Guitar Frets Baby Leg Warmers

I wanted to make some guitar fret leg warmers for part of a guitar-shaped diaper cake that I'm working on for a baby shower. I couldn't find anything with a guitar fret pattern, so I finally decided to just create my own. I used a worsted weight yarn. I also used an H hook, but my stitches are always tight, so a G hook would probably work for most people

Chain 6 in brown or tan to begin top ribbing.
Row 1: Starting from the second chain from hook, sc across (5 stitches). Chain 1 and turn.
Row 2: In back loops only, sc across (5 stitches). Chain 1 and turn.
Row 3-29: Repeat row 2, working in back loops only, to create ribbing. You can adjust the number of rows as needed to make the leg warmers wider or narrower.
Row 30: Work the final row as the previous 29 rows, except you'll be crocheting row 30 together with row 1 (be careful not to twist). This will stitch the whole thing together in the circle.

Row 1 for leg warmer frets:
On the bottom of the circle, attach your white yarn. Chain 1, and sc in the same stitch. Sc around. Slip stitch into the first stitch and change yarn to brown (30 stitches).
Row 2: Chain 1, and sc into same stitch. SC around, and slip stitch into the first stitch (30 Stitches).
Row 3-30: Repeat row 2. On the first leg warmer, I made a white stripe on rows 1, 10, 18, and 25. On the second leg warmer, I made a white strip on rows 1, 6, 11, 15, 19, 23, 26, and 29. (30 Stitches).
Row 31: Using white yarn in the final row of the leg warmer, chain 1, sc in same stitch. SC in next 7 stitches. SC next 2 stitches together. SC in next 8 stitches. SC next 2 stitches together. SC in next 8 stitches. SC final 2 stitches together. Join with slip stitch. (27 stitches).

Attach brown yarn to one of the white loops on the bottom to begin bottom ribbing. Chain 5.
Row 1: Starting from the second chain from hook, sc across (4 stitches). Slip stitch back into the next white stitch from row 31 of the main body of the leg warmer. Slip stitch again into the next white stitch from row 31. Chain 1 and turn.
Row 2: Working in back loops only, SC across the 4 stitches of row 1. Chain 1 and turn. (4 stitches).
Row 3: Working in back loops only, SC across. (4 stitches). Slip stitch into each of the next 2 white stitches from row 31. Chain 1 and turn.
Rows 4-26: Repeat rows 2-3.
Row 27: On final row, work in back loops only and SC across while also joining the last row to row 1, completing the ribbing.

Using black yarn, add knots or cross stitches to create the finger markers between the frets. Weave in ends.

When I was finished, I pulled the warmers over a piece of cardboard to create the neck of a guitar for the diaper cake.

I then attached it to the diaper cake. For the diaper cake, I watched Thom's Crafts and Treats instructions on YouTube for ideas and guidance, which you can view using this link. I made a number of changes for mine, including these frets, so I'll be sure to update my blog soon with details on how I made mine.

A Baby Shower to Remember

We did it! Even with all the snow, the roads stayed clear, and the baby shower was a go! All those weeks of planning were worth it, as Aminta and I pulled off a wonderful shower to celebrate Phuong & Cactus's baby.

Aminta was in charge of the decorations and totally made everything look cute.

Here is our table display:

I love how my storks looked on the table! You can find the stork tutorial here.

One of the most hilarious mishaps was the fruit salad I made, which people dubbed the "alien baby." I'd found it on Pinterest (you can find that pin here). But, here's the thing: I don't like most melons. I've never bought a honeydew melon before nor a cantaloupe. In my mind, they were the same thing: melons that don't taste good. Ha! So, I bought a honeydew thinking it was a cantaloupe. The morning of the shower, I went to peel back the melon skin only to discover it was green! Oops. So here is the now infamous alien baby fruit salad:

I think my baby bump cake ended up looking cute! I joked that I should have tucked a plastic baby into the tummy, kind of like people do for King Cakes at Mardi Gras. You can see how I made this cake by clicking here.

Deviled eggs are some of my favorite treats. I scoured the internet looking for ways to make them cute for a baby shower. I ended up finding a pin on how to make hot dog babies in the deviled eggs. I don't eat meat, and, frankly, I wasn't sure how good deviled eggs would be with hot dogs on them anyway. So, I just made a few into babies and left the rest plain.

