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.

Are you having twins?

I am still trying to process the exchange I had today. There's a part of me that can't believe it happened but it did and so I must share with you.

I went up to our local mall and while there I decided to treat myself to a snack. I am starting to regret that decision for two reasons, the exchange I had with the cashier and the garlic pretzel I ate. Both are haunting me right now. Garlic on pretzel great idea bad if you don't have gum right after.

Below is the exact conversation I had with the pregnant cashier @ Pretzel Time.

Me: Yes, Hi. I would like a garlic pretzel and a small lemonade please.

Cashier: ok, when are you due?

Me: November.

Cashier: WOW, your big!

Me: (in shock) ummm, when are you due?

Cashier: September... are you carrying twins?

Me: No

Cashier: you must be having a huge baby.

Me: (in more shock) ummmm, I guess.

Cashier: Well, your tall. Are you having a big baby cause you eat all the time?
(I kid you not, she really said that)

Me: (super defensive at this point) No, I've only gained 7 lbs. I am just all baby up front.

Cashier: Do you know what your having?

Me: No, we aren't finding out.

Cashier: Well, since your so big it must be a boy.

Me: I don't think so, I am carrying really high so I think it's a girl.

Cashier: No, your having a boy. A baby girl is small and petite and your belly is big.

Me: Umm, I was a big baby and I am girl.

Cashier: It's obvious I am having a boy.. so are you.

Me: okay.. now we have entered rude territory. First I am big and now I am having a boy.

Cashier: Have a great day

Me: Ummm.... ya. You too.


I couldn't make that up if I wanted. This conversation really happened and not only did it happen but it was with another pregnant lady! I call my Mom and vent about it. Telling her the cashier basically called me fat and what does my Mom tell me to do? Eat a piece of cake!

Note to self, no more pretzels from the mall!

3D Ultrasound and am I normal?

Yesterday my hubby treated me to a 3D ultrasound. We got an amazing "under the table" deal from our doctors office. There is a tech there that does these 3D images as a side job, the office allows him to use the equipment and he charges hardly anything to have them done. I wasn't planning on having 3D images done because they can run up to $300 but we got ours for under $80. YAY!

So here is my baby!

To me the baby in some of the photos looks like an alien. But in others it's the cutest baby I have ever seen. It's amazing how you can see all those little features. The hubby made sure to count all the fingers and toes and seemed to be very relieved when he counted 20 in total. (didn't even cross my mind to count) In some of the shots you can see the baby has a very defined jaw line, thin lips and a little nose. And so we know without a doubt this is my baby because we have matching noses! The baby kept holding it's arms up and almost flexing them for us. A show-off already! I look back at the picture my Mom took at the clinic when the baby was just 5 cells and now to have this photo it's just incredible. Hurry up November, I need to hold this baby!

Seems like there have been several new celebrities coming out as pregnant. I have been following a couple and after hearing other pregnant stories from people I don't think I am 'normal'. They all seem to be craving food and having really bizarre hormonal days. Besides my breakdown at Lowes I haven't been controlled by emotion. And I haven't craved any food. The hubby agrees and wonders if those women have always been crazy and now have an excuse. Or are taking advantage of being pregnant and making unreal demands and blaming it on hormones. With the celebrities I think they have always been hungry cause they have been an a diet for years so now that they are pregnant their bodies are craving real food and food they would never consider eating before getting knocked up. But as far as being normal, my best friend thinks that because it was so hard for me to get pregnant maybe this is the pay off, an easy no drama pregnancy. I think I agree with her.

