Country clubbers unite

Oh yes my friends.  The sophisticated rednecks you know and love are taking a walk on the more sophisticated side.   I'm sure the redneck days of sitting in tailgating chairs drinking beer in the carport aren't behind us, but looking ahead we have some very uppity options we did not have before.  We are suddenly members of the Smoke Rise Country Club complete with golf, swim and tennis, and the ever exciting club restaurant.  I have not actually been to or seen all of this yet, but I  am awaiting the day on pins and needles!  Of course, we have to have a baby here before clubbing can take full swing.  

Speaking of baby, while my true due date is today, I have exhausted many efforts to get this child to make an appearance.  It's not the baby's fault, but I am antsy for it's arrival being that I thought all along the due date was a week ago.  We went to Scalini's last night and I ate the eggplant Parmesan.  I have had Mexican.  I have walked around Target repeatedly and spent money I probably didn't need to spend in the process.  I am about 90% sure that all of this has done nothing.  BUT, good times were had by all so I can't complain.  We have no solid, committed girl name and the boy name may not be Owen after all.  I KNOW.  We are a little out of control in the name department.   Just know that when you finally hear the sex and name of this child do not say a word other than how much you love the name.   I just don't think we could take it if you poke fun after all this deliberation.  Anyway, cross your fingers, say a prayer, do a little dance...whatever you think will send labor pains our way.  I AM READY.

Don't hold your breath

Alright, so I have a baby Burrow update. I don't know if I am a total moron or if my doctor's office just left me out of the loop somehow, but my due date is no longer Friday, May 1st. I went to the doctor today and I saw a midwife who said something about my due date being a week from Friday. I told her that I was told in the beginning that the due date would be May 7th, but then later on I was told they changed it to May 1st. She went to look in the computer and she saw both dates in different places. Apparently, after my 20 week ultrasound they decided that I was a week ahead of the May 7th due date and told me that the due date had changed then. Somewhere along the way that changed again since I began measuring on time for May 7th or something like that. They just didn't tell me that. Basically I felt like she was talking in circles because she could tell I was getting frustrated. At the end it comes down to my true due date is May 7th, not May 1st. Truly, one week really is no big deal. However, I stopped working thinking I was due this week. In the grand scheme of things that's not a big deal either, but it is incredibly frustrating. SO, if you are still reading my blog even though I have slacked off a lot, just know that this baby could come anytime between now and May 14th for all I know. Sorry for the confusing rant!

Done and done

I am officially ready to not be pregnant anymore. I mean, of course I don't want the baby to come before IT is totally ready. BUT, for the record, I am done. On the other hand, I have realized that people in general are WAY nicer to you when you are pregnant. This may only be the case when you are at the super huge level of pregnancy that I am at where you are walking like someone kicked you in the crotch, your huge maternity clothes are too tight, you have no makeup on, and your hair looks like CRAP because you just can't be bothered.

For example, I went to the place I hate the most out of all places in the world today...Walmart. Especially the Walmart in Tucker. I consider myself to be a very open minded person who welcomes diversity. However, when you go to this Walmart the drastic differences in cultures across the board are so evident it's like walking into a wind tunnel. You can't figure out which lady is screaming at which kid because there are so many little kids running around frantically and so many different languages going on at once. You can't possibly entertain the idea of using a cart because you may as well just spend the night at that point. There are so many people with so little regard for other people it makes you hate the world. Add in the extra 100 or so people that work there that are useless and you have a recipe for mass chaos at every turn.

Not today though! If someone saw me coming, they moved aside. Even the little kids were shuffled out of the way as I tried to make my way down an aisle. I had three employees ask me if I needed help finding something. I wanted to buy refills for my razor and in the razor section all they had was the razor with the refills. So I thought maybe they had some at the front on an end cap or something and I just headed that way. Regardless of how astonishingly smooth this trip to Walmart was going, I have already mentioned that I am over it. I decided if I left without refills it really wouldn't matter. I walk up to an empty register and the cashier sees the bewildered look on my face and asks me what I am looking for. I tell her and she runs and gets them! She leaves her lane, trots off somewhere, and returns with my razor blade refills. I am dumbfounded. I thank her eight times and make the trek to my car.

