Moving On

D and I stopped off at Walmart after our 31-cent ice cream scoops from Baskin Robins, to conserve gas and all. We had to pick up a few things, none of which were located in the baby department...but of course I ended up there. I was comparing prices and looking at what they have to offer when I came across these:


They all came in a box that looked a little banged up and had a red $3.00 sticker on it. So of course I scooped it up. It was the only one with the red sticker and it happened to be onesies for boys, but I told D that for a dollar a piece our baby girl would definitely be wearing them...to bed at least or underneath something more girly. Well, when D went to price check and make sure that the original $11 price didn't apply, he came back with even BETTER news. The three onesies you see here cost a total of...$1.50!!!! So for $.50 a piece, if we have a girl, she will definitely be putting these to good use. And they're made from organic material to top it all off! That's the deal of the century.

I don't like going by months because it's kind of confusing. If you go by 4 weeks in a month and divide 40 by 4 then technically you're pregnant for 10 months. And no one wants to be pregnant for 10 months. But, as D often points out to me, there are an average of 4.3 weeks in each month. So that means I'm roughly 5 months, or will be at the end of this week.


It's been one week since our ultrasound and I think this week is the most I've felt him move. I've been feeling him for well over three weeks, but now I feel him. And I've been feeling him all over, not just in the one spot he liked to hang out in. And he's so forceful that other people can feel him, too. D's been feeling him for over two weeks, but while we were in CT, Baby performed and my parents and Ryan got to feel him as well. They all enjoyed the experience, which was fun to see. Baby is entertaining them even now and he's less than a foot long (crown to rump, at least). Those little legs, though, can sure move so they should count for something.

I'm having a harder time bending down and forward. I've never had this belly to contend with, so balance is sometimes an issue, too. I haven't fallen, but it takes me a minute to find my center of gravity after I've been sitting down. Fun times. But s/he is totally worth it and I would not trade this experience for anything. It also helps that people are so into it and so kind and so thoughtful, both at work and at church...and our families, too, for that matter. This is one blessed baby!

D sent me this pic the other night. He was playing around in Photobucket and came up with this. I thought it was kinda cool...



In news that is more exciting, the school where I work has accomplished STAR 2 out of four stars. It's basically a program subsidized by the state... excuse me, the Commonwealth... of PA to enhance childcare and provide teacher training to increase the quality of your school. Very basically, you get a lot of money if you meet all these classroom and training standards. I was practically begged to do this program back in the summer because my boss knew I would get it done and she couldn't because she's so busy. It's a lot of paperwork and a lot of teacher training and a lot of classroom to-dos, but we got STAR 1 in October and got STAR 2 the Tuesday we left for Ryan's wedding. So it takes a while, but it's over and it's done and I didn't do it all out of the goodness of my heart. STAR 2 comes with an employee retention bonus based on how many hours you work in a week and your level of education. All that adds up to over $2,300 for me! Nice little bonus. On top of that, each teacher gets a $100 bonus for participating and I personally got flowers and a $25 gift card to Babies R Us from my boss. She was really thankful because our school gets all this recognition. So we are all happy :).

Thursday afternoon, as I was getting ready to leave work, the the twins from my first year class came running through the front door for a visit. I hadn't seen them in months and months, so it was nice catching up with them and their mom. I kept in pretty close contact with them (she called me in October when D was away to spend the day with them), but life gets in the way some time and I haven't talked to them since. She said that when she was driving in and saw the Volvo, she knew I was pregnant. I tried explaining that we had the Volvo before we were expecting, but that didn't convince her. Anyway, it was a nice surprise visit and the twins are HUGE! I miss that class.

Baskin Robbins is having a 31-cent-scoop night this upcoming Wednesday night. Click on the image for more info. All three of us will be there :)D is making me breakfast right now. Green pepper, onion, and cheese omelet with hash browns and fruit on the side. It smells sooooooooo good in this apartment. And Baby is moving all around. He must have acquired his sense of smell... I feel him in more areas now, which is neat. I had been feeling him mainly in the lower part of my belly, but he is working his way up and getting more aggressive with his punches. I like feeling him, though, so he can move/punch/kick all he wants!