PEPS and tears for the dog

Here in Seattle there is a wonderful nonprofit organization called PEPS (Parents For Early Parent Support) http://www.pepsgroup.org/ I first heard of this program from a family I use to nanny. Every Tuesday they would go off to PEPS group. Something they had done since the little girl was just a newborn. Whenever the little girl would talk about PEPS it always reminded me of those Easter candies peeps. I looked more into the program and learned it wasn't a gross marshmallow candy but a great way to meet new moms and make lasting friendships not only for you but for your baby. I went to the orientation last night and got myself and the baby all registered. Basically the program works like this: I will be put into a group of about 10 to 12 other moms who are having babies around November. About two months after all the babies are born we meet once a week for 12 weeks at each others houses. The first 12 weeks are hosted by a group leader from PEPS that helps lead the group is discussions like breast feeding, sleep and other baby topics. After the 12 weeks the group is on their own and we can do what we want from there. The lady at the orientation said that her group has meet every week for the past 4 years and now have over 30 kids from the original group! She said her group goes on picnics and mini vacations. She also said that she had made lifelong friendships with the women and their families. Needless to say I was over the moon hearing all this. Just what I need!! Friends in Seattle! Not only friends but other women going through the exact same thing at the exact same time. I rushed home to tell hubby all this new information, I could barely get all my words out telling him about it. Speaking so fast about the program, I was acting like a child who just came home from their first day at school! When I was done I started to get sad, hubby asked what was wrong... I said I was sad I would have to wait tell the baby is born to start! I want to join NOW!

I had to drop Darwin off at doggy camp today. He is spending the night there until our friend can pick him up tomorrow to go hiking with him and his daughter. Darwin loves this doggy camp because its on 5 acre ranch, full of trails and loving active dog handlers. They allow the dogs to roam free and then at night each dog has their own twin sized bed in a room that holds around 3 dogs. It is just like camp for kids but for dogs. They even have a "living room" full of couches and the TV on for older dogs who need a break from the younger crowd. It's so flipping cute! So I dropped him off and like every other time I do this I start to cry. But this time it was different. This was the first time I dropped him off while pregnant. I nearly lost it, like a crazy person. I was making Darwin nervous.. poor thing probably though I was dropping him off for good with the scene I was making. The handlers noticed my belly and tears and didn't really seem to judge. I don't think I am the first person to do this. But it made me think about how hard it would be for me if I was dropping off a kid at daycare. Thank goodness that isn't in our future. If it was I think I would force hubby to do the drop off because I would scare the children.

Email from Mag

I recently sent an email to the founder of My IVF Alternative, Mag. Thanking her for the gift she gave me. I put 100% gratitude towards her because without her program I doubt I would be where I am today. She just emailed me back.

The trip to Prague seems like it was a lifetime ago. I look back now and I can't believe what I did. I can't believe I convinced my hubby and my family that this was the way to go. There was a paragraph in her email that bought on the tears...

"Dear Melissa,
thank you for such a nice letter! I am glad to hear that your pregnancy is progressing well. what a blessing.

I am afraid that I cannot take any credit for your growing family - you have done all the work: you were brave enough to fully believe two women you have never met who were sending you half way around the world to a country you have never been while stabbing yourself with needles and telling you that that's how you'll get the baby you are longing for."

I think this email brought on the tears because it still seems unreal that I did what I did. To have such blind faith in the program and then to be treated so well and now to be pregnant. It's just amazing. I am just in awe of it all. I don't think I was ever in the category of "normal" in my everyday life.. like my Mom use to say, define normal. I am glad my normal was just crazy enough to trust Mag.

I had to share her words.... can't wait to send her pictures when the baby comes.

Portland Bound.

So hubby and I are taking a road trip to Portland tomorrow. Leaving behind the dog and having our friend stay at the house. Portland is where the hubby's parents live and we haven't been there in a year or two. They keep coming up to see us so it's time for us to crash their pad. I am excited about this little weekend getaway. For three reasons:

1. My mother-in-law is an amazing cook and plans to make us plenty of food!! Plus she treats me like the princess I believe I am and this makes me very happy.

2. I was blessed with amazing and super smart in-laws. The four of us get into the most interesting conversations about everything. You have to bring your A game to keep up with these two.

