36 Weeks and My First Weird Pregnancy Craving

Hip-hip-hooray! I'm almost done with this pregnancy. It hasn't been horrible by any means, but I'm ready to be done. I look forward to being able to breathe easily, roll over in bed without it being difficult, not feeling tired all the time . . . Wait, that last one won't change. Oh well. Mostly I'm looking forward to meeting this little girl! 

We've been working on figuring out a name for this gal. It's never easy. Dusty and I combined our lists of names we like and there are 15 of them. Yikes. We're each going to narrow it down to our top ten and see where we stand; then top 5. When we go to the hospital we'll probably have two or three to choose from after we see what she looks like. That's what we did with both boys and it seemed to work well for us.

I've been sleeping pretty horribly at night, which is getting annoying. It's not due to discomfort, which is almost more frustrating; I wake up around 2 or 3 a.m. and am so restless and wide awake that it takes 1-2 hours to get back to sleep. Then of course my mind wanders to all the things we should get done before she comes. We're working from the assumption that she'll be overdue (like both boys), but are realizing that she could come at any time. Need. To. Prepare. Everything.

The other day I had a really bizarre pain where my upper thigh connects to my hip and I almost had to call Dusty home from work. I don't know what it was (I'll ask my doc tomorrow), but I could barely move because it was so painful. It lasted a few hours, and gradually receded. I haven't had it since, so who knows. But, I hadn't experienced with either of my past pregnancies, so it was a little scary. Good thing my mom was available via phone for reassurance and advice. :)

My weird pregnancy craving? Crushed ice. Not flavored. Just plain ol' crushed ice that I can chew on. I actually crave it. We don't have an ice maker in our fridge, so I put a bunch of ice cubes in a glass and put hot water on them so they can more quickly get to a small enough size for me to chew. My husband thinks I'm loony. I agree.

I think both boys must sense that a big change is coming because they're both unbelievably sweet to me lately. Asher out of the blue says, "I love you, Mommy" and is free with his hugs and kisses. Aiden (who has never been a snuggler) will snuggle right in with a book, ask for hugs and kisses, kiss my tummy, and is just generally sweet. You can bet I'm soaking it all in! 

The last month of pregnancy tends to drag (especially now since the holidays are over), but having weekly doctor appointments helps to speed it up somewhat. By the time this is posted I'll almost be 37 weeks . . . 

30 Weeks!

Finally. I feel like I'm getting somewhere with this pregnancy. I know I still have 10 (probably 11) weeks left, but once I get to the thirties, the due date feels so much closer. And, I know the next month and a half will fly by because we have so much going on:

* this week is Thanksgiving
* the weekend after, my hubby and I are going to The Nutcracker (my bday present)
* the weekend after that is his brother's wedding (which I'm making the cake for)
* Asher's first Christmas program is the weekend after that
* then it's Christmas (not to mention all the shopping and baking that needs to get done in there)
* then New Year's, of course
* and then January will probably drag by for the most part until Aiden's 2nd birthday!

There's nothin' that perks up my spirit like spending time with family - and thankfully I'll get to do a lot of that coming up. Can you believe how close it seems? I can't. When I look at it like that, with everything laid out that's happening between now and baby-time, I know it's a lot closer than it seems.

Overall, I've been feeling pretty great - I've been tired a lot, but hey, who isn't? My back pain has gotten a little worse, but nothing too horrible yet. (Can't wait to schedule my pregnancy massage - I highly recommend getting one . . . It's pure bliss.) I've stayed relatively healthy - I had a cold that lasted a little over a week, but it could've been much worse. So, I'm counting my blessings and counting down until this little lady makes her appearance!

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and eat your fill of delicious food . . . I know I will. :)

My Pregnancy "Must-Haves"

Well, I'm 26 weeks as of today - 3rd trimester!!! I find that impossible to believe. Some days I look down and I can't remember what it's like not to have a belly sticking out in front of me. Other days it's like, "Hey, when'd that happen?"