We had the best time on Friday and Saturday. The rehearsal went really well, especially after some fans were put up on stage. It was so nice having all the family around. Some hadn't seen my belly in a while, so they were all surprised by how pregnant I actually looked. Baby was definitely making an appearance, I think he knew something was going on. And the food. Wow. Delicious. I ate too much and had trouble taking deep breaths, but it was worth it! Lasagna, chicken, penne, sausage & peppers, salad, bread. And the room was really nice, too. The wedding party (which D and I were part of) got some nice goodies: the girls got a makeup bag with the initial of our first name on it and with some fun stuff inside. The boys got either computer stuff or Wii stuff. D got the Wii Light Gun, which included a game. It's basically a souped-up version of Duck Hunt. Can you guess what all the groomsmen were engaged in leading up to wedding time the next day??








So that's what the guys were up to on Saturday morning while the girls gathered at Yana's house to get ready. That's where the hairdresser and the photographer were. Did I mention the absolutely gorgeous day we had? After getting our hair, makeup, and whatever else needed doing done, we all piled into the limo around 2pm to head over to the church. There was a range of emotions--mostly unbelief. None of us could believe the day had finally arrived. Some were nervous--not Yana though. I was worried about my cough. Of course I developed a stuffy nose which led into a cough and distortion of my voice. Just in time to visit with all the friends and family that were there! And just in time to stand up in front of everyone on stage and try not to cough or do anything else distracting. I sneaked an unwrapped cough drop into my bouquet and I'm glad to report that I didn't have to use it!

After the ceremony, the bridal party and parents went to a nearby park to take a lot of awesome pictures. I'll share just a few, though, don't worry. The reception went really well, too. The hors devours were sooo tasty (I was just starting to get hungry on the way to the hotel) and the dinner just kept coming and coming. There were a few slideshows and some live music. Other than that, people just mingled and talked and caught up on life. It was nice and it was relaxing. We closed the place down around 10pm and got to bed early that night (in other news, Mom got me a body pillow which makes a huge difference in my sleep. I don't wake up from discomfort at all anymore, go figure!). The newlyweds are honeymooning in Germany, England, Switzerland, and wherever else their two-week stay takes them. Well, like I said, two down and one to go!










On Sunday, we went to D's house for lunch and to say goodbye for almost the last time :). Mom and Dad were seeing Ryan and Yana off and came home to see us off. Poor Mom, she's so excited about having a grandbaby because "all her kids are leaving her." When she very well knows how much we love her and how we are all living within 10 miles of her home! Anyway, we brought my Auntie Jo (my dad's mom's sister) back with us and dropped her off at her home in Jersey. Now D has started his last rotation for the last three weeks of med school and I'm rounding out the school year. We move in only 5 weeks, yikes!

I’m almost positive I emailed everyone who reads our blog, but this is just as much of a journal/scrapbook as it is an FYI about our lives. So much of the following information may be a repeat…

I don’t get nervous about this pregnancy until I have a doctor’s appointment. I always think they might find something bad. Yesterday was no exception; I was both excited and nervous. D, of course, was just excited. I’m so glad he was there to see our baby, too. It was such a neat experience to share. We had front row seats to the life of our baby that no one else had, except the technician. No one saw what we did, experienced what we did. It was so surreal. And Baby didn’t disappoint. He showed us his hands first, which were covering his face—what a stinker. They were clasped at first, which made him look like he was praying. Then, he kept moving them in boxing-like moves, which made us laugh. We saw his heart up close with its four chambers and its 147 bpm. We saw his stomach, his bladder, the placenta, and finally his face. He decided to uncover it and look directly at us long enough for the tech to get a freaky-looking alien picture:

He had had enough probing after a minute or two so we saw him casually turn his backside to us. But it was okay because we got to see his entire spine. Everything was as it should be; she even took the opportunity to move up each vertebrae of the spine to double check. Then we had to turn our heads because she was moving on down the line (we didn’t want to find out the sex). When we looked again, we saw his little legs kicking, actually pushing off, the wall. I didn’t feel it, but we saw it. He kept bending and unbending his little knees, too cute! We also saw, and counted, his ten little toes. The tech almost forgot to measure the circumference of the head, but she did and it was normal. I told D it better not get too much bigger in the next 20 weeks…wishful thinking, I’m sure. Then the doctor came in and did a really quick check of what the tech did and he said all my measurements indicate that I’m on track for a September 6th-ish delivery. I really don’t know how better to describe the entire experience. Seeing our baby. Knowing that he’s doing exactly what he’s supposed to be doing at this point. Being with D. It was our little family gathering for a few moments. It was perfect.

