and the hubby's family that to think that love will now shower my baby gives me goose bumps. I haven't even started on aunt and uncles, great aunt and great uncles, cousins and seconds cousins this baby will have!!

Having a baby just puts so much into perspective. And I feel today the perspective I got was the power of love through family. There's just nothing better.

SeaFair and Darwin's vet visit

So last weekend was SeaFair in Seattle. It's a huge local event that attracts a lot of tourist but mostly all the locals come out. During the event they have hydro-boat races on the lake as well as other water type activities. They also have parades, shows and pirates that storm the beach! A big draw to the event is the airshow The Blue Angels put on. Of course in typical Seattle style it was a cold rainy weekend so the Angels had to put on a minimal show. The hubby has a great friend who has a beautiful house that over looks the water and gets an amazing view of the Blue Angels. The planes literally fly over the house and are SO FREAKING close. It sounds like the earth is moving when they fly over head. We had a great bbq and my craving for a homemade bbq hamburger was granted. It was fantastic. Here are some shots of Darwin, he paid no mind to the Blue Angels which was a huge contrast to years before.

It's seriously sick how much the hubby and I love this dog! During our infertility struggle this dog saved me. He was always there to let me cry on him and the fact he needed walks everyday helped me get out of the house and move. If you have seen the movie Marley and Me there is a scene where the main character comes home after learning she had a miscarriage and Marley just sits there with her and lets her cry on him. That scene was so hard for me because the night before I watched that movie I was sitting in that exact spot, on the couch crying to my dog about a failed IUI. Sometimes dogs know just what you need. This dog came into my life a little over 3 years ago and just stole my heart.

Speaking of Darwin, today was his first official senior dog check up at the vet. On his birthday this year the vet office let us know that he is in the senior dog category and needs to have two annual physicals a year now. So in we went. Now you have seen pictures of this dog, he is a big tall dog. When standing on all fours his head hits my tummy (and I am tall). He can literally with no effort lick my baby bump and does. So we are talking to the doctor and she says he has put on some weight since the last visit and we need to be walking him more. Okay first off...it's been a year since his last appointment and he only gained 2 pounds!!! 2 pounds!! Hold on doctor let me go outside with him and let him do his business and he'll be back to his fighting weight. A two pound weight gain is going to make us have a discussion about weight?!?! I pointed out the obvious to her that I was pregnant and he wasn't the only one putting on weight. I also said that our walks have been a little shorter since I have expanded outward due to the stress it puts on my tummy. You know what she told me, to get a dog walker! Yes, doctor I am going to pay Seattle dog walker prices to have my normal senior dog get a two mile walk instead of his daily one mile walk everyday. Has this doctor not been to the local dog parks and seen what real fat dogs looks like? And to make matters worse on this already touchy subject of weight, the paper work they give you take home it says in big red letters "overweight/obese" dog. It is crossing my mind to find to a new vet, granted I am super sensitive weight these days but my dog is NOT FAT! Just look at the pictures above.

Okay, I need to take a breather for a moment and forget about that vet and her crazy idea that all dogs need to have the body of Seabiscuit. Our other baby, the one in the oven had a check up yesterday. Just a normal every 4 weeks check up. The doctor said everything looked great and she was pleased with my weight gain! So there, at least one of us is getting high marks on weight. She also said in my next visit her and I would sit down and talk about the birth. I can't believe it's already time to make arrangements with the doctor about the birth. I let her know the conversation would be short since I was doing this labor thing with drugs. She laughed and said at least I knew what I wanted. She's a great doctor and has such amazing compassion in her eyes and really loves what she does. Thank you, google and nurses for picking the right doctor for me!

Well, I need to go now and walk my obese dog around the block again. I hope this extra walk will work off those two pounds and he can get that red mark off his record.

Utter covers and birth plans.

I joined a meet up group here in Seattle. It's all for expectant mommies. I have been to two events and so far I have enjoyed hearing how other women are coping with their pregnancy and what their plans are for child birth. On the message boards today someone posted a link to a great website called, uddercovers.com, what a catchy name. They are giving away FREE covers. All you have to do is pay for shipping! Go to the website pick the cover you like and in the promotion code enter "breastfeeding" and your total cost for shipping is $9. It's a great value because these covers can run up to $40 to $50 at fancy baby stores. I ordered mine today. I like the idea of the cover and I have seen them used. It's seems a lot simpler then trying to strategically place a blanket over your shoulder and hope it doesn't slip. Great for outings or company. I am 100% comfortable with a woman breastfeeding in public but I think using a cover eliminates the stares and uncomfortableness other may feel around you. Plus they are super stylish these utter covers! The free promotion only lasts a couple more days so if you know someone who is having a baby this could be a great gift, or a gift to yourself if you are pregnant.