I can't really complain because everything's gone really smoothly so far. I've been really tired the past couple of weeks - tired, as in I could easily take a nap every day and happily be in bed by 10 p.m. . . . or earlier. I've also been getting annoyed with how I look. It goes this way for me with every pregnancy. Some days I think I look pretty cute, while other days I think I look like a gigantic whale. Lately it's been mostly "whale days." Oh well, it's part of my process I guess! And like I said, I really can't complain because both baby and I have been very healthy so far.

I've been wanting to put together a list of what I feel like I need to get through pregnancy, and while I'm sure I'm forgetting things (blame it on pregnancy brain) I think this mostly covers it:

* Sweatpants - I'm talking over-sized, soft, comfy sweatpants I can slip into without worrying that they won't fit anymore
* Black yoga pants - these aren't maternity, but they're stretchy enough that it doesn't matter; I can wear a sweater with them and still look decent enough to go out (yeah right, like I've been going "out")
* At least one cotton maternity top I can put on that can be casual if I want, or dressed up for work/church (I can use some of my regular tops throughout pregnancy, but maternity ones are longer and usually more flattering in the later months)
* Cardigans - I don't buy maternity cardigans because I don't button them so it doesn't really matter
* Maternity jeans - I can still get by using a hair tie with some of my jeans, but with maternity jeans I don't have to worry about the zipper coming down!
* Sweatshirts - you knew it was coming - I usually go for Dusty's because they're big and oh-so-soft
* Cute flats - if the rest of me can't look cute, at least my feet will!
* Chocolate - I haven't been craving it as much with this pregnancy, but when I do we better have some on hand or I'm making a special trip to the store just for that . . . which is dangerous because then I tend to overdo it when I'm there
* Water bottle - I usually get pretty thirsty and I like to have it on hand
* Apples and carrots/cauliflower with veggie dip (Dusty's grandma has the best home-made dill dip recipe, and using light mayo and light sour cream makes me not feel bad eating it with my veggies)
* Books - okay, I always need books, but when I'm having down days, I need my old stand-bys to sink into (i.e. I just started re-reading the Harry Potter series)
* A heating pad for my lower back when it starts to get sore

Things I would not buy again:
* A belly band - I bought one when I was pregnant with Asher so I could stay in my regular jeans longer and it did nothing. It wasn't nearly tight enough and it was one-size-fits-all. Maybe they've modified them since then, though
* Mid-belly maternity pants - I bought a pair that were a super good deal for this pregnancy and I hate them. Most uncomfortable thing I have ever put on.

I haven't bought a pregnancy pillow or any special sleeping stuff because I don't usually have much trouble sleeping, but some women swear by them!

As I said, I'm sure I'm forgetting things, but that's a pretty good start.

Pregnancy Fitness

I don't claim to be a fitness expert, nor do I see myself as even remotely close to being one. I just like to stay active. Yes, chasing two little boys around is active, but it's not the "I-feel-all-sweaty-and-gross-but-I-actually-accomplished-something" feeling I get after doing an actual workout.

I'm trying to keep up my workout routine while I'm pregnant, and so far it's been going well. Although, the last couple weeks I've been a little more tired than usual (chalk that up to kiddos with colds/ear infections, and going back to work) so I may have been slacking a little bit.

But, the bottom line is that I feel better during the day if I can get in a little exercise in the morning. You definitely need to pick the time that works best for you. I tend to have the most energy in the morning, so I choose that time to work out. If I skip it and tell myself I'll do it during the boys' naps, or after Dusty gets home . . . Well, odds are good that it doesn't happen that day.

I don't really have a workout "routine" per se, but I regularly use these two videos:

Walk Away the Pounds

Zumba

These are both workouts I did before I was pregnant, so we'll see how long I'm able to keep doing Zumba. I find I have to modify some of the moves, but at least it's fun  . . . and entertaining for anyone who happens to be watching! The nice thing about Zumba is that it includes a 20-minute workout, and also a 20-minute ab routine that's all standing up. Perfect!