Aren't those little duckies cute? I bought a package of them to decorate the punch I made! I got the rubber duckie idea from Pinterest, but I didn't want to use the punch recipe. I based my recipe off of one from Allrecipes.com. I used two frozen pink lemonade concentrate cans, one two-liter bottle of club soda, and four bottles of sparkling apple juice. To make it foam, I scooped a couple pints of berry sherbet on top. It tasted like sparkling strawberry lemonade! I was so amazed at how delicious and cute the punch ended up! I used another tip from Pinterest and froze slices of lemon in water in a cupcake tray.

Aminta made these cucumber sandwiches that were soooo good. Seriously, I think I ate half of them. She added some herbs and spices to cream cheese, spread it over rye bread, and topped it with fresh cucumbers. Not pictured are some miniature cherry danishes she brought in addition to a beautiful vegetable tray with dip and hummus.

We hung the diaper wreath near the entrance. It got a lot of compliments! Everyone made me feel so appreciated for everything. In case you missed the tutorial on this diaper wreath, you can find it here.

Aminta made these cute "lollipops" for Phuong out of washcloths and baby spoons. She poked them into a sand pail & shovel and filled it with Easter grass. It almost looks like flowers blooming! That idea also came from Pinterest, and there's a tutorial with that pin.

This is the start of the gift pile. Pictured are the "lollipops" by Aminta, the diaper tricycle that I made, the blanket I made, and the giraffe I made. 

Aiiiee! They are so cute! Seriously, Phuong and Cactus are two of the sweetest people in the world, and they are going to make the best parents. They loved the giraffe and tricycle diaper cake, making all of my hard work absolutely worth it.

Here's a close-up of the blanket. The pattern for this blanket is free, so if you like to crochet, you can find it through this pin.

More decorations from Aminta!

The balloons were loved and coveted by all the children.

Here are my best friends and me, ready to get the party started!

Phuong greeted all of her guests at the door. There were new friends and old friends and friends she hadn't seen a few years. We all had one thing in common... we all wanted to create a special day to shower our dear friend with gifts for her baby!

Oh.my.gosh! This is me with my friends from high school! It's been more than a decade, but we agreed that all of us looked exactly the same. 

We had favors for our guests, of course! I'd originally planned on making these fortune cookie favors (and did), but they weren't big enough to hold candy!

So, a couple days before the shower, I was really feeling the time crunch. My supportive husband helped me cut out a couple dozen paper shoes, which I then filled with the candy that was supposed to have filled the fortune cookies. You can find the paper shoe pattern on the Michael's website, or on the description of this Pinterest pin.

I found this poem online.

For games, we had people guess the width of Phuong's belly. We also had everyone fold a paper crane to string up on a mobile for the baby. Actually, folding paper cranes was a lot harder than I expected! I'm glad a couple people there knew what they were doing and were able to help everyone else out.

Here's Jennifer helping me with my crane:

I was able to string up all of the paper cranes while Phuong opened her gifts. The cranes have a gap in the bottom, and I couldn't figure out how to string them. The knotted thread wasn't thick enough to hold up the crane. Sayaka advised me to cut out circles. Using a needle, I thread the string first through a crane, then through a circle, and then I made a knot under the circles. It worked like a charm! You can get the how-to for this paper crane mobile from my Pinterest pin.

Here's our finished mobile:

Everything was perfect. The food, the company, the decorations, the happy couple... It was wonderful! I couldn't have done it without Aminta. Aminta kept everything moving smoothly. She made sure gifts were opened when they should be opened, she had people fill out their addresses on thank-you cards, she wrote down who gave what gift. She was so organized and on-top of everything! I might have had fun decorating the shower and preparing the food, but things would have been stagnant without Aminta's expertise. Thanks, Aminta!

And here are a few random shots from the shower:

Five Interactive Games to Teach a Nine Month Old

Guess what? My baby is nine months old, and she can finally play and interact well with us. I love it!

Here are some simple games you can play with your baby. Your baby might pick up on some of these activities immediately, and others might take a little while. Don't stress if they don't work for you right now. They don't have to! When you're a parent, you do what works.

1. Peek-a-Boo
This sounds simple, right? I mean, you've probably played peek-a-boo with your wee one when she was just a few weeks or months old. Did you know that your baby can play it herself now? All it takes is a little practice.