As you can imagine, the parking lot alone would deter most people from setting foot in this Walmart. I actually got a pretty decent parking spot somehow. I unload my junk into my car while two cars are in the process of leaving me about 6 inches to back out in as they fight over my spot even though I am not even in my car yet. I look around to see that the thingy where you put your cart (yes I got a cart) is pretty far away. I shrug my shoulders at the two cars and begin to slowly waddle to the thingy (anybody know what those things are called?). A man and his son come running up behind me and the man asks me if he can take my cart to the thingy! I again am overly thankful and walk back to my car thinking about how in God's name I am ever going to exit this place.

SO, either the stars aligned and the Walmart in Tucker did a 180 upswing, or being over 8 months pregnant may as well be the same as wearing a sign that says "be way nicer to me than you normally would".

PS - One thing that is ironic to me is that when I was not pregnant I felt like every parking space in the world said "for expectant mothers". Now, they are nowhere to be found. Funny how that works.

Back with the living

I am a total slacker. I apologize. In my defense, I have been coughing up a lung the past week and a half. BUT, spring break is upon me and I am determined to recover and blog like crazy. Are you ready for it?

So what's been going on with the Burrows? I'm sure you are dieing to know. As I said, it is spring break. In a normal situation that would mean a lot of laying around, but I have been spending my time in my learning cottage just as much as I would if it weren't spring break. I put off planning for my maternity leave until now so I spent all day today and yesterday doing just that...planning. In some regards, this is absolutely fine with me. I can't really go anywhere so I might as well be useful right? On the other hand, laying around and shopping for what we don't have in the baby department sounds much more appealing. Regardless, there's still time. Seth has now entered the busy time of year for him, so needless to say what's been going on with him.
Work, work, and more work. BUT, lots of work right now is like music to most people's ears, including ours.

In the land of baby, everything is going great! The back pain is gone due to the amazing world of prenatal massage. Seriously, pregnant or not, I have found the best masseuse in Atlanta if you ever need one. The problem is, the back pain was immediately replaced by this nasty cold and cough. Ninja baby hates the cough, but I'm pretty sure mommy hates it more. Now is when I start going to the doctor once a week which really makes it feel like we are super close. The baby's room is painted so now all we need is furniture! It's all coming together though.

Our dogs have unfortunately spent an inordinate amount of time at the vet this week. Molly has a lump on her chest called a histiosarcoma. Apparently this lump is benign and harmless, $200 later. Woody was neutered today and you can imagine how thrilled he has been about his current situation since he got home. He and Molly are not allowed to be around each other because he is supposed to be calm for seven days. When day six gets here I will let you know if we all survived the separation. Molly is outside alone or Woody is crated and both are pissed off about it to no end. Seriously, I can picture them years from now being like an old married couple that can't survive without each other.

So that is the latest and greatest from us! Again, you will hear a lot more from me this week I promise.

Did he just call me fat?

I'm sorry I have been a slacker again. Sometimes I feel like I have a million things to write about and other times I don't. Please keep reading anyway!

So I went to the doctor today, and I want to start by saying I love the OBGYN practice that I go to. I haven't met all of the doctors, but I especially love my doctor. That alone makes it worth it to me. My doctor is pregnant as well and due not that long after me. So, I am kind of going into this with the assumption that she won't be delivering my baby which is totally fine. I'm not one of those "I have to have this" and "I have to have that" and "everything has to be perfect" kind of moms to be (shockingly).

Today I met another doctor that could or could not deliver my baby, and I want to start by saying he was incredibly nice. I also want to say that I actually admired his up front nature due to the fact that he is talking to highly emotional, already feeling bigger than a house, pregnant women on a daily basis. He came in all business and ran through information he had to tell me first and then asked for my questions/concerns. His very first question to me was, "are you a big carb person?". I immediately thought, "oh God someone has found me out". My reply was, "I wasn't until I got pregnant". He then began to laugh.