With ultrasound photos hot in hand, we headed off to Walgreens to make a CD of all the pictures. We didn’t have a scanner to scan them into the computer to share with everyone, so we used theirs and paid $3 for the CD. D worked his magic and we were able to email everyone some baby pictures.

And when we finally got home and I got the mail, we had gotten something from our insurance company. My first thought: Oh great, another bill. But, surprise, surprise, I was automatically enrolled in their Expectant Mothers program. I got to choose a book from a list and there are other free items involved. I was pleasantly surprised that the insurance company was giving and not just taking!

Today, everyone at work was bummed that we didn’t end up finding out what we are having. Someone even suggested that I should have had the tech print out a picture of “the area” and have everyone guess what it revealed. Sorry, people, September is only 19 ½ short weeks away. So if I can wait…then I guess everyone else will have to! It’s fun to hear different opinions as to why people think s/he is a boy or a girl. All of my Ks think he’s a boy because he doesn’t have any hair. Most, actually, think we are having a boy. Not sure how much that is influenced by me always calling him “he.” Anyway, we are really enjoying this time and can’t wait to meet him in a few short months.





Each of our parents thinks the baby looks like their child. I, personally, think he looks like every other 20-week old baby I've seen in ultrasound pictures. Only much cuter.

Well, my parents have two married children now…and just one to go! The wedding was absolutely beautiful and classy and everything everyone thought it would be. No mess-ups, no glitches, no tripping down the aisle. And the weather could not have been more gorgeous. Who would have thought? Mid-April and 75 degrees with sunny, cloudless skies. Back to the wedding later, though, because I have some pictures to share in what will most likely be a separate post.

Wednesday started off our mini-vacation with beautiful weather. We went to lunch at Panera bread with D’s mom. The three of us had a good time catching up. Then Mom asked if Baby liked Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and Baby didn’t even have to think about that for a second…the answer was YES! So that was our next stop. We also went to Kohl’s, which was in the same plaza, where D’s mom bought me two maternity tops (yes, they are shirts, even though they look like dresses in the pictures) for the summer. It was a really fun surprise and it didn’t take long to pick out which ones we all agreed on. I absolutely love the belt/bow on them:

Since the weather was so unbelievable, the three of us went for a walk on the nearby trail. It felt good to get walking after all that food! Not too sure what we did after that, but D and I did go to church that night where I was my mother’s show-and-tell. Well, I should say my belly was Mom’s show-and-tell. She even managed to snap a cell phone picture while I was in the middle of a conversation with someone! This is one excited grandma, if you didn’t figure that out already. It was fun, too, being in the middle of all the impending-wedding excitement. Both Ryan and Yana just couldn’t wait to get married and get on with life.

Thursday we looked at three houses and really liked one of them, but it just needed more work than we are willing to dedicate the time to. Everything else was perfect: the layout, the location, the size. Oh well, our house is still out there somewhere. I’m sure more progress will be made now that the wedding is over and moving time is quickly approaching (six weeks…). We’re not too worried, there is so much to get done in those six weeks that getting those things done is our focus at this point…I actually hope the time goes by slowly! Thursday night, Mom, Gma Fus, and I ran a last minute errand for the wedding, had dinner at The Olive Garden, and made our way over to the church to decorate for Saturday. The boys, on the other hand, had a bachelor party to go to. Even Dad went. He was home first. But I didn’t see my man until 2:30am when he brought the groom home, along with another friend who was there. Why did I see them at 2:30am, when I should have been sleeping? A potty break, of course. I can usually make it until 5ish, but maybe the baby knew his daddy would be home any minute and decided to push extra hard on my bladder. D and I stayed up talking for a bit and our little guy wanted to get in on the conversation because he wouldn’t stay still for a while. I really think he knows, and responds to, his daddy’s voice. At this point I know he loves food and his daddy…he’s my kind of kid!!