Start by playing peek-a-boo with a blanket when your baby is in a good mood. Hold it up so she can't see you, and then drop it. Tell her, "Peek a boo!" Once she is into the game, help her hold the blanket. Do it a few times with her. Then, hand her the blanket and say, "OK, you do it!"

                 

Both of my children seemed so proud when they learned to do this game all by themselves. I remember back in the day when I'd be folding laundry with Oliver, and I'd have to call out "Peek a boo!" every time he got a hold of an article of clothing. It's super cute when your baby can initiate a game herself.

2. Baby Drumming

At this age, your baby wants to communicate with you. She can't talk yet, but she'll be delighted when she can do something and you respond to it.

Teach her to drum! You don't need a drum. You can use an upside down coffee can or a large piece of tupperware or whatever is laying around. I have an empty wooden box from a board game, and it works perfectly.

When your baby is in a good mood, sit down with her and place the "drum" between you. Take your hand and pat it. Do it again and again. If your baby doesn't reach to do it herself, gently take her arm and do it for her. She'll probably smile when her hand comes down and makes a noise. Every time she drums, be sure to do it back. She will get such a kick out of it!

She might not be talk to you with her words, but she'll love that she can send you a message that you'll understand. Drum away!

              


3. The Sharing Game
We started this game with Oliver. Joanna loves it just as much. Actually, no, I think she enjoys this game even more than Oliver ever did.

I think this game takes a little more practice than the others, but your baby will pick up on it and will get a total kick out of playing it with you.

Hand your baby a little toy. Let her examine it and shake it or bang it or whatever she likes to do these days. Then, take it from her. She'll look shocked at first, but just tell her, "Oh, thank you! Thank you for sharing with me! You're so nice." Then, give it back. If your baby is like mine, she'll look stunned for a bit. I like to pretend to read my baby's mind, and so I'm pretty sure she thought, "What the heck just happened?" when we first played this game.

Take the toy from her a few times, each time cooing at your baby and telling her thank you for sharing with you. Don't keep it for long. Give it right back. After you've done it a few times, start holding your hands out expectantly at her when she's playing with her toy. You can even ask, "Can I have that?" The first few times, your baby might not be good at getting the item to you at all. She might just drop it. That's your baby trying to give it to you. Make a big deal out of it, coo, and say thanks.

Soon, you'll be playing the sharing game. You'll hold your hands out, and she'll drop it in. You'll say thanks, and she'll smile proudly. Then, you give it back. Rinse and repeat.

Here's the post I made of Oliver when he was 9 months old and playing this game.

Here's a video of Joanna playing the sharing game:


4. Echo!
Joanna invented this game herself. Maybe she'll be an inventor like her great-grandfather, Charlie.

We gave her a water bottle without the lid. She was babbling away and heard it echo. The expression on her face was priceless. Andrew made noises into it, and gave it back to Jo. Before long, they were alternating turns yelling into the empty bottle. It's become a regular daddy-daughter game.

5. Patty Cake
OK, you're going to be doing most of the work for this game. Clap your hands together, and then pat your baby's hands with your own. Do you know the patty cake rhyme? It's pretty simple:
Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man. Bake me a cake as fast as you can. Roll it, pat (prick) it, mark it with a B, put it in the oven for baby and me!

We've always said "pat it," but, apparently, some people know the rhyme as "prick it."  You can also have fun changing the letter to your child's first initial.  "Mark it with a J, put it in the oven for Joanna and me!"

Babies love the interaction and will stare in wonder as you pat their hands.  You can do some variations of this game. If your baby loves clapping, let her clap while you clap and say the rhyme.  You can add in fun little things like "pricking" your baby's belly button when you say "prick it," or rolling your baby's arms when you say "roll it."

First Doctor's Visit

I went to my PCP today to get a doctor's note stating I'm pregnant for insurance purposes. It's nice having the official confirmation, and he also gave me my due date--November 14.

I'm so excited. I think it's finally hit me that I'm pregnant, and I'm so happy. There's a lot less confusion and uncertainty this time around. With Oliver, we had to come to grips with the fact that we were going to be parents. I had no idea how to care for a baby, and I was scared.