3. Their house has air conditioning!!!

I am prepping the car for our trip tomorrow. So that means I need to update our ipod. Make sure we have a good playlist for our three hour drive. So I decided to put the speaker close to my belly and play some tunes for the baby. They say the baby can hear what's going on now. Most new moms play classical musical to their babies. Thinking this will somehow make their baby smarter. I believe David Bowie, Queen and Led Zeppelin will do more good for my baby. Cool baby vs. Smart baby. I mean come on, hubby wants to name the baby after a lead singer of a punk band. Did you really think I was going to play Mozart when we have Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Sammy to teach this baby the ways of cool.

Of course there is always the flip side of being cool. The hubby let me know the other day he fully plans on giving our baby a mohawk if it's a boy. But that's a whole other blog entry.

Another check up, another laughing doctor.

Had a doctors appointment this afternoon. Seems they like to keep track of you while your pregnant. Always wanting to schedule new appointments and when you get there all they do is ask how you are feeling, check your blood pressure and hear the baby's heart beat. I am not complaining about getting to hear the heart beat because that is FANTASTIC! But, I could of just called them from the Walgreens and had one of those blood pressure devices check me out and then let them know that I was feeling great. Instead of driving to the clinic, paying for parking..I'm just trying to save everyone some time here. It would be even better if they let me take that little hand held machine that hears the heart beat home with me. I could check it regularly for them.

But I do love sitting in their waiting room. So many fat pregnant women in there. It's a collective group of swollen ankles and weak bladders. But the clinic uses really small chairs and couches. And it's hard to watch some of the women get in and out of them. For the most part the women in the waiting room look happy but sometimes you get the really sour puss mom in there. The world is against her, she's two weeks over her due date and if you look at her twice she might rip your head off. Can you blame her? I am almost 6 months and sometimes feel that way.

The doctor seemed really pleased with the results of my past ultrasound and blood work. She was very happy at how big the baby is and said that it was a fantastic sign of a healthy baby. She told me not to get to excited and think that means the due date gets to be moved up. She let me know that the ultrasound isn't 100% right in knowing weight and just because the baby is big right now doesn't mean the growth won't taper off and get back into the "normal" range. My last ultrasound in the last month will give a better idea of how big the baby will be at birth.

The baby's heart beat is still at 150. She put the listening device on my tummy and you could hear all the movement. The doctor always comments on how active the baby is whenever she is trying to get the heart rate. She points out all the turns and kicks to me like I can't already feel them. I asked her if an active baby in the womb is a sign of A.D.H.D (attention-hyperactive kid) she just laughed at me like she always does and says "Oh, Melissa.. your so funny"

So another great appointment. Made my amazing doctor laugh, felt like I was part of a group with all the other fat pregnant women and learned my baby is as active as it seems in my belly. Good day!

Bite of Seattle

Yesterday the hubby and I made our way to the Seattle center for Bite of Seattle. The Seattle Center is where the Space Needle, museums, Key Arena and all the tourist traps are located. Bite of Seattle is a very neat tradition. The whole event is free (except the food). Live music, art shows and comedy hours. About 80 food vendors, most of them local restaurants line up along the center and offer sample portions of their menu. So you can have one little taco and then skip over a vendor and have a crepe. All the while drinking mango lemonade. The event also has vendors that you would see at a state fair. You know, the good stuff.. funnel cake, elephant ears, cotton candy and so on. Basically a pregnant woman's dream. I was in heaven! It was a perfect Seattle day, 65 degrees and sunny and the air was filled with fried food and sweet treats.

The hubby was so eager to get me anything I could imagine. Last year we shared the most insane corn dog so that was top on our list this year. We also tried crepes, Korean tacos, roasted corn, ice cream and a couple more I can't think of right now. All in all it was a great day. We sun bathed under the needle and took our shoes off and walked in the grass near some statues. I felt super pregnant and got my first unsolicited comments about my belly. Which to me felt great. I know now I look pregnant enough for people to ask me when I am due. I am past the point where someone would be nervous to ask for fear I might just be fat. =)

Here are some pictures from our day:

Hubby and I below the Space Needle


Roasted corn, so silly to eat but so amazing


I thought black was slimming...