Walk Away the Pounds is nice because the "Walk Strong" workout is 2 miles, but also does strength training, while the "Super Challenge" is 4 miles, and you can choose if you want to stop after 1, 2, 3, or 4 miles. Also, I used this after Aiden was born and had gotten a little older - I put him in the Baby Bjorn and walked with him in it. He loved it and often fell asleep, and the extra 10-20 pounds didn't hurt the goal of getting my body back after baby!

Anyway, the point is that I work out to help me stay positive. Weight gain is inevitable during pregnancy, and it can get depressing even though you know it's healthy for you and baby. I try to workout 5 times a week, but if that doesn't happen I try to do a minimum of 3 days. Taking the boys for a walk in the double stroller is an excellent workout, too - that extra 75-100 pounds of boys and stroller weight makes me feel like I've really worked hard . . . not to mention the added weight of the baby bump. :)

Bottom line: do what feels right for you. If you didn't work out before getting pregnant, try a walking video - it's a great workout (although it can get kind of boring if you're by yourself). Feelin' peppy? Try Zumba, or something along those lines, but above all listen to your body. Pregnancy is not the time to start working out hard-core (you don't want any pulled/strained muscles to add to your pregnancy uncomfortable-ness). But, staying active can keep your spirits lifted, help manage baby-weight gain, and build stamina for labor and delivery.

It's also nice to just do something for myself, that makes me feel good. I also think it helps me avoid the "pregnancy waddle." :) I have yet to experience it with any of my pregnancies, and hope to avoid it with this one, too.

I try not to let it get me down when I don't have the energy or can't fit in a workout - I just tell myself that at least I'm making an effort, and that's good, right?

**Again, not a fitness expert, so make sure you check with your doctor before you start any crazy exercising!**

Drumroll . . .

And the baby bump is a . . . 

GIRL! GIRL! GIRL! GIRL!

Halfway There and I Might Be Going Insane

Today I hit the 20 week mark - hooray! In some ways I feel as though I should be a lot closer to my due date, but in others it's surreal to already be halfway there. Things have been gettin' weird lately . . .

I still have that chubby feeling, even though I'm assuming strangers would know I'm pregnant.

Sometimes, I already have trouble breathing when I lean forward - like when I'm reading a book at the kitchen table waiting for cookies to come out of the oven. It's weird. I know that happened with both of my other pregnancies, but definitely not this early. And I know I've gained about the same or less weight than with the previous pregnancies so who knows what's going on there.

After the nausea from the first trimester wore off, I started getting headaches. Every. Day. And they definitely weren't debilitating by any means, but it starts to wear on a girl when it's literally every day, and you're limited to Tylenol due to the pregnancy. When I asked my doctor about it, she said it's really common, especially during the teen weeks of pregnancy. Phew! That came as a relief, because both my husband and I were starting to feel a twinge of concern with how frequent the headaches were. And it was totally new to me since I hadn't had that with either of my previous pregnancies.

Pregnancy hormones? Oh. My. Gosh. I don't know what is going on lately. Sometimes I'm close to tears when literally nothing has happened. For instance, as I was driving back from a short shopping trip yesterday I almost started crying. There wasn't a sad song on the radio, I hadn't tried anything on so I wasn't feeling depressed about how I looked . . . Nothing had happened. And that's been happening kind of frequently. I wouldn't call myself an easy crier, so it's weird. Last night my husband wanted me to watch Taylor Swift's video for her song "Ronan", which is a true story about a 3-yr-old little boy who died of cancer. She's singing it as though she were the mom of the boy. I got about 30 seconds into it and said, "Okay, I can't watch this right now."

I think Dusty thought I might be a little crazy, but I knew I'd be bawling in a second and didn't feel like crying right then. And, we had put the boys to bed but they were upstairs being stinkers and jumping in their beds; on a normal night, I would have been annoyed that they weren't sleeping. Thinking about that song and listening to them laughing while the song was playing in the background was too much! I did listen to the song today while my hubby was at work, and sure enough I bawled almost the entire time. It's heartbreaking. If you need a good cry, there's probably no better way than to listen to that song.