This time, I feel confident in Andrew and me. I'm excited to give parenthood another go. My concerns are different. Will the new baby wake Oliver? Will the new baby nurse as easily as Oliver? Will the new baby cry as much as Oliver or be an "easy" baby? Will delivery be even easier this time? Will this baby come after his/her due date, too?

No Naps for Ollie

My son hates to nap. The weird thing is, he sleeps so well at night. After his first week at home, he'd sleep from 8:30pm to 5:30am, waking up for feedings. These days, he only wakes up for one feeding and can sleep as late as 7 or 8am.

When it comes to napping, though, he's a stinker. He'll sleep as long as he's in my arms. As soon as I set him down, he wakes up crying. His longest nap in his crib is 15 minutes (he did that twice this week!). I've tried setting him down when he's still a bit awake, but then he cries as soon as he's touching the crib. I'll try a few times a day to set him down for a nap, but I don't want him to start associating his crib with crying. So, inevitably, I give up. He needs to nap, so I let him sleep in my arms. More recently, I've started laying down on my bed with him curled next to me. He'll sleep for two hours in that position.

I'd love for him to be able to nap on his own for those two hours. Then, I could shower! Currently, I can only shower when Andrew's home. I hate that, because he gets home at 6pm every night, and I go to bed at 9pm. Sometimes, I shower in the middle of the night after Oliver's feeding, just to maximize my time with Andrew. I seriously go three days without a shower at times. I could also straighten up the house more if he would nap. Right now, I can quick do a load of laundry or dishes as he happily plays in his bouncy chair, but I'd love to be able to deep clean and get our house looking really nice.

How do you teach your baby to nap? It seems like all the advice online is how to teach a baby to sleep through the night, but he's got that down pat!

In Labor!

I'm at the hospital in labor! Andrew and I drove through the 16 inches of snow to make our appointment at 7:30pm for me to be induced. They checked us in, got us set up in a labor and delivery room, and used some tablets at 8pm to start thinning my cervix. I received a second dose around midnight, and around 2:30am, I woke up with contractions!

The contractions were immediately severe, and they were only 45 seconds apart. I went to the bathroom to pee, and I had two by the time I finished. I went back to my hospital bed, trying to decide if I was supposed to wait for a while or not. After a couple more that were even more painful, I decided I couldn't handle them on my own. I woke up Andrew. Andrew got the nurse, and she reviewed the contraction monitor. My contractions were so close together, I barely got a break from one when the next would start. She told me that can be one of the side effects from the tablets.



She started an IV (eeeieii!) to try to space out the contractions. She gave it 15 minutes, but the contractions got even worse. I literally was shaking with pain because there was no break from them. She checked my cervix, and I was dilated to 4cm. She called the anesthesiologist, and he made it to my room within 10 minutes. Those 10 minutes felt like forever since I had at least that many contractions. I started to cry. When he arrived, he asked me if my contractions started out that severe, and I said, "Pretty much."

The nurse injected me with a pain medication to help for the epidural. It immediately made me dizzy and sleepy, and I could no longer keep my eyes open. Getting the epidural didn't hurt at all, and it helped almost immediately. I kept telling the anesthesiologist, "Thank you so much."

Labor's been super easy ever since. I'm now dilated almost 7cm, and all I've been doing is napping and relaxing. Of course, it's not easy being hooked up to so many things. I have the IV because I'm not allowed to eat or drink. I have the epidural in my back, and a cathader as well. On my stomach, I have a fetal monitor and a contraction monitor. On my left hand, I have a pulse reader, and on my right arm, I have a blood pressure cuff. Also, even though the baby's pulse is fine (in the 120s), it's lower than it was, so she gave me an oxygen mask to wear. As she put it, "The baby's getting tired from the medication, too."

My doctor is going to arrive in about an hour to break my water. From there, I'm hoping things will speed along, and hopefully, I'll have a baby soon!



I'm getting a little nervous again, but definitely more excited than anything. I'm wishing my mom was here, though, to tell me everything's going well and will be fine. She took the day off today, so hopefully she'll be here soon to help. Delivery will just be me and Andrew, of course. I think we'll take a couple of hours to ourselves to marvel at our little wonder, but then we'll see our visitors and show off our bundle of joy. Just a few more hours!

Baby Update

October 27, and still no baby. I went in for an appointment yesterday, and there was still no change. I'm 1.5cm dilated, and 60% effaced.