Lots of people in search of food


It was only 65 degrees but the sun was out and to a kid who lives in Seattle that's warm enough to get into the fountain.


Not a cloud in the sky.. perfect day!

"Wow, baby, this is a really magical time"

When your body gets taken over by pregnancy does everything get thrown out the window when it comes to modesty?

I have always been a very modest person. Even in front of my Mom and little sister. I am modest in front of my husband. I was NEVER one of those girls who after dance class or gym would walk around in my underwear and I always put a towel over the stall when I had to shower in the high-school club house. I don't think this modesty ever came from body image issues. During high-school I had two dance classes and a gym class, in total almost 4 hours of cardio a day, still I didn't flash that body. My sister seems the exact opposite of me. Very comfortable in front of me or my Mom. I think you are born either with or without the modest gene. There could be a little of that Catholic guilt left over in me, but that's a whole other blog.

Well since this little thing called pregnancy took place I seem to have no trouble flashing this ever growing body. Which is odd, because if you were to compare all the shapes I have had over the years this one would be the least attractive. This all came to a head the other night when I stood in the living with just my sleeping bra and tight fitting yoga pants. Standing there, hands on hips, hair all a mess and hubby just sitting there on the couch staring at me. And in one of the best moments so far in this process he used his fantastic humor to put everything into perspective. He looked me up and down and in his deep sarcastic voice said "Wow, baby, this is a really magical time" We both started laughing at the sheer fact I was standing there embracing this new figure with no thought about what other people thought.

I think there just comes a time in pregnancy where you no longer own your body. Therefor it's not your body. You can't get embarrassed by the sounds it makes or the shape it wants to take. You are not in control of it anymore and the more you embrace it and laugh the easier it will be.

However I don't believe the women that say they feel sexy during this time. Those women are crazy or missing a screw in their head. I was at the dog park today sitting on the bench watching my grumpy dog terrorize the other dogs around him and man ( a cute dog loving kinda guy )from across the park noticed me and gave a very nice flirty smile. Of course I smiled back, you can't be rude. Then I stood up to get my dog and the man noticed my bump. His smile vanished as fast as it came. I was like a leper and he turned his face like he could catch what I had. Fantastic, I thought.. I am now officially in the category of scary and unattractive women in the male head. Not like that's a bad thing, I am not sure if I would be comfortable around a man who found pregnancy attractive. Almost like those odd balls who are super skinny and only date obese people, a fetish thing.

Which brings me back to hubby. *nice transition* We were walking around the baby store and he noticed the do it yourself molding kit. You know, the plaster cast some people do of the belly. He said he wanted to do that. Telling a story about how he had friends who did it and he thought it was neat. I gave hubby one of those looks, are you freaking serious? I asked him where he planned on placing this plaster mold of my pregnancy boobs and belly and he thought his office was a nice place or the garage. Yes, honey the garage would be a great place for my naked mold. Right next to your signed naked poster of Elle Macherson (yes he really has a signed poster of her) Again I gave him one of those looks, are you freaking serious? I asked him if during parties we would take it out and use it for a chip and salsa bowl? Jury is still out on whether or not I will allow such mold to me made. Something about cold plaster and a forever reminder that you were once really fat doesn't seem to appeal to me. *note..that's not me in the picture*

What does appeal to me is stripping down to my sleeping gear no matter how unattractive it is. Sometimes you have be comfortable and forget that you could be a stunt double for John Goodman.

Mommy is here.

If someone tells you something or shows you the results of a test sometimes it can still seem untrue. I found it hard to believe that I was pregnant during the first part of this pregnancy. Almost unsure if being excited was the right emotion. I was told by doctors I was pregnant and I saw several ultrasounds that proved something was growing inside me. But I never fully let myself believe it until the other night.