That is the truth folks. I LOVED vegetables. I won't say I was the perfect eater by any stretch, but my tastes have changed dramatically. Before getting knocked up I ate a lot of vegetables and salads. I didn't care much for fruit and tried to watch my carb intake probably more so in regards to weight than anything else. However, I didn't want them all the time either. After getting pregnant my diet has consisted of more carbs than I think I realized and tons of fruit. I NEVER want vegetables or salad and meat is kind of a take or it leave it thing. So, after I replied to the doctor he told me that I had gained 4 pounds in two weeks. Honestly, I hadn't noticed. He quickly said I need to up my vegetables and proteins and cut way back on the carbs and then he moved on to something else.

When it got to be my turn to ask questions or make comments my first statement was about the back pain I have been having. He then replied that quick weight gain (along with the sheer fact that I am pregnant) can cause back pain because the body is adapting to the new weight. He said a whole bunch of other stuff too, but overall the message I got today was if you would just eat better you would feel better. It's not rocket science. I am aware.

I just kind of found myself wishing someone else had been in the room because it really did border on being called a fatty. I am positive he did not mean to make me feel that way, but it was almost comical to me how nonchalantly the conversation occurred. I kind of found myself wondering how he handles women who have gained/weigh double or even triple what I have/weigh...

At any rate, I promptly drove myself to Kroger and bought some veggies. I'm not worried about it, but I do see the point he made. I am oddly humored by the whole appointment.

By the way, he claims that baby Burrow is now head down too. He even tried to show me how I could feel for myself. Only time will tell...

Whiny baby

That's me. I have hit the realm of pregnancy where I believe no one should have to be subjected to me. Yesterday I could have drop kicked my dogs, agonizing back pain and all. I'm pretty sure Seth came home last night and for the first time (well, I'm hoping for the first time) truly saw the bitch that lies within me. I would say I am a pretty laid back person. I have tendencies of sheer irrational irritability that I believe I get outright (thanks dad), but this pregnant person is a totally different animal. I've never even seen her before and she is SCARY. This whole time I have thought to myself, pregnancy is easy! I could totally do this four more times in four years. Mark my words...Seth said he wanted five kids in five years on our second date and that was the moment I fell in love...if he even breathes such nonsense in my direction now I will not only be shocked but I will be forced to run in the other direction.

Seriously though, I feel like a wind up toy. Someone is winding a screw into my lower back that pulls the muscles that lead to my shoulder blades. This in turn sets off a signal in my brain to allow sheer frustration to come oozing out over something like putting on my socks and shoes, which then opens the floodgates. I decided today that I am just no longer bending over. If I dropped something at work I would ask the nearest kid to pick it up. Yes I got a lot of confused looks, but they did it and didn't say a word, God love 'em.

Also, if one more person sees me and they get the deer in headlights look I am going to look at their rear end or something similar and give the same look back.

On the up side, I would imagine being pregnant is like being bipolar. How is that an up side you ask? Well, I think I have mentioned this before, but there are many moments of extreme excitement and joy. I mean, wouldn't you be excited if you ate an entire box of samoas and you didn't feel bad about it AT ALL? No really, the sappy and lovey side of being pregnant makes up for the back pain and psychotic tendencies. I simply cannot wait to see ninja baby up close. Just the thought of hearing "it's a girl!" or "it's a boy!" makes me teary eyed (in the not psychotic way). I know this post makes it sound like I will never want to get pregnant again, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I just feel that brutal honesty about how I am feeling suits me better than sappy sugar coating :-)

are we ready?