After the appointment, I had a few "practice" contractions. I call them practice because I've had them before, a few weeks ago. They don't hurt, and they don't last long. Still, it was nice feeling *something* going on with my body.

Today at work, I had a terribly painful event that might have been a contraction, but the tightening occurred in my back. It was quite intense. I'm hoping labor does not feel like that, but, alas, I'm thinking it will.

I'm hoping something regular starts occurring soon. I was planning on going to work tomorrow to take my mind off of everything going on, but now there's a foot of snow forecast, so I'm reconsidering. Maternity leave might officially start for me tomorrow!

Meanwhile, I'm getting a little tired emotionally. I'm getting pretty sick of people rubbing me and asking me how I feel. Is that bad? I go through moments where I don't want any visitors at the hospital. I just want to do my own thing! Maybe these mood swings indicate change...

10 Days Until Baby!

Our little guy is due in 10 days! I'm starting to suspect he'll make a late appearance. On October 1, before Julie's wedding, we went to the doctor to get her approval for me to drive to Omaha. Of course, she said yes! Turns out I wasn't dilated at all. A week later, I went back to the doctor, and I was surprised to hear I'd dilated a centimeter and a half. That was easy! I wasn't effaced at all, however.

Two days ago, on the 14th, I went back to the doctor again. I hadn't dilated any more than the week prior, but now I'm completely effaced. Does this mean I'll start dilating this week? I sure hope so! I'm hoping Baby can make it without having to be induced.

My doctor let me know it's not healthy to let the baby stay in too far past his due date. The longer he's in the womb, the larger he gets, and the more likely I'll have a C-section. Also, the longer he's in the womb past his due date, the more likely it is he'll pass his first stool... and if he inhales that, it can lead to a lot of breathing complications.

I go back to the doctor on Wednesday. If I'm not showing signs that the baby will be here any day, I set up an appointment for my due date (approximately), and we start discussing plans and options from there. I can't believe how close we are!

It's Something Out of Alien... or Spaceballs

My poor stomach. It started as a good thing. At 4am this morning, I woke up to a (most likely) foot stretching out sideways in my abdomen. The little guy really got his stretch on! I wasn't able to go back to sleep, so I laid there feeling the baby move and stretch. He's getting so strong (and long)! I'm not sure if it could have caused my stomach distress or not, but he was pretty active today, and my stomach's been quite sour.

I went to the doctor's on Wednesday where I saw Dr. Oster. She felt my tummy and said she'd estimate the baby at 3.5 pounds. She said I'm measuring a week and a half large (which is down from 2 weeks large at my last few appointments). I take that to be good news... hopefully, I'll be able to deliver this mega-baby!

I also signed Andrew and me up for an infant care class to learn how to bathe and diaper the baby (It's three hours long! Hopefully, we'll learn a lot). Andrew's mom, Colleen, got us a book that our house inspector recommended called The Happiest Baby on the Block. I like it a lot, and I think I'm learning a lot from it. Is it enough to figure out what the hell we're doing when the baby gets here? Probably not, but I like to hope so!

Tomorrow, I reach the 33 week mark. Seven more weeks to go! I'm starting to get very excited. I find myself wondering what he'll look like, and I'm excited to finally hold the baby that's been in my belly all these months. Soon!

Baby Shower

I had so much fun on Sunday at the baby shower. My mom and I arrived at Tre Jolie just before two. Aminta and Julie were setting up, and it looked stunning. There were bunches of balloons behind my seat, gifts lining the window, and baby bottles full of M & Ms at every place setting.

They organized a few games (Price is Right, Baby Style! and How Much Ribbon Does it Take to Circumnavigate Becky's Belly?), and every time someone won, I won, too!

There were so many gifts, from a baby monitor to diaper bags, from a baby swing to teething rings. I had such a good time, and I'm starting to feel a little more ready for Baby to arrive.

Andrew Feels a Kick

Andrew made me a snack of apple slices and peanut butter. Soon after I started eating, our little boy started going nuts in my tummy. I started to feel all sorts of kicks. Andrew put his hand on me to try to feel them, and at first missed out. After a little lull, I started to feel the kicks again, only this time hard enough to make me jump. Andrew came over and put both hands on my stomach just in time to feel a whole series of sharp kicks! It was so exciting. He looked up at me, giggling, and said, "What have we done?" (sarcastically, of course). I love that he felt it, too... that someone else gets to feel the little thumps our baby boy makes.