Around 3 in the morning I was awoken by a violent jolt coming from my lower stomach. So far any movement I have felt had been very fluttery or butterfly like nothing that was a jolt. I sat straight up grasped the area of my tummy and then I felt it. Not just inside, my hand felt the kick. It was overwhelming. As if time itself stopped and it was just me in the dark. The movement lasted for over 20 minutes. I just laid there rubbing my hand over my belly.. I found myself talking to the baby. "It's okay baby, Mommy is here" Then it hit me, the tears started, mommy is here.. that mommy is me.

I loved this baby before it was possible to have one. And now to feel the baby makes that love grow so deep I feel overwhelmed. How can you love something so deep that you have never laid eyes on? I can barely breathe now thinking about the moment I get to hold him/her...

I think I got lost in the process of infertility... a ship on a rough sea. I could always see the light house in the distance but the light seemed so far away, never catching up to it. I caught up to it at 3am... grasping my stomach and crying. I was found.

hot flashes and surgical masks

Oh, what a couple of days we have had! Turns out the hubby was able to catch the worlds worst head cold the week it finally turned sunny in Seattle. And to add injury to his already throbbing head his beloved Yankees are in town to play the Mariners. I doubt we will end up going to any of the games with the way he feels. I am bummed by this news because I wanted to wear my super cute Yankees maternity shirt. Show my Yankee pride across my belly. The hubby and I tease that if we have a boy we will tie down his right hand and make him a left handed pitcher. With dreams of him playing for the Yankees. *but that's if we have a boy... a girl I see her New York bond as a Rockette*

Hubby's head cold has turned out to be one of the sweetest events to happen in our house. He is so worried about me getting the cold he insists on wearing a surgical mask around the house. He also walks around with a purell bottle and I am not allowed to touch anything he has without immediately washing my hands. I find this whole crazy mask wearing drama to be super sweet. He is so sensitive and protective of this little baby growing in my belly. Who cares if our house looks like you have entered the Twilight Zone or China.
But there is one thing I have learned this week. My Mother was right: being pregnant in the summer time is awful!! Seattle doesn't get too hot, we average in the summer around 70 degrees with a light breeze. But every once in awhile a heat wave will come through and has me grasping for air. And Seattle properties don't have AC! So here I am pregnant in 90 degree weather with a sick husband and no air conditioner in place!! Hubby was feeling way to sick to install both our window units but was able to at least get the one in the bedroom up and running. Darwin (the dog) and I have basically camped out on the bed worshiping the cooler air. You can either find me in front of that AC or taking an ice cold bath. I have never really been one for heat but who knew adding a baby to your belly would make the heat even more unbearable! I think we go back to rain and overcast on Monday and as much as I complain about the rain, during this pregnancy I am VERY happy with it! Bring on the gray skies and below average temperatures, my belly and me appreciate it!

Mom's Voice.

This video was sent to me by hubby. This really is one of the sweetest things I have ever seen. It's a video of a baby hearing his mother's voice for the first time after getting the Cochlear ear implant. The power of a mother's voice.



Makes me think about how powerful my mother's voice is to me. Just hearing her makes me feel better. When she was visiting I could hear her humming in the other room and I remember thinking how relaxing it is to hear that.

They say at the end of this month the baby can fully hear what's going on outside of the womb. The baby can even put it's hands over it's ear if the sound is too loud. I wonder if my baby can hear me sing to him/her or hear how low and deep hubby's voice can get. As we talk to the belly I keep thinking only a couple more months and we can hold the baby in our arms and hum her/him to sleep like our moms did.

Tears and binge eating.