Last week we went on the hospital tour of Northside. Saturday we did an all day birthing class. I think that means we are supposed to be fully informed and ready to go. The hospital tour was really great. I left thinking I couldn't wait to come back and stay there for a few days. I mean, the labor and delivery rooms have flat screen TVs. The birthing class could have been a lot better, but it really had nothing to do with the class. I think it was just one of those things where they could have just given me the book to read and I would have been set. We watched a video made in 1972 of five births. I think the only things Seth took away from the whole day were the following:

1) He wants to have a long 70's style mustache and no beard when we go to have this baby.

2) He also wants me to be wearing glasses that are cover half my face (even though I don't wear glasses or contacts right now).

3) He wants to locate the slow motion music from the video where right after the baby comes out it is ever so slowly brought up for the mom to hold. If you see him, ask him how the tune goes. He'll probably sing it for you.

So needless to say we could have saved the money and just asked for the book. BUT, it was worth finding that out I suppose. Let's say that we are about as ready as we can be mentally.

Physically, I AM READY. This baby already weighs 4 and a half pounds. I still have 7 1/2 weeks to go! We also had another 3D ultrasound on Sunday and found out that the baby is breech. The kind of breech (called Frank) where the baby's legs are up basically straight up in front of it. Therefore, all we saw on the ultrasound was a jumble of hands and feet totally covering the face. We got one shot of the face and some insanely chubby cheeks. Anyway, keep your fingers crossed that our plump little ninja gymnast does another flip around before the big day. Mommy doesn't want to have a c-section. Of course, I just want a happy healthy baby. So whichever way it happens I will be fine with it.

Dog baths and baby showers

I got home on Friday to find our electrician at our house. No surprise there. I knew he was coming on Friday to change out our beyond ancient breaker box. The house was pitch black and it was raining, so I let the dogs out and while the electrician was working I may have fallen asleep on the couch....dogs still outside. I think I only nodded off for ten minutes or so, but I looked out the window to see two very wet, very muddy dogs. I left them out there thinking I would let them in when the electrician left and give them a bath. This may seem like cruel and unusual punishment, but my dogs are not the brightest berries on the bush. Molly BEGS to go outside when the weather is bad. So, I may or may not have fallen asleep again on the couch. I awoke to the electrician asking me a question from the kitchen. I very quickly sat up and realized I had been asleep for longer than planned...or not planned really but you know what I mean. So as it turns out, I was in the dark sleeping with wet, nasty dogs outside for close to two hours (sleeping off and on mind you...not the whole time). The lights came on, the electrician left, and I prepped myself for the task at hand.

Since I have become more large and in charge, Seth has been the one bathing the dogs. I just felt really bad that they had been outside in the rain so I decided I could do it. I know Molly is harder because she's large and hates getting in the tub, so I decided to get her out of the way first. We got a removable shower head a few months ago to make it easier to bathe the dogs so I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing. Woody got shut in the laundry room and Molly and I headed to the bathroom. While it wasn't as hard as I expected, it took freaking forever. Molly was shockingly cooperative. If you can imagine, it's just slightly exhausting to be in a tub/shower with a lab for 20 minutes....pregnant. Molly absolutely refuses to shake off in the tub so I also knew cleaning the entire bathroom was in my future. So out we go both of us soaking wet along with the walls, door frames, sink, and toilet. Molly also hates being dried off. She thinks it's a big old game instead of a necessity so she charges back and forth at the towel like a bull. I'm sure that sounds funny but after two or three charges and very little drying I AM OVER IT. But, I'm already too far in to end this process now.

Next comes Woody who is a five minute cake walk when it comes to baths, but I am feeling REALLY tired now (yes I know I just took a nap). Since my clothes are mostly wet anyway, I decide to sit on the back of the tub while I bathe Woody. He promptly walks up to me and rests his sopping wet head on my belly looking at me like he's at the spa. He seems genuinely disappointed when I turn off the water and hoist him out of the tub.

This is about the time that Seth calls. I explain the situation to him and he tells me to leave the bathroom a mess and he will clean it when he gets home. Thank God for small miracles.

Little did I know we would have a blizzard today and everything you just read would occur all over again. I have to say at least I got the pleasure of watching my dogs go to town in the snow. The video may seem boring, but it really made my weekend!