First Kicks

On Monday, Andrew picked me up to go look at some townhomes. As we were driving, I felt a little thump in my lower abdomen. I thought it was unusual, and then about five minutes later, it happened again. I couldn't be sure, but I thought it was probably our baby kicking!

That night, I was laying down and reading, and I started to feel it again. And then yesterday (Tuesday), I felt some thumps at lunch. It's so exciting! And weird, to know there's a person inside of you, kicking you. I'm getting excited to meet our little guy, but I'm also excited for the rest of the pregnancy, when Andrew can start feeling those little thumps, too!

Today is Here!

We've been counting down the weeks and finally the days, but today is here! My ultrasound is scheduled for 4:15pm, and we're going to find out if we're expecting a little boy or a little girl. I'm so excited!

These last few weeks have been weeks of change. My body is getting quite large. I've gained 13 pounds so far, but it's all tummy. It's getting harder to sleep, and my hips are frequently sore. I still have no nausea or constipation, thankfully. But also, I don't feel the baby move. I'm pretty disappointed at that. All my books inform me that people typically feel their babies move at 16-20 weeks. Saturday, I'll hit 21 weeks and still nothing.

Andrew's been reading my What to Expect. I saw him reading the delivery chapters yesterday, and I wonder if he's as nervous as me. I find myself singing a lot to Baby, hoping it'll get to know my voice. Andrew introduced himself to Baby the other day, and when he referred to himself as "Daddy," I almost teared up.

But, yes, today's the day. My parents and Andrew's mom are coming with us to the doctor. Paul, unfortunately, was called out of town for work, so he won't be able to make it.

Me, I still think our baby's a girl, but if they tell me it's a boy, I'll be happy and surprised. They'll also look at all its organs again. I get nervous whenever they look for abnormalities. So, yeah, I'm nervous for the appointment, but also insanely excited.

Andrew's making me a breakfast burrito this morning. I do my best to eat eggs and cheese and such. Frankly, fruits sound better and better every day, and everything else pales in comparison. I even dreamed about fruit yesterday... yum.

April 1, Part 2: Bad

This evening was very craptastic. At first, I was excited about my expanding belly. Then, as I was packing for Chicago, I was freaking out about having nothing to wear. Five out of seven days a week, I wear my scrubs. I don't need many other clothes.

I started to go through my drawers, and I was disappointed to find that I had nothing to wear. My maternity jeans and my nice black pants with the super loose waist.... and that's it. Shirts are not an issue at all at this point, but, still, one cannot go out of town for 4 days with 2 pairs of pants.

Andrew's suitcase found a similiar fate. None of his white collared shirts had been brought to the dry-cleaners, so he had no shirts to wear for the funeral and wake. I suggested we run out to Walmart, since it was 10pm.

Walmart was rough. They didn't have shirts in Andrew's size, and I could not find the maternity section for the life of me. I scowered the women's clothing, trying ot find pants where the waist had some give. There wasn't anything. I was just about to resign and try to shop in the plus section when Andrew found a small maternity section in the infant department.

By small, I mean, they had 4 maternity shirts and 4 maternity shorts. Chicago in shorts in early April? I decided it's better than being naked, so I bought a pair (on the plus side, they were only $3). Not before nearly crying in Walmart, though. These hormones have been making me cry over everything and nothing this week.

I think Andrew sensed the tears coming because he insisted the shorts were very cute.

Once we got home, I decided to finish folding the laundry and putting the clean sheets on the bed for Phuong while Andrew took Bailey for a walk. Let me tell you, Tamarac Apartments suck at ice removal. I've called on it twice since we've moved in. Andrew went out there, stepped down onto the cement, and fell straight down. His back fell into the stair. He limped his way up, and collapsed on a heap on the bed. I got him some Ibuprofen, and he laid down, not moving for a little while. I didn't know what to do, so I just kept apologizing.

That's when I decided to open his shirt from Walmart. Wouldn't you know, it was short sleeved.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I turned to Andrew, who was head down into his pillow, and I broke the news. That poor man. He thought it would be OK if he wore a sweater over it. Sweater number one: huge, gaping hole in the elbow. Sweater number two: huge, gnarly pills all over the front. Sweater number three: wide-necked, which Andrew explained you cannot wear with a sweater.

