Jan. 11th: Part Two

I forgot to mention the highs and lows of today.  Because they are definitely worth mentioning!


THE LOW:
Since I couldn't think of a single thing to snack on throughout the day to pack and take with me to work, I finally just grabbed a jar of olives and threw it in my purse.  Yes, in my purse.  When I got to work and pulled out my chapstick, I noticed it smelled TERRIBLE, so I put my nose close to my purse and sniffed ... and ALSO noticed the jar no longer had any brine ...


Yeah, an entire jar of olive juice.  In my purse.  On my cell phone.  Soaked into the fabric.  In my blush.  On my keys.  Yeah.


THE HIGH:
I walked the dog without puking in a neighbor's yard (if you don't know the back story, click here)!  Now maybe they will take me off the neighborhood watch "terrorist" list. 

Call Morgan Spurlock, Because I Think This McDonald's Relationship Might Be Official

I went back to work today ... let me just sum it up by saying it is TRULY embarrassing to have a hard time teaching a college class because standing up and speaking is enough to exhaust you and make your voice all wavery.  A few times I pretended that I was searching for a word so I could take a few deep breaths.  So now my students think I am so out of shape I get winded from standing AND I am inarticulate.  Maybe not the greatest strategy, but it was the best I could come up with at the time.


I also learned that the only reasons I was not experiencing certain pregnancy symptoms that people asked about was because I was living on the couch and the nausea was so overwhelming I could not feel anything else.  Well, standing up straight for 10 minutes in fancy shoes was enough for me to develop such an ache in my lower back I had the urge to grab at it like you can only get away with when you look nine months pregnant.  Yikes.


I have to say, though, I think the only reason I didn't end up on the floor in the fetal position, rocked by nausea is because I stopped for an Egg McMuffin again.  The only other day I remember not feeling like dying was the first day I stopped for an Egg McMuffin breakfast, so I have a sneaking suspicion that it might be the key to my success.  I guess it could be worse.


I also stopped at Taco Bell on the way home and got a Strawberry Fruitista Freeze, and OHMYGOD, I loved those things before, but NOW?  I want need a million a day.  Thankfully, I had found a recipe an hour before that for a strawberry-lime freeze, and Jeremy said he would make me one tonight.  Yumlicious.


There was one highly odd and scary moment today: I sneezed, and there was such a deep, stabbing pain across my abdomen that I gasped and nearly swerved off the road.  I have never felt anything like that before, and I am hoping there is someone out there who can explain it and ease my worries.  So, get on it! 

Meh ...

There has not been to much to report around here, except for the fact that I have been experiencing some serious ups and downs.


One minute I am feeling awesome and the next minute I have crumbled to the couch, my whole body overcome with ... horribleness.  I think the good moments are actually making things worse, because I get all excited and do exhausting things and forget to eat a nibble every hour, and then I plummet to the bottom of my "feeling like dying" meter.


My cravings lately have consisted of kalamata olives, Claussen pickles, and melted American cheese (on ANYTHING, but I can mostly only eat it on while grain bagels).


I am also VERY anxious to get to the doctor.  I need some proof and some questions answered.  I have been having some very slight cramping on and off, and I have read in a million places that it is normal, but I won't believe it is normal until she can say I am safely pregnant and things are progressing normally.  I am also VERY hopeful that I can get an anti-nausea prescription!  I start back at work tomorrow, and I really can't have any of this "bad day" nonsense.  I can't teach college composition classes from my couch.  I asked my dean, and he said no.  Booo.


So, more updates some time this week on how I manage to teach without puking or crying!  I am optimistic, but, you never know what the soybean has planned! 

Leaps and Bounds

Thanks to Arwen Mosher, I am no longer dying!  Let's give it up to her for telling me my blood sugar is likely all whack if I am eating things like saltines.  She suggested trying to get protein and fat into my mouth every time I eat.  She warned me it would sound terrible, but I trusted her and ate a nice fatty protein this morning and LIKE MAGIC the sea of sickness in my stomach calmed, and I probably could have eaten ANYTHING today.  I kept it up with a lot of small protein meals, and I am feeling like a rock star.


Her timing could not have been more perfect, because I had to head back to work today.  We had a 6-hour long meeting and I had been pretty worried that I would die 5 minutes into it and get fired.  But I survived!  And I even went GROCERY SHOPPING after the 40-minute drive and CAME HOME AND MADE CHILI!!!!  These things have not been happening lately because of all the death, but now it's like I'm a whole new lady.