Lastly, I can't leave out the baby shower/cookout we had on Saturday. Seth's friends have been trying to get together for a cookout about once a month and this month they decided it would be a baby shower for us. I only took one picture, but I know other pictures were taken so when I get those I will post them. At any rate, the one picture I took has a story behind it that is in no way meant to offend anyone. You have to know that Seth's sense of humor relies on two things...making people uncomfortable and pushing the limits. A couple of weeks ago we went to dinner at Adam and Michelle's house and told them this story: At our last doctor's appointment we were seeing a midwife we had not met and Seth tried to convince me to ask her if we could come up with a contingency plan in case the baby came out black. AGAIN, not meant to be offensive in any way and no I did not let him ask her that. Adam and Michelle thought it was pretty funny though and they were in charge of the cake for the shower....

Things to come...

I asked Seth today if he notices when I get up in the middle of the night and he said "no, not at all". I get up at least three times a night. Mind you, my side of the bed is on the opposite side of the room from the bathroom and I tend to run into furniture along the way (and there may be some not so quiet swearing in the process). I also rattle around for the TUMS at least once. I then said, "will you notice when our baby is screaming?". If you know Seth, sleeping...and doing it heavily....is just a part of who he is. Will baby Burrow make him comatose more frequently or will he just get to a point where he tunes it out? Not without a gentle swift kick of a reminder from me.

My sister and I are in negotiations over her possibly being our nanny. There are a lot of details to sort out, but I am crossing every chubby finger and toe in hopes that it happens that way. Of course we are getting on a few daycare lists as backups, but it's highly possible I will have a nervous breakdown if that occurs (seriously, no pressure Sara). I have nothing at all against daycare, as I'm sure I've mentioned previously. Let's just say it will require major mental adjustments on my part.

Lastly, we have decided on a boy name, but I left the girl name completely up to Seth. I decided I just had to let it go. Plus, when she's 16 and telling me she hates her name (and me) I can truthfully say her dad named her. We haven't started saving for college but I will take every small future victory I can get.

In the home stretch...

That word, stretch, encompasses my emotional and physical state in one word:

PHYSICAL...

In the third trimester I am now unable to comfortably stretch to put on my socks and shoes. The maternity clothes are no longer roomy and comfortable, but instead they are barely stretching to fit and never seem quite comfortable enough. I think I need a mu mu. Every time I eat, it seems the skin on my stomach is stretching before my very eyes. Baby Burrow seems to stretch out in all directions many times a day...I play a guessing game of what appendage is in which organ...a foot in the ribs, a hand firmly placed on the bladder, and the rear end lovingly shoved into the belly button like maybe it could break free seems to be the favorite. I have yet to find a pair of shoes that stretch to meet the needs of my feet. I have some fake Uggs from Target that are really ugly that I wear every day because they are huge already. I never really was very fashion conscious anyway.

EMOTIONAL:
It would be a stretch to think I was going to go this whole pregnancy without getting overly emotional. I'm pretty sure I cried every single day last week. While I am absolutely positive I had very good reason, it doesn't change the fact that it kept happening. At the same time, there are moments of sheer euphoria (see the guessing game above) that leave me feeling like I could do cartwheels in the front yard. This must be what it feels like to be bipolar.

At any rate, I am in the home stretch. I went to Merrick's Walk today with my friend Leigh and I met her five week old baby Ansley. I know I still have two months to go, but I am so ready for this little one to make it's debut and seeing little Ansley solidified that for me. The 2.6 mile walk was great at the time, but after coming home and sitting down for a few minutes I realized maybe I should have just walked in the Uggs too...my feet are unhappy to say the least.

Seth is still busy at work on the latest renovations. Pictures are coming soon!