Oh, but the fun is not over yet. Friday and Saturday are still to come!

We have arrived safe and sound in CT and are here for the next five days...yay!! Things will start to pick up later in the week, but today was such a nice, relaxing day. Tomorrow we are looking at houses and the girls are decorating the church for the wedding. The boys will be bacheloring it at the all-guy party.

On Friday's agenda: nails, whatever last minute details need attending to, rehearsal, and rehearsal dinner. Did I mention that the rehearsal dinner is at Portafino's, my favorite Italian restaurant? Baby and I are looking forward to that meal. Oh, and the rehearsal should be fun, too...as long as it doesn't cut into dinner.

Saturday is THE day. Grammy worked wonders and my dress fits perfectly. Baby has room to breathe and the dress doesn't look like it had to be taken apart and added to. The ceremony starts at 3pm, so we (the girls, at least) will be getting ready all morning and early afternoon. Our hairdresser will be at Yana's around 9:30am and work through til 1ish. Fun times, fun times.

More to come...

I couldn't get over how much the numbers have changed since I last updated the countdown...it doesn't seem like that many days have passed, but they have!

21 3 days until we arrive in CT for all the pre-wedding festivities

• Mom said that Grammy did an amazing job "fixing" my dress Thursday night. I'm so excited to try it on and I'm so excited that I will be able to breath (and eat!!) at the wedding!

25 7 days until Ryan and Yana's wedding

• My brother is getting married! My brother is getting married! Still hasn't sunk in yet, but they're an awesome couple and life will be a whole lot of fun having them around. Oh, and I checked off Chicken Parm to have as a meal at the reception and Baby is still liking the sound of it. My husband and my father so graciously offered me the option of switching with one of them (they checked off the other two options) in case Baby didn't feel like Chicken Parm. I think we're good to go, though!

59 41 days until D graduates

• Some changes here. It looks like my parents will be staying in CT to cook for D's grad party the following day, so Ryan and Yana may come instead. They're saving us money on the catering bill and D didn't mind them not coming. I will, however, tape the ceremony for them and for anyone else who might want to see it! Those who will be there are: me, D's parents, my grandma (dad's mom), and my great aunt from Jersey (grandma's sister). Gma and Auntie Jo grew up in Philly, so they always like visiting. And the Academy of Music isn't such a bad place to visit when coming to Philly!

60 42 days until D's grad party in CT

• It's official! We sent out the invites this week and should start hearing back from people in the next few weeks. I'm praying the weather is nice, especially if half the people who are invited end up coming!

67 49 days until we move out of PA

• Ugh. I see packing in my very near future... But, on a positive note, I'm sure we'll be getting all of our security deposit back. We can definitely use that as house-buying time approaches.

69 51 days until my last day of work

• Mixed feelings about this one. I will LOVE not getting up and dressed and ready and out the door in half an hour...and then working all day. I'm really looking forward to my new job as Mommy, which will come with its own set of things-I-don't-like-so-much, but I know I will love every minute of it. On the other hand, I will miss the kindergarteners and my friends at work. They've already made me promise to come back and show off the baby.

88 70 days until Nick and Kristina's wedding

• I will be taking the bridesmaid dress for this wedding home with me to see what can be done with it at David's Bridal or to see what other, more comfy dresses are on the market at this point. I'm not exactly sure, obviously, how I will be carrying in two more months, but I know I will be bigger than I am now! D will also be starting his Residency orientation around this time. I think his said his first day is a Saturday, which goes to show how busy this year will be for him!