The other great stride I made today is finally choosing a place to make an appointment for my first huge "intake" appointment.  I decided to try the Meridian's Women's Health Center on the advice of Miss Jess (you take a bow, too) and I liked the sound of the place.  I am even more excited that they have a certified midwife on staff, and I will be meeting her for my initial appointment.  The only problem is I still have to wait another two weeks to get in.  Grrr!  I am still having those terrible fears that I am not really pregnant, and I need some blood work or nice close up pictures of the baby (I kid) to provide me some evidence.  And I have lots of questions (surprise!).


In other news, this is what soybean looks like right about now:

Isn't she cute!?!?!  (Jeremy calls the baby "he" and I call the baby "she" -- just to be fair.)


The nose, mouth and ears are beginning to take shape, and the baby's heart is beating 100-160 times a minute.  Blood is beginning to course through his body, the intestines are developing, and the bud of tissue that will give rise to the lungs has appeared.  The pituitary gland is forming, as are the the rest of the brain, muscles, and bones.  The tongue and vocal cords are even beginning to form!


The baby is probably a quarter of an inch long and is about the size of a lentil bean.


I really wasn't prepared for how different it would be to read this information when it was MY BABY they were describing.  I cried when I read the 6-week physical changes descriptions to Jeremy from What to Expect When You're Expecting.  Well, no surprise there!


I continue to get GREAT ideas and advice and motivation.  Thanks to all of you, and keep it coming! 

Mom Gifts

Check out what I found, people!!  I don't know if it will work for my specific anticipated month of delivery, but anyone planning on having a baby in the dead of summer will be sure to love this:

A Dressed Up Delivery

Includes lovely lavender dress to leave for the hospital and possibly return from hospital, a matching headband, a mirror, pink sheer lip gloss, lemon scented wipes, and a bottle of "Get Ready to Rub Heated Massage Oil."  Everything you need to get there, push the kid out, and then get primped for pictures, for only $34.99 at perpetualkid.com.  

Okay, maybe not EVERYthing, but it is a cute idea if you know a momma who's going to pop during a hot month. :)

Plus, I really like the silhouette on the box.

First Official Baby Presents!

Believe it or not, we are actually already getting GIFTS for the baby! We have such tremendous friends.


The day after Jeremy told his co-worker, Lo'el, that I was pregnant, she sent these home:

She said she found them at World Market and couldn't resist.  


Is it wrong that I immediately opened them and started eating the babies?  Because I did.


THEN, I got THIS in the mail from my dear friend, Melissa:

SQUEEE!

When I opened it, I apparently emoted so loudly and shrilly that Jeremy thought there might be a kitten in the box.

It is adorable based on its own merits, but Jeremy and I are huge Beatles fans, and even used all Beatles music in our wedding ceremony last year.


Look how TINY it is!!  And a tiny person will be in there one day!


I just can't believe that we already have a little pile started for our soybean.

December 24th & 25th: How We Told Our Families

After learning the news, it seemed impossible to wait any longer to tell anyone, and Jeremy and I agreed that Christmas would be an amazing time for a reveal.


Since the Christmas schedule had already been determined, the announcement schedule had also been determined.


On Christmas Eve, we arrived at my parents' house right around lunch. I grabbed food and ate, and then was sitting there about to burst while my dad and brother S-L-O-W-L-Y thought about eating and then got themselves courses -- COURSES! -- when all I could think about was telling them before I slipped up and said something stupid.  I had already turned down a big bottle of Diet Coke, which made my mom look at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my ears, and I was afraid she might start connecting dots.


Two hours later, everyone was done eating, and my dad FINALLY stood up to get the "rest" of his lunch, and I couldn't take it anymore.  I asked if I could give mom a small present, and my dad sighed and complained and then said "Oh yes, of COURSE, we can drop everything and pay attention to YOU!" which is pretty ironic, because he was so excited to give Jeremy one of his gifts that he gave it to him AS HE WAS WALKING IN THE DOOR.  To my father, I replied, "Oh, you are going to be soooo sorry you said that," and handed my mom this:

I wasn't sure if she got it immediately, since she already IS a grandma to her stepdaughters' six children, so I lifted up my sweatshirt and showed her THIS:

And everyone jumped up and starting hugging and crying and shouting. It was great!