On a happier note . . .
I've been feeling the baby moving a lot lately! I always love that feeling - Dusty hasn't been able to feel it yet, but I think if we caught it at the right time he'd definitely be able to.

We have our ultrasound tomorrow . . . What will it be, girl or boy?

I'm not sure what to think - at first I thought this pregnancy was pretty much identical to my previous ones aside from the headaches, but now I'm not so sure.
          - I wasn't nearly this emotional with the other two.
          - I had the linea negra (black line) faintly down my stomach, which I don't have . . . or at least not yet (I don't remember exactly when it showed up with the other two).
          - And the headaches, of course.

Anyway, I have no idea girl or boy, but am really excited to find out!!!

Preg-o Cravings? Yep, They're Real

Well, I'm 15 weeks pregnant, and decided to tackle one of those pregnancy topics that seems to be discussed frequently (at least in pregnancy circles) and I think people tend to slightly misconstrue, or at least have some misconceptions about.

The cliche for pregnant women is that we're craving weird things like pickles with ice cream (delicious on their own, but not together). While that may be true for some pregnant women out there, it definitely isn't my experience, and isn't for the many other pregnant friends/acquaintances I've talked to about it. But, I can say the cravings they talk about are real. So here's my experience . . .

So far, all 3 of my pregnancies have been almost identical craving-wise. Here are things that I've craved with every pregnancy:

McDonald's Chicken Nuggets with their BBQ sauce (no other will suffice)
Fries with Cheese Sauce
Cereal (pretty much any kind, but favorites during all 3 pregnancies have been Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds and Lucky Charms)
Apples
Chips (this gets annoying because one kind looks good, and once I've eaten a handful I don't want any more; so, by the end of the pregnancy we have about 9 partially eaten bags of chips in our pantry)
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough (thankfully I can make it safe without using eggs . . . although that doesn't make it any healthier)
Tuna Salad on Whole Wheat Bread with Dill Pickles (I know this one seems a little more preg-o cliche, but this is one I enjoy even when I'm not pregnant)
Anyone else hungry now?

How do these cravings work? Well, unfortunately, I tend to have a lot of cravings for things even when I'm not pregnant. The difference is that my preg-o self craves salty more than sweet, which is bizarre considering how much I loooooove sweets of any shape and kind. Also, I'm not one to send my hubby out late at night or in the wee morning hours to get me something we don't have on hand. That being said, if I'm craving something, I don't stop craving it until I've had it, no matter how long it takes. It always sounds appetizing, more so than anything else, until I've eaten it.

First trimester cravings are also a little different for me because I'll really want something, but once I've had it I tend to feel nauseous if I think about it afterward. Thankfully, that passes when the second trimester rolls around.

Unfortunately, most of my cravings aren't healthy options, but I do my best to limit myself with the junk food (sometimes an impossible task) and eat healthy to balance them out.

As I said earlier, my experience is not everyone's and I'm sure there are pregnant women out there right now dipping pickles in their ice cream . . .

What are your pregnancy cravings/experiences, or just thoughts on the matter?

A Baby Story: The First Trimester

That's right, folks! Baby Reese #3 is due January 30, 2013! So, in my case, that probably means I'll be a week overdue and have to be induced. :) We're super excited and, frankly, a tad nervous to add another one to the mix. Asher will be about 3 1/2 when baby comes, and Aiden will just have turned 2 - so we'll be kept on our toes, that's for sure.

13 weeks

I'm 13 weeks today! The biggest difference I've noticed with this pregnancy vs. the other two is that I started to show a lot sooner . . . At least to myself. I tend to dislike the first trimester for a variety of reasons:
1) We don't really tell anyone other than family until the first trimester is over in case of miscarriage, and I'm always impatient to share the news;
2) I have morning sickness which consists of nausea which comes frequently at all times of the day (still no vomiting);
3) I just look like I'm gaining weight and it's uncomfortable and unattractive.