If it wasn't obvious by my belly that I am pregnant then my eating and mood swings are a sure give away. Both of which came shinning through yesterday. I think I need to get the hubby a seat belt because I feel we just hit the crazy train and it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Hubby had the day off yesterday so we did very domestic errands and house work. Our first stop was to Lowes to return blinds my Mom and I had ordered for the nursery. Apparently my Mom and I can't measure and if anyone knows us well enough would question why hubby would put us in charge of this anyway. We were a whole foot off! I had the original receipt to the blinds and Lowes gives full refunds even if it was my mistake for measuring wrong. Catch is that you can never really return anything to store without something or someone making it difficult. I don't need to get in the dramatics of the whole return diabolical but let's just say everyone has a story similar to this and like normal people, move on. The situation was solved somewhat, let me rephrase that, hubby stepped in when he saw that I had taken the conversation to level 10 and we now had the blinds in our hands. Afterward we walked through the store looking for a new fan. Between the hardware section and the refrigerators I started to get teary eyed! Seriously, upset about something I would pay no mind too. I even had to question my sanity at that moment. I was crying over the return policy at Lowes?!? And to make matters worse I couldn't stop thinking about it. We are driving home and I again bring it up and start to cry. At this point in the story I am sure you are like me and are wondering what in the world is hubby doing? He is a normal man, type A personality, not one for the dramatics of life. He just allows this crazy behavior to continue like a nature observer not wanting to poke the bear at the zoo. Poor guy doesn't know weather to pull the car over, laugh or run for the hills. And just as quickly as the tears started, they stop. And this crazy train doesn't stop at this incident, oh no.. it continues into the evening.

I was laying in bed, tossing and turning. Trying very hard to shake the overwhelming feeling that I needed to eat. It was about 9 at night. I had already eaten dinner earlier but I just couldn't shake the feeling of starvation. I tried to convince myself that if I fell asleep I would eat a big breakfast in the morning but I felt possessed, something forced me down to the kitchen. Hubby was watching TV confused why I was up so late only to get the phrase "must eat. now" Again he stared at me like he was watching a National Geographic special: crazy pregnant eaters. I proceeded to make myself a turkey sandwich with the works and then heat up left over mashed potatoes and gravy. I ate everything with record speed. As if I was being timed. This whole event took place in under 10 minutes. I kissed the hubby goodnight his eyes still wide eyed and told me it looked like the scene from A Christmas Story, "show mommy how the little piggy eats" We both laughed, the whole day was filled with my crazy pregnant behavior why would night be any different. I went back up stairs and into bed. Full belly and full heart. My baby was at peace and my husband loved me even when I was knee deep in crazy and mashed potatoes.

5 months and 2 weeks.

The hubby calls this picture my B&B shot. Boobs and Belly. He now uses this photo as his screen saver on his phone. (very excited future daddy) I had just a little to much bed head to make a face appearance when this shot was taken.

The baby now has sleep and awake times. Seems to be an early bird, making the most movement around 5 am and then again around noon. The books say that most babies keep this schedule when they are born. Hmmmm, I am cool with the noon activity but 5am. Maybe I can change his/her habits by November. Go sit in my new rocking chair and put the baby back to sleep while still in belly. We aren't at the point yet where hubby can feel the movement. We are really looking forward to that, now it's just me telling him the baby is moving. The movement to me feels very ocean like. If that makes sense. The belly is the ocean and the baby a fish and you can feel the waves. Odd I know but that is what it reminds me of. So when the baby is really moving I start quoting Finding Nemo: "Just keep swimming, swimming". ( you need to see Finding Nemo to get that )

I seem to have found my appetite again. Which in a very serendipitous moment I tried to weight myself and my scale ran out of batteries. I can't decide if I should change the batteries or just what tell my next appointment in a couple weeks to see how much I have been able to put back on. I think I will wait, why ruin a beautiful thing like desert every once in awhile? I think most everyone would agree to wait. I don't want to take away mornings like the one I had today. I woke hubby bright and early and gave him two choices, Ihop pancakes ( cause I love their strawberry syrup ) or our local diner for french toast. I was a very happy mommy-to-be eating french toast!

Just keep swimming..swimming

The iphone and ultrasounds.

It's not much of a secret that I cry at certain commercials. I am a marketers dream viewer, I am their target audience. The latest commercial to make me cry is the new iphone face to face feature. The water works really start happening when you get to the ultrasound couple. Goodness!! Watch the youtube video below and you will see what I mean. Kudios to Apple and their genius marketing team.. you got me!



And if your heart can take one more sentimental moment watch the google commercial below... this one played during the super bowl and months later I am still a sucker for it.