165 ~147 days until our little guy/girl makes an appearance

• Lots to be done still to prepare for our little baby, but we still have about 21 weeks to go...so there is time! I'm starting to compile a list of things we'll be needing and I had D start to research electronic breast pumps. But that's about it. I am feeling him move about every other day and on Thursday he was quite feisty. I actually felt him kick with my hand 5 times in a row. It had to be his little foot because I don't think he'd have that much arm strength at this point...at least I hope not! He gets especially fidgety when I'm eating, which is amusing. I can't sleep on my back anymore because he's getting so big, so I am side-sleeping which is not the most comfortable at all. The kids are noticing my belly more with comments like, "Wow, your belly is bigger!" and "Your baby is saying hi to us, look how he is coming out!" and "Can I touch your belly?" Hey, at least they're polite and ask. When we got back from CT this past week, people at work hadn't seen me for about three days and they were asking what my mom had fed me because I looked so much bigger. As long as we fit into a certain dress in one week, he can grow all he wants! I'm going to a baby shower for a friend at church who is due any day now with her second...this is The Year of The Baby. Practically everyone is pregnant! Which is cool because our baby will have no shortage of playmates.

In response to the #2 most-asked question by people once they realize I have a pregnant belly and I just haven't been eating too many caramel sundaes from McDonald's (like the one that is digesting as I write this...): Yes, we are going to find out if we're having a boy or a girl. In September. Or whenever he decides to make an appearance. And I usually get something along the lines of "Oh, that's great, that's how it should be" or "Really? That's unusual. It's kinda neat that you're waiting." Not that I really care too much about their opinions, but it's fun to keep a mental survey of the responses.

My reasoning: It's the last great mystery in life so why not leave it as such. D would find out if I wanted to, but I really have no urge to and he hasn't been outspoken in his desire to know. I'm more interested in finding out that everything is okay with him (or her) and just seeing him again...this time not as a grainy peanut! The nursery will be neutral for the most part (I'm sure I'll add splashes of boyness or girlness to the room), and that was what was going to get me to find out: if I couldn't find/think of any neutral things besides green or yellow. But I'm pretty much all set with that.

I don't need to know in order to love him more or feel more attached to him. I'm excited about meeting him in person and seeing who he looks like and what kind of personality he will have and what name will fit him best. Or her. We actually don't prefer one sex over the other, which is another reason why we probably don't mind not knowing. As long as there aren't two babies floating around, we're good to go!

I did find this really neat baby name book, though, to help us along in our search for the perfect names. I have another post about naming our baby, but this book is really neat. It's called The Baby Name Wizard by Laura Wattenberg. An excerpt from the introductory pages: "This book distills a vast database of name information...more important, the database is more than just a roster of names. It is the platform for computer and statistical models to reveal patterns about name fashion, image, and style. While most of us can identify certain names as 'preppy' or 'trendy,' the computer models validate our intuition, quantify the distinctions, and identify other names with the same properties. They reveal the reason behind the rhyme of naming."

You can better understand what she means by clicking here. See how each name has it's only little "portrait?" Anyway, I thought it was a really neat spin on all the list-type baby name books that are out there. And I absolutely loved the statistic classes I took in high school and college. Nerdy, I know.

Wow, didn't realize it's been so long since I last blogged. Jumping right in...

House hunting went very well on Saturday. It was actually a lot of fun. My parents, D's parents, Ryan and Yana, D and me, and the realtor hopped from house to house exploring everything each had to offer. It looks like we might end up in a Cape-type house for the area and the price range in which we are looking. Never know though, so don't hold me to it. Buying a house was just another thing on our To Do list, but I found myself getting really into it and getting all excited about decorating and room arranging and the like. I'm SOOO excited about not sharing a wall (or walls) with anyone anymore. No more funky smells, smoke smells, or just any old through-the-wall noises. It hasn't been a big issue, but it's one of the things I'm really looking foward to as a homeowner. We also got to see Ryan and Yana's new home at some point and it's so cute! It's an older home so it had some cool features, like the light switches and an elegant staircase. I love older homes. It reminded of the house I grew up in, which I have always loved (and visit...well, drive by...when I get the chance). So anyway, we didn't make any offers. But we are definitely keeping a few on our radar screen and of course we will continue with the house hunting expedition when we're up for the wedding and for as long as it takes!