I realize that last one is pretty very superficial, but it's uncomfortable when your clothes don't fit right and you feel like they should. But, like I said, I seem to be showing earlier with this one, so hopefully I won't have to wait until week 20 to actually feel like I look preg-o. Minor details, I know. :)

The nausea has abated for the most part, now, but I really hate when it comes. The best way I can describe it (and maybe I've said this before) is as follows: You know the day after you've had the stomach flu? You feel a million times better, and actually start craving food again because your stomach feels completely empty. So you eat something, but it doesn't really help, or at least not for very long. That's what my morning sickness feels like. I feel nauseous, but with a completely empty stomach, even if it's not. So, I'll eat something hoping it helps, and it usually does for 10-20 minutes, but then I feel crappy again. Thank goodness it hasn't lasted the entire pregnancy for me, yet. I feel so bad for the women who have morning sickness the whole 9 months!

So far, so good, though! I got to hear baby's heartbeat at my appointment last week (it was 160) and that's always such a huge relief! My doctor always says it's not uncommon to not be able to hear it at 12 weeks and it doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong; but, we've heard it with both the boys so I was extremely anxious as she moved around my uterus trying to find the heartbeat . . . trying to find the heartbeat . . . trying to find the heartbeat . . . THERE IT IS! Nice and strong. Thank you, God.

I'll keep plan to keep y'all up-to-date throughout this pregnancy on feelings (physical and mental), how baby's doing, and how the boys are doing - or if they're even aware of what's going on! Praying this pregnancy, labor, and delivery go as well as the first two did!

A Baby Story: Labor and Delivery with Aiden

We checked into the hospital around 7:30 a.m. on January 18, 2011, and my induction was underway shortly after that. I remember being pretty impatient to get things going because I wanted to meet this baby boy!

They attempted to break my water with the hook, but since baby's head was so far down, there was too much pressure - it was distinctly uncomfortable, which I found odd because it wasn't at all for my induction with Asher. Since that wasn't working, they inserted a tiny wire that makes a small hole, causing a small leak, which is supposed to eventually break your water. Well, it worked, but it took a while and it was frustrating waiting for things to get moving.

Our first picture together . . . Glad I'm looking my best ;)

Finally it broke! They gave me a small dose of pitocin and I walked the hallway about 2 times before calling it quits. It wasn't distracting for me (I know that strategy works well for a lot of women) and the nurses kept getting signals that they couldn't get the readings of baby's heart-rate while I was walking around. Back to the room . . .

Once contractions started, they moved pretty quickly. I had been 3 1/2-4 cm dilated before they induced me, so when the doctor checked me and said I was at 5 cm after 3 hours I felt a little depressed. I (for some unknown reason) assumed the labor and delivery would fly by and we'd have our baby by early afternoon. Nope.

I had an epidural, and they noticed baby's heart-rate was a little lower than they like it, but it would steadily come back up between contractions so they weren't concerned (thank goodness, because I was having flashbacks to Asher's labor and delivery and didn't want another C-section). Things were progressing smoothly, and it was finally time to PUSH!!!! It was a glorious feeling to have gotten to that point.

Perfect little peanut

I was patting myself on the back because with the first few pushes my nurse was saying, "Wow, you're a really good pusher, good job!" So, again mistakenly, I thought I'd push for 15 minutes and have a baby! Forty-five minutes later my epidural started to wear off. I was in horrible pain, to the point where I couldn't push during contractions. Our nurse stopped me from pushing until the doctor came in because she was concerned my uterus might be rupturing (cue terror in Dusty and myself). She was wrong.

The doctor came in and, in not so many words, said "Toughen up, Nancy, that's what labor feels like." It was the kick in the butt I needed. When Dusty and I talked later that night he said he didn't know if her attitude would annoy me or motivate me; thankfully, it worked as a motivator in this case! After about 5-10 minutes of pushing with the doctor in the room (which we had to wait for because she was delivering someone else!) little Aiden William was born! My foremost emotion right when he came out was relief because the pain had stopped and I was exhausted from pushing. Then, they laid that goopy baby on my chest and I fell in love.