Shit.

I started to put back on some warm clothes to go back out in the cold, but Andrew insisted there was no reason for us to both go. And so he is out, back at Walmart, trying to locate a tall man's long-sleeve shirt. At first, I tried on my clothes from Walmart. The shorts were cute and comfortable, definitely worth $3, but seeing my portruding belly caused me to feel quite fat. I'm used to having some pudge around the middle. Add in a little baby and an expanding waist line, and I feel like I'm all stomach. Once it's clear that it's a baby, I'm hoping the belly will be cute. However, staring at it in the mirror, all alone in the apartment after a difficult evening, I felt absolutely ugly.

All I can say is, I'm glad I have a few days off. I'm glad I'm going to Chicago to see my family. And I'm glad that tomorrow can only be better than today.

Good night, folks.

April 1, Part 1: Good

Today, I went to my second appointment with my OB-GYN. First the nurse took me back and had me take a urine sample and checked my blood pressure and such. Then, she pulled out this funky instrument and said, "Let's try to hear its heart beat." I must have look surprised because she explained that there was a good chance we would not hear it at this visit. Apparently, from 9-12 weeks, luck has a lot to do with hearing the heart.

It took a few minutes, but the nurse finally found it. It sounded echo-y, like it was from a cave. Definitely very neat!

After that, I was taken to meet Dr. Susan. She was so nice! She discussed me going to an endocrinologist to make sure my thyroid levels stay perfect throughout the pregnancy. Then, she proceeded to do the ultrasound to make sure that everything was growing properly.

I couldn't believe it. My blob was replaced by a very definite human fetus. I could see a head and arms, and then it started to wiggle! It was so neat. It waved it's arms all about. I laughed and was surprised that I couldn't feel any of its crazy movements. She told me that it's a very, very good thing to see a fetus moving at this stage. Everything seems to be healthy!

Honestly, I was a bit disappointed that Dr. Oster had told me I didn't need to bring Andrew for this visit. Of course, she couldn't have known I'd get to hear the heart beat and see the fetus move and wiggle around, but if I'd known there was a chance for those, I would have definitely brought Andrew. I had to give him the play-by-play after the appointment, and he got pretty excited for me.

In other news, I can definitely see that the bottom of my belly is bigger. I'm certain it's no longer my imagination! Some of my panties are too tight for me to wear now, and I've stopped wearing all but my loosest pants, scrubs and maternity pants.

I'd gained 3 pounds. It doesn't seem like it'd be enough to make one switch pants, but it definitely is...

It's a fetus!

This week, we officially have a fetus! It has all its organs. My modified due date is October 26, and I'm anxious for my next visit on Wednesday to make sure everything's going well.

Andrew and I have adjusted to the idea of being parents. He loves the ultrasound picture and smooches my belly. Which, by the way, I think is starting to grow! Or maybe that's just me...

I lost 5 pounds during the first weeks of the pregnancy, and now it appears that I've gained 4 of them back. That's a lot of gain! I think I read that you're only supposed to gain 3-5 during the first trimester. Ooops. I've definitely gotten my appetite back. At work, I go to lunch at 12pm. Around 10:30am, though, I start getting the worst hunger pains that turn to nausea. As soon as I eat, they disappear. Which makes me want to eat every time I feel hungry... but I'm thinking maybe smaller servings!

It also doesn't help that I'm so exhausted all the time. Actually, things have improved this week some. I can stay awake at work now, for one thing. But I take a lot of naps at home and find it nearly impossible to get up in the morning. I've tried to work out a bit and go for long walks when I don't feel too tired, but as soon as I do, it drains me, and I come home and sleep.

But, yes, my belly is feeling a bit tighter. When I bend over, I feel a weird pressure, so I'm trying not to bend over too much. I've stopped wearing my regular jeans in favor of maternity jeans to keep the pressure off my tummy. They're unusually comfortable. It's going to suck going back from all these comfy clothes to normal clothes again one day.

Meanwhile, when I'm not working or sleeping, Andrew and I are house hunting. Let me tell you, it is not easy! Still, I'm confident we'll find something soon...

And the doctor says...

...I was 7 to 8 weeks along for my appointment on February 26. I added 32.5 weeks from then and came up with an approximate due date of October 12.