FAST FORWARD TO December 25th ...


We called Jeremy's parents, and they said we should just go meet the entire extended family at Gran's house instead of waiting at their house for Jeremy's mom to get off work, which is what we were kind of hoping for so we could tell them first.


So, we went to Gran's house and made chit chat, and I avoided the lunch line because I thought there might be disastrous results, and I sat, wiggling my foot, just DYING for Karri to show up and eat her lunch so we could spill our big news.


Karri finally arrived, and her and Brian ate ... and it seemed to take forever!  They ate like normal people, no doubt about it, but it felt like it took hours!  Finally, I told Jeremy that we should whisper to his parents and siblings that we had a surprise present we had to give them in Gran's bedroom.  When Jeremy told his dad ... I WISH I had a picture of the look on his face!  He looked very bewildered and weired out, but I rounded up everyone else and we hid in Gran's bedroom, where I also gave Karri this album:

(which was awesomely obvious for her, since this will be her first grandchild) and then whipped up my shirt again to reveal this:

(Sorry, I know I didn't have to repeat those pictures, but I thought you might want to full effect!  Don't worry, you'll get to see it one more time in this fun little re-cap!)

The Dimicks hooted and hollered and screamed much louder than I anticipated, and when we stepped out of the bedroom, the other 30 people in the house were staring at us and asking what was up. Originally, we were going to reveal it to the rest of the family at the beginning of present time, but I asked Jeremy if we should go for it, and we figured we might as well go with the flow.


I shouted to the house "If you want in on the secret, come to the living room!" everyone crowded around, and I handed Gran THIS:

(Later, Gran said she was looking at it and was thinking "Who are those people?" before she read what it said!)

Jeremy's Aunt Kristi was sitting right next to her while she opened it, and she started screaming something about great-grandchildren (and she does not yet have any great-grandchildren!) and the people in close vicinity started shrieking, and I lifted up my shirt, a little riled by all the excited shouting, and screamed "BAM!!!" as I revealed: 

There was shouting and screaming, and clapping, and excitement from 30+ people, and more than I expected I would ever see during an announcement like this, so ... I may have gotten a little carried away and pointed at my stomach and shouted, "There's a BABY in there!" which was met by even more excitement.

All in all, the family reveals were better than I ever could have imagined. We have great families!

Product Reviews Needed!

Calling all mothers:  I am (very prematurely) sorting through baby products online so when the time comes to register I will not be so overwhelmed, and I need your help.

What are the BEST things you ever bought or received?  What is it that you could not have lived without?

What are the things that everyone told you you needed and you never used once?

Any votes for best and worst specific products?

Also, there are two specific things I will really be needing lots of advice on, the earlier the better:  1) I am planning on breast feeding, so I need help finding the best breast pumps and accessories, and 

2) I will be using cloth diapers.  I would love shout-outs on your favorite brands and (Arwen, specifically, since I don't know anyone else brave enough to do this!) what the heck you DO ... I mean, disposable is easy.  You throw it in a diaper genie and throw it to the curb.  I will really be needing tips on how people handle the cloth diapers and maintain their sanity.

Thanks, Moms!!  Keep commenting as long as you keep thinking of things! 

*           *            *           *            *

UPDATE:  A very helpful lady pointed out that I should also add some of the "specifics" that I am already looking at so you can rant or rave about them!


So, these are the only things I have found so far that I am somewhat attached to or interested in:


THE CRIB:
I REALLY (really really) want a convertible crib that moves from crib to toddler bed to full bed.  Jeremy says he assumes they are all "rickety" and fears for our child's life.  I suspect there will be a pattern emerging here ...


Anyway, this is one I found and have been able to actually look at in the store:

Graco Lauren Classic Convertible Crib (in Espresso) - $159.99

Thoughts on convertible cribs or this brand in general?


THE DIAPERS:
I have very sincere intentions of going the cloth diaper route, and the diapers they make now are freakin' amazing.


My (very) limited research has me leaning toward THIS brand ...

Bumgenius diapers - $35.99 for a 2-pack

... but I REALLY need feedback on this one.  I know they pay for themselves in three months or less, but it is still a big investment.  Especially if you make the investment and then realize you have the diapers and are probably going to use disposable anyway because you are so upset.