At 8 lbs 2 oz., and 21 1/2 inches long, he was a little chubbier than his big brother, and 1/4 of an inch shorter. He was beautiful. He had round cheeks and dark, dark hair, like his daddy. God had given us another little miracle!

First picture with both boys . . . Asher is less than enthused about his brother.
In fact, he's playing with Dusty's Ipod . . .

Come back to find out how we all adjusted to life with little Aiden as part of our family! And to see if Asher took more interest in him. :)

A Baby Story: Pregnancy with Aiden

We had only lived in our new house a week or two when I noticed something womanly was missing . . . Asher was only 9 months old at the time. I vividly remember taking a pregnancy test after Dusty left for work one morning, and it was more to satisfy my own curiosity than from any real conviction that I was actually pregnant.

Well, I was wrong! (Dusty can tell you that doesn't happen very often, wink, wink.) I had only bought an individual test, but immediately loaded up Asher to get another one just to be sure. Positive again. Initially I was in utter disbelief. There might have been a little shock involved, too. I. Could. Not. Believe it.

Neither could Dusty. I think both of us didn't even know how to react. There was excitement, of course, but I think that came a little later. We looked at little Asher who wasn't even crawling yet, and wondered both aloud and to ourselves how we would manage two little ones so close in age, not to mention the numerous financial aspects.

Once we got over the initial shock, we were elated. I couldn't help but imagine the two of them playing together as they got older, practicing sports together, laughing together . . . It was so fun to think about.

The pregnancy was really similar to Asher's - morning sickness/nausea during the first trimester, but after that I was pretty much home free. It was definitely harder though because I had a little one to take care of during the periods of nausea. It's hard to find energy during those times, that's for sure!

I also went back to work part-time from Aug.-Dec. of that year, so I think that played a part in my exhaustion. But, seeing Asher at daycare the first time made me really excited for him to have a sibling to play with.

20 weeks along

We decided to find out whether we were having a boy or girl the second time around, so at 20 weeks we found out we were having another little boy. It was so exciting (and frightening) to think that we would have two boys so close in age.

The only major difference between pregnancy with Aiden vs. Asher, was that with Aiden I had a lot of lower back pain. I attribute most of that to the fact that I was still carrying Asher around a lot, and Dusty and I took turns at his bedtime rubbing his head for 15-20 minutes until he fell asleep . . . That was hard on my back, too. (Although it eventually forced us to take measures to get him to fall asleep on his own!) Luckily, I had a willing masseuse in the form of my amazing husband. :)

As hard as I tried to avoid it, I got the stomach flu when I was about 7 months along, and that was miserable. I also got the worst cold of my life over Christmas - to the point where I almost couldn't breathe from a stuffy nose and a horrid cough. And, of course, being pregnant, my options were really limited as far as what I could take to combat it. November and December were particularly rough months.

I think Dusty was a little more concerned with this pregnancy because I had had an emergency C-section with Asher. Reliving what that was like added to his natural tendency to nervousness. I had decided to have a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) this time because I really wanted to experience natural childbirth. Dusty was nervous because it's an added risk to both mother and baby if the scar ruptured during labor/delivery. My doctor was very reassuring and realistic. She told us that while there was a risk, she didn't feel there was anything keeping me from trying it. I had had smooth pregnancies with both babies, and there was nothing telling her to not allow it.

32 weeks, or thereabouts

Well, surprise, surprise, the due date came and went . . . And I was scheduled to be induced a week after the due date. Having had a C-section, my doctor wouldn't allow me to go more than a week past my due date because it increases the risk of something rupturing as the baby gets bigger and your stomach and uterus continue to expand. So, we kissed little Asher goodbye and headed to the hospital around 7:30 a.m. on January 18, 2011 to add another munchkin to the mix . . .

Stay tuned for Part 2: Labor and Delivery

A Baby Story - Pregnancy with Asher

Welcome to a new segment of my blog where I'm going to focus on the pregnancies, labors, deliveries, and the days after having our two little boys. Aiden's is most recent, but Asher's oldest, so we'll start with him . . .