This means in a week or two, I can call an OB-Gyn to set an appointment and have my first ultrasound! From there, they'll be able to give me a more specific due date.
Andrew's being a strong resource for me. He doesn't seem nervous at all and frequently offers to help me with anything and everything. I came home yesterday to some hot dinner and clean dishes. Honestly, I think he's worried about the possibility of having a girl, though. I don't think he knows what to do with a girl!
While I can't control my due date, I feel terrible that it seems to be about a week from when my sister wants to have her wedding. I don't want to miss it, but I can't see myself travelling when I'm so close to delivery. She's going to be such a beautiful bride and deserves to have her sister there for her big day. I told her, as long as it's physically possible for me to go and the doctor says it's OK, I'll be there.

In other baby news, my cousin Amanda is also expecting! She's due at the end of August. I can't wait, and I'm already thinking about how fun it will be that she'll have a kid the same age as mine. Julie and I always got so excited to see Tara and Amanda when we were growing up (of course, we still do! But I don't think our enthusiasm can match when we were little). I'm excited to pass that fun on!

We're Adding a Limb to Our Family Tree...

So sang Ricky Ricardo in an episode of "I Love Lucy." Man, I loved that show as a kid.

Andrew and I never planned on having kids. We were content with the idea of being the world's greatest aunt and uncle. Sometimes, life doesn't turn out as you plan.

Over the last couple of weeks at work, I noticed I was getting hungrier than usual. I didn't want to over eat, so I purchased healthy options like string cheese, yogurt and fruit to eat. Then, I started to feel more tired than normal. At work, I kept thinking how I wanted to go home and sleep. Then, on Wednesday, my good friend Aminta and I went to do our usual work out. My stomach felt full, like I had indigestion or something, and I finally told Aminta I'd have to go home early.

On Friday, I felt the same full feeling. Andrew and I went out shopping for some Mucinex, and everything we passed looked delicious. Hot cocoa! Canned corn! Yum, yum. He teased me that I just wanted everything at the end of the aisles: "Do you need a cell phone charger, too?"

Friday evening, I was craddling my bloated stomach trying to think what I'd eaten that might have caused the indigestion. That's about the time it occured to me that I was late... like 10 days late. How had I not thought of it before? I tried to tell Andrew, but couldn't think how. When I finally worked up the courage and let him know I was late. He stayed calm and practical and offered to go out to buy a test. I was nervous and wasn't sure if I even wanted to know. He assured me that knowing is better than not knowing, and that's basically how I ended up peeing on a test stick at 10pm.

Truly, I didn't expect a positive result. I'm not sure why. I thought Andrew read it wrong when he told me it was positive. It was very overwhelming. I don't know how to be a parent! How's it going to come out of me? What about the house we wanted to buy? And could we even afford rent, much less a mortgage with a kid? I cried over the confusion, and Andrew hugged me. He told me that life doesn't turn out like we plan, and that's a good thing.

The next day, yesterday, I started to feel much better. It was nerve-wracking telling my parents. Everyone knew we didn't want kids; what would they all think when they found out we were expecting? But they were happy for us; my dad started talking about taking our kid to ball games. My mom joked that I'm so small; she said I'll end up looking like a basketball. Really, they were excited for us. I think that was the turning point for me, too, where I started to see having a kid as a positive thing. On the way home, Andrew and I talked about baby names. I won't tell you the ones we did like, but I'll tell you the ones we didn't. Andrew hated my pick Wyatt; I hated his choice of Harlen. He decided that we both get unlimited name vetos, since it's important we both like our child's name.

This morning, we went over to his parents' house to tell them the big news. Andrew told them in their kitchen, and they both started crying. His dad, Paul, told me I'd be a great mom. Colleen even bought me prenatal vitamins (the picture on the front with the very pregnant woman reminded me again of the fact that this baby is going to have to come out somehow).

There's a lot we don't know. I don't know how to hold a baby, much less figure out how to breast feed it. I don't know how to change a baby or, frankly, how to raise it. I know nothing of the birthing process, and the whole needle thing to the abdomin is a little too much for me at this point. Andrew asked me about birthing classes. I guess I'd go if it's recommended, but do we have to watch videos? I definitely don't want to watch a video. It'll only succeed in freaking me out more.

All I'm saying is I have 9 months (maybe 8? Possibly 7?) to figure all this stuff out. I have no idea where to start...