Another reason we went up to CT over the weekend was for Nick's surprise 21st bday party. It was a nice mix of friends and family and almost all of the three-foot grinder Mom bought from Blimpie's was eaten. She got me my own veggie one since I can't have sandwich meat while I'm pregnant. Both Baby and I were thankful for her thoughtfulness! Oh yes, and during that same party I tried on the bridesmaid dress I will be wearing in a week and a half. I don't know how it turned into an event with an audience, but there were about six or seven ladies (and Ryan?!) there for the viewing. And they got a little show. The dress didn't exactly fit like it did when we bought it. The belly, actually, fit fine (at that point, at least). It was the chest area that posed a problem. Mom started to zip up the dress on me and it went pretty well up to a certain point. I guess she couldn't go any further, so she hooked the clasp on top, but I didn't know that and I thought she was done. So I said that it still fit good and it shouldn't be a problem. Then there was a pause and a grunt from Mom as she struggled to zip the zipper the rest of the way. It was so embarrassing...I couldn't even breathe! Everyone was throwing out ideas as to how to solve the problem, ending with Mom and Grammy agreeing to have a dress-resizing session scheduled for tomorrow night. Hopefully that'll do it. Yana was such a good sport about it, she was like whatever works as long as you're comfortable. Thanks, Yana, Baby loves you already! :)

Let's see, what else? Oh, we printed D's graduation invitations using my Dad's laser printer while in CT. I'm really pleased with the finished product. And they should be in the mail tomorrow! Another thing to check off my To Do list :)

We took our first Springtime walk tonight and it felt so good. Baby seemed to like it, too, because I didn't feel tired or winded. D sent me an article entitled, "Exercising for Two: Workout Helps Fetus" with the caption, "Exercising during pregnancy may not only benefit mom, it may also get baby off to a healthier start." Now, I'm not sure if he sent this article for my information or if he was trying to hint at something, but it's typical David and the guy just has no tact. But he's still cute and he is right and he's lucky I like to exercise!

I will leave you with a few vantage points of my 18-week belly:

We had another doctor appointment yesterday and it was the most fun yet. As we were in the waiting room, D informed me that he was excited about, not hearing the heartbeat, but seeing how much weight I have gained in the past 3 weeks. He went on to inform me that I should be gaining a pound a week, which means the baby is growing as he should be. He is such a doctor husband and I fear it's only the beginning of things to come.

It was the usual procedure, straight to the scale (gained 3 pounds in 3 weeks), pee in a cup (I was told that I have beautiful urine...), and jelly on the belly so we could hear the heartbeat. That's when the fun started. The Nurse Practitioner, Marie, was having a hard time locating the beat. She was hearing mine, but not picking up the baby's, which I was not liking too much. Then all of the sudden we heard my heartbeat in the foreground and the baby's heartbeat in the background. It was the neatest thing to hear. And then a few seconds later, the baby moved. Poor Marie was chasing the baby around for the next while before we heard a stead beat for any length of time. When she finally picked it up again (at 150 bpm), we were listening for a good bit and all of the sudden we heard this thump. Puzzled, I looked at Marie who was laughing. "Did you hear and feel that? The baby just kicked the doppler probe!" I guess Baby had had enough of the fun and games and he was annoyed by the invasion of his space, so he decided to tell us all that. Kind of rude, I know, but he's cute.

From the doctor's, we packed up the Volvo and headed north to CT where we are now...for the purpose of house hunting!! And visiting with friends and family is always fun, too :).

Just wanted to make sure that I said a BIG congratulations to Ryan and Yana who are the proud new almost-owners of a house!! We are looking in the same general area as them, so we might be nearby neighbors in the near future. Nick and Kristina are already the proud owners of a house, for a few months now. They have fixed it up and decorated it so nicely. I'm sure everyone would like to say a BIG thank you to Dad and Mom who have tirelessly helped throughout each of the home-buying processes, giving of their time, fixing-up expertise, money, and experience...all which are priceless. I know D and I are extremely thankful for ALL of your help, as buying a home can be a bit overwhelming!!!!!!