Christmas dinner and acrobat baby

Last weekend we had Christmas dinner at our house for the third year in a row....when I was in college my group of friends decided to have a huge Christmas potluck dinner. Novel idea for a bunch of irresponsible kids, but it stuck. Every year now for almost ten years we have gotten together and had "Christmas dinner" as it is still called. I have to say, this year it really hit me how special this is. How many people do you know that take the time to get the same group of people together every year for a meal? People have moved away and only one has had a baby (we are next in line!), but each year at least 25 people show up to eat together. This year we even tried to get a picture of everyone on my brand new couch (stressful for a sec). It went surprisingly well, as you can see (thanks for the picture Nicole)....check out the guys in the kitchen through the window. It truly was very funny. My friend Asa brought over his dog Georgia who has been a staple in our lives since he got her in college. She is old now, but our young buck Woody still managed to fall in love with her and hump the crap out of her. Molly also took to licking her in the face. Needless to say, Georgia probably did not have a very good time. However, the dogs did alright even though I was a nervous wreck they would drive people nuts. I was very proud!

On a totally different subject, the big ultrasound was today where we would have found out the sex but didn't...it was really so comforting to hear that everything was going well and normal. It was also fabulous because I felt the baby move for the first time last night. Since last night our little acrobat hasn't stopped. What's funny is, today was the first day my students seemed to notice I am pregnant. I mean, they knew already, but today one of them came up and just started patting my belly. It was super cute. She didn't say anything...she just stood there patting. So needless to say, it was a very good day. It's even better when you add in the fact that school is out in two days....my already fat swelling feet need a break!

(PS - Angie, if you read this blog, thank you for loaning me a new maternity wardrobe...it is MUCH appreciated!)

So funny

I just have to point out how hysterical I thought this was....please read the comment to my last post for a better look, but Toby Flowers put in a very strong argument for us to use the name Toby. I am seriously going to consider it just because his argument is perfect. Rock on Toby. they need to make baby name books like that where people tell you all the reasons you should name your kid after them...I would buy it.

our nameless child

It appears that naming the upcoming newest member of the Burrow family has turned into a bit of a struggle for me. I did say for me and not for us because Seth has been rather flexible and open about it (amid some really interesting suggestions that I veto 99% of the time). I, on the other hand, am being rather difficult. It's not because I am pregnant and hormonal either. We were at the hockey game tonight randomly talking about names again and I finally came to the realization that nothing sounds good enough. That's rather cocky of me isn't it? Well, it's the truth. AND, we aren't finding out what we are having so the need for more than one name is daunting as well.

There are girl names I kind of like. I mean, if I really sat down and hashed it out I could pick one. Boy names are a totally different story. I keep dreaming that we are having a girl....some would say that's a sign....others would probably say that's my subconscious avoiding a decision because, well, that's what I do. I'm indecisive and fickle. But seriously, this name thing is so....permanent. You can't change your mind in a year. You can't even change it in a week. I mean, I guess you can but for arguments sake (and for the sake of all things normal) let's just say you can't. Boy names are hard for me because I have to be able to picture myself calling a little boy the name and calling a teenager the name. I am a teacher so about 20 names are automatically out the window. I love my family but the names are just not exactly appealing.

I would say send comments of suggestions but I don't want to show just how ridiculous this is has become for me by shooting down any well meaning ideas. If you are ballsy enough, feel free to comment.

Football massacre, eyelashes, fingerprints, and

I am SO sorry I am such a slacker....I vow to be better...our internet has become more than frustrating so I do have a good reason.

Anyway, here is an update on what has been going on with us!

GA/FL weekend proved to be yet another good time minus the whole reason we go...the game. I even got sick (like runny nose, cough, can't sleep but can't take Nyquil kind of sick) on the way to St. Simmons. The beach and the good times made me better, the game made me depressed. We (Asa, Kim, Seth, and myself) had front row seats to the overwhelmingly frustrating loss. Overall, I am so glad we went...prego and all.

We came back to another eye surgery for the newest member of our family....Woody. The poor dog has eyelashes that grow into his eyes instead of out. So they lasered them off for a second time and he has that crusty, gooey, raccoon eye kind of look. He would literally be awful looking if his random breed and random physical affliction didn't make him so darn cute.