Mid-December, 2008 - Mid-August, 2009
Today could be the day we find out if our lives will be changing forever. It's only been three months since we started "trying," but as each month passes I feel more of those doubts sinking in like maybe we just won't get to be parents. It's depressing to think about, but my more positive, rational side is saying three month is nothing - why wouldn't you be able to be parents? You're still in your early 20s, so don't freak out! I keep repeating this to myself over and over as I wait 3 horribly long, agonizing minutes to see if there will be one or two lines on "the test" this time . . .

TWO LINES!!!! Could that be right, though? I better take another one just to make sure . . .

TWO LINES!!!! I am out-of-my-mind ecstatic and can't wait to share the news with Dusty. I try to think of some cute, clever way to tell him but all I could come up with in my dumbfounded state was to say "You better be careful with the mother of your baby" while he was giving me a hug. I know, I know - pretty lame as far as breaking the news to your hubby that you're pregnant for the first time. Oh well, we're having a baby!

Of course we couldn't wait to break the news to our parents and immediate family . . . and I may have spilled the beans to my closest friends. We decided not to tell anyone else until I was done with the first trimester because both of our moms had miscarriages and we didn't want to have to explain to everyone in case something went wrong and I miscarried.

But, I didn't! I made it through the first trimester in one piece and none the worse for wear. I did have a case of the stomach flu at about 8-9 weeks, and that was brutal. I had done pretty well up until that point, but it seemed like the morning sickness set in after that. Luckily, I never had to run to the bathroom with my hand covering my mouth; mine was more of an all-day, lingering nausea. It wasn't pleasant, but it was manageable.
Oh, and my sense of smell was working over-time. Going into Starbucks, which usually smells like heaven to me, made me ill, and anyone who smoked was singeing my nose with the acrid smell anytime they were near. Bleh.

The second trimester went smoothly, too. We decided not to find out if we were having a boy or girl, and the ultrasound at 20 weeks was the most miraculous thing we had ever seen. Dusty and I were both filled with wonder as we got to see our little baby for the first time. The detail on those things is absolutely incredible. Everything felt more real after that.

The third trimester was a breeze. Even though it was the heart of summer, I didn't mind at all. I actually lucked out because it wasn't as brutally hot as some summers in the Midwest have been. I sat out and caught some rays in my preg-o swimsuit and read my books and tried to figure out what names we should go with for our baby since the time was actually approaching where we would need one! Let me tell you, it's almost impossible to pick names when your husband works with kids. Every single name seemed either to remind him of someone he knew, or was a name he heard a lot. We thought it would be so much fun choosing a name, but it's hard work - and, it's a lot of pressure. I mean, this kid will be stuck with this name for-ev-er (you can imagine me saying that in my best The Sandlot voice).

We decided to tour the hospital, having never been there, and take a labor and delivery class, which was kind of fun. We got a lot of seemingly useful information and we got to connect with each other and try to imagine how it might be when I actually went into labor. It was fun to kind of play-act how it might go. Oh, naivety, how I miss you. Dusty learned some techniques to help with the pain of labor because my plan was to go without an epidural unless I felt I needed one.

We tried to go out to eat and saw a few movies in the theater since we knew we wouldn't get a whole lot of time to do that once baby came. The last few months we were full of nostalgia - reminiscing about our dating years, our wedding almost 2 years earlier, and our married life. Of course we knew there were things we would miss, but it was a thrill to think about starting a family.

In the midst of all that, I studiously looked through baby name books and we decided to have a few for a boy and few for a girl and decide once we saw him/her. I also made sure to stay caught up with my What to Expect When You're Expecting book to try to stay as informed as possible. Everything seemed pretty spot on and it was going so smoothly. So smoothly, in fact, that I didn't even bother to read the sections on C-sections . . .

I guess I didn't take too many pictures of my 

pregnant self with Asher. In this pic, I'm 

about 8 months along.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for part two - labor and delivery!