****HUGE DISCLAIMER, this is my blog, therefor my opinions, it is not my intention to discredit anyone woman's birth plan or past birth experience, again, these are my thoughts and not meant to offend. I say almost everything with a touch of humor****

Speaking of my meet up group, I have come to find I am somewhat of the odd man out. I would say 99% of the women I have met are all about the natural birth plan. I think this has a little to do with the fact I am meeting women in the Seattle area. And Seattle tends to be very "green" and all natural. All the woman have someone called a doula. What's a doula you ask? I have heard of the term before but never knew what it meant. So I looked it up and here is what the internet says:

Doula: A doula is an assistant who provides non-medical and non-midwifery support (physical and emotional) in childbirth.

A commmon catch phrase I see when researching the term doula is "women who mother the mother." I don't know, seems very odd to me. I talked with hubby about this whole doula thing and we both have to wonder why even have a husband or partner if you have a doula? To us a doula kind of pushes the man out of the way. Yes, yes I get it, my husband can never truly relate to experience of childbirth, only another woman can really understand what I am going through. But, there is no medical degree called "doula". But I have a hubby with true empathy and support. I don't see a doula in our future.

Another part of the natural birth plan that the women in Seattle have is the midwife. Let's look up this term too:

Midwifery is a health care profession in which providers offer care to childbearing women during their pregnancy, labor and birth, and during the postpartum period.

Now I can get behind the midwife thing a little more then the doula. For one, it's an ancient profession, women have been having babies since the dawn of time and who helped with that - the old woman in the hut next door! But to have a midwife is to go down the natural path and that path is not for me.

I kind of look at it like this: a doctor comes up to you and says he is going to break your arm. You have the option of getting a shot and not feeling the break or get no shot and feel the bone break. My logic says take the shot. But that's my logic. I am not one for pain AT ALL. In fact I am a huge baby, anyone who knows me will tell you that. Drama queen!

The problem I have with people pushing the natural route and making you make a concrete birth plan is that it sets you up for failure. No birth is the same just like no baby is the same. I worry that if you make it your ONLY plan to do natural are you setting yourself up for a huge let down if you can't do it. Are you less likely to accept the help and ease the pain if you can't take it anymore because you are worried what the other moms might think of you? I have been to the hospital after a birth and they don't hand out awards afterward. There is not sign above your door that either reads "Kick ass mom who did it natural" or "Wimpy mom who couldn't bare the pain".

So here's my birth plan: Go to hospital, get checked in... ride out the waves until it's time to get that beloved shot. But I accept I may not get to the hospital in time (unlikely) for the shot, I accept that sometimes things can go wrong and I will do whatever is necessary to keep the baby safe.

My best friend who is a nurse told me "if you make a plan, the opposite will happen" Its good to remember no matter what the plan we all have the same goal in the end. To bring our special gift into this world.

belly buttons

The hubby and I have a new topic of conversation, belly buttons. It all arose from the fact that hubby doesn't want to be the one to cut the cord. His line of reason is "what are we paying the doctors for?" I respect his decision not to do the cutting, if he was in surgery I wouldn't volunteer my services to the doctors. But we wonder do you tell the doctor during labor that you would like a child with an innie? Is there science to this or just a random occurrence in the human body? And if the hubby were to cut the cord are the odds greater for an outie because he isn't a doctor? If you are reading this and questioning our sanity, I understand. But this is truly a topic of conversation in our house.

Speaking of belly buttons I noticed something odd with mine the other morning. The belly is getting larger by the day. The skin is getting tighter and thankfully the stretch marks are at bay. But I noticed right above my belly button a scar. Something I had completely forgotten about. When I was 18 I had a belly button piercing for about a month. The scar has finally popped out. I had the piercing done in 2000 on election day. It was my first chance to vote and also my first chance to get a piercing that didn't need parental consent. So off to the voting booth I went and then right to the tattoo parlor for a belly button piercing. I wasn't nervous about showing my Mom but my Dad was a whole other story. So that night while he was watching the election results on the t.v I came up to him and told him I needed to tell him something. He got a very serious look on his face and asked me "are going to tell me you voted for Gore?" I started laughing and said "oh, Dad don't be silly, I got a belly button piercing." The thought of his daughter voting Democrat seemed scarier to him them a piece of metal stuck in my skin. The last laugh seemed to be on me, a month later I had to have the piercing removed because my body was allergic to the metal. So even though my political views have changed from my Dads I will always have that little scar to remind me of that evening.