So, Internet, what do we think of Bumgenius?


THE CAR SEAT:
I read so much about car seats that all words lost meaning.  Like when you say one word over and over, and all of a sudden you are pretty sure that it is not a real word anymore.  That is my current relationship with all words.


Anyway, here is the car seat that is supposedly the safest car seat ever:

Britax Roundabout Convertible Car Seat - normally $199.99, on sale for $149.99

So why doesn't it have little pads on the straps?  Every other car seat in the world has them!


I DO like how gender-neutral it is though.  When I told Jeremy I was already stressing out about the safest car seat, he just laid his hand on top of mine and said, "Oh, honey, we won't be able to afford the safe car seats, so don't even worry about it."  Love that guy! :)


Any thoughts on brands and safety and weight allowances or ... uh oh, the words are losing meaning again.  


SWING:
I know I will want one of these babies, and, again, I have been reading tons of reviews, desperately trying to find one that people claim has a motor that doesn't burn out and is stable enough that your child will not fall out of it.


This is what I found:

Fisher-Price Nature's Touch Baby Papasan Swing - $149.99

I am REALLY hoping people have some rants and raves about specific models, because I don't care how it looks, just how it functions.


I am still totally clueless on the highchair, stroller, and some sort of pack and play device.  But on a last awesome note, look at this!

4Moms Cleanwater Infant Tub with Digital Thermometer - $39.99

I know it's hard to read, but it says: "1. Warm water from faucet enters collection area.  2. Warm water flows over temperature sensor and into reservoir.  3.  As reservoir fills, water overflows into bathing area.  4.  Clean water circulates around baby as dirty water exits through sidewall drains."

Seriously?!?!  How long have these existed??  So awesome!!

Thanks again, and I will keep adding to this one.  

The Crying Game

It seems cruel.  I mean, come on, body!!  I am emotional enough already!!  Why, oh why, did you feel the need to pump enough hormones through me to make me cry at the drop of a hat ... and sometimes be unable to stop.


When the ball dropped on New Year's Eve?  Oh, forget about it!  I had been crying for the entire 15 minute countdown in Times Square, but when the (fancy new Waterford) ball dropped, it was crazy, wracking sobs.  Poor Jeremy.  I bet that man thinks I am not pregnant and actually suffering from a nervous breakdown.  Or am possessed by the devil.


We watched The Village on New Year's Eve.  The Village -- an M. Night Shamalyn thriller, and I cried for about 25 minutes of the 90 minute film.


I was looking at stuff on-line and NURSING PADS made me cry!  Maybe it was the obvious reason (OH MY GOD, I AM THINKING ABOUT BREAST FEEDING WHICH WILL HURT LIKE CRAZY!!), or some convoluted emotional response that involved many different things that I had better not list here because I will start sobbing again.


Uh oh ... speak of the devil.  Gotta go get some Kleenex. 

A Little Uncertainty

While this whole whirlwind of telling everyone about the baby has been wonderful and memorable, it is scary too.  It might sound weird, but it's not like I felt all that pregnant right away.  I was queasy and exhausted, but it's not like I could feel the baby in there.  I was so scared that maybe this was a cruel joke, or a virus, or something crazy like that.  Then, of course, what if this was just a chemical pregnancy? What if the egg was fertilized but never implanted and in a few days I took a test again and it was negative??!?  

Okay, maybe I should have researched chemical pregnancies a little bit more before freaking out so much, but it was (and still is) scary.  

That feeling didn't go away, even after I got more pregnancy symptoms (read: horrible nausea, extreme fatigue, strange cravings, wild mood swings, and huge tender breasts).  I still think that this could all be psychological.  What if I just CONVINCED myself that I am pregnant, and my BRAIN (which has turned against me in the past, make no mistake about it) is making me have all these crazy symptoms.  It's not like I've never gone through a whole jar of dill pickles in one week before!

After wanting a baby for so many long years, after all the countless days when I broke down into tears because I was sure I would never get pregnant, this pregnancy thing is really hard to get used to.  It seems so tenuous.  At any moment, I feel like it could be snatched away from me -- not so fast, sweetheart.  No happiness for you!!

I wonder when it will feel ... okay.  Like it is for real and forever and our little soybean is here to stay.


For a little less serious version of how things have been going in these parts, just click here.