As for an update on the future Burrow, it is still nameless but it has fingerprints! I learned last week how fingerprints are made....the baby swims around in the amniotic fluid and ridges are created on the fingertips. VERY cool! So the baby can be booked but they won't know what to call it :-) I did find neutral bedding though....one step down, lots more to go.

My next plea for help is a somewhat ridiculous concern....we are going to West Palm to visit my dad for Thanksgiving and we are going to a very cool yet very formal charity ball. I am not technically "showing" yet, but I am having to regularly unbutton my pants when it isn't noticeable. So in another three weeks who knows. I need a very loose fitting long evening gown. If you know where these may exist (I already tried Dillards and Macy's at Perimeter) please holla back (or comment if you aren't trying to be hip like me).

I PROMISE the next post will be much sooner than two weeks from now.

Called out

Ok so Meg called me out. She wrote on my wall on facebook that I am a blog slacker. She's right! However, it's been a bit of a week.

I didn't necessarily want this blog to become a mommy blog. I like mommy blogs....I really do. I just didn't want to have a solitary purpose for it. If Seth would ever write on here it might not! (That's to see if he's even reading it anymore.)

Anyway, even though I didn't want those things, being pregnant is kind of what I am right now so you may just have to hear about it along with the other stuff. I know it's all insanely exciting. So back to why I've been a blog slacker. I feel like CRAP. So there Meg (just kidding)...really and truly though, every day all day long is barf city. No actual barfing but I'm pretty sure dry heaving is worse. Add that to being a total zombie and I am a walking party. Throw in a few vomit inducing, hard core nose picking second graders and you have my week in a nutshell. Oh did I mention the entire school schedule was thrown off because of testing in 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade so I haven't had about 75% of my breaks in two weeks?

Man could I be any whinier?

On to more exciting stuff....we heard the heartbeat yesterday! I had no idea it went so fast...of course Seth's first question was "you only hear one right?". He probably thinks I am complaining enough to be breeding a small army. But truly, hearing the heartbeat makes the rest bearable ;-)

News

Ok here it is. The blogs you have been so anxiously waiting for. There's more fun news to share but this, of course, is the best news.

9-11-08
The first three months…

…otherwise known as the first trimester. Apparently you aren’t supposed to talk about being pregnant once you actually get pregnant. I mean, I haven’t been trying nearly as long as some people, but that doesn’t make it any less difficult to keep the secret. Being a blogger isn’t helping matters. I want to talk about this. Not just talk about it, but I mean really talk about it. I want people to know that I took the first pregnancy test at 6 am before leaving to tailgate for the first game of the season. I then convinced myself, way too early Seth told me, that if it is a boy he will play for Georgia solely because of the day the positive test was taken. I want people to know that I am so freaking excited I could scream, but that I am also very scared something will go wrong. I want my friends to know I appreciate that they didn’t ask why I didn’t crack open a beer in Athens because I would have spilled the beans. I want people to know that the time I ran into the armoire was really the 5th time I had gotten up to pee. Or that Seth has been calling the baby Fletcher and Delilah at the same time in the hopes that I will fall in love with one of those names (not going to happen). Really, I just want to talk about it. I know the reasons why people don’t share before the deadline. I do understand. So, I am blogging in Word instead of in my actual blog for now. It may be a long drawn out mess, but it makes me happy.

A little background…there aren’t a lot of things I have felt incredibly good at in my life. I know I am kind of good and some things, but in my heart I have always known that I am meant to be a mother. Call it corny, hokey, dramatic, etc. That’s not to say I am not afraid that I will suck at some of it. I am prepared for that. However, the running joke now in our house happens to be that I will finally be smarter about something than Seth (and I must admit I can’t freaking wait for that part either). I wish I could say I was always meant to be a teacher, but that’s just not the case. I am pretty good at being a teacher, and someday I could be incredibly good at it. I just would rather be a mom. There is no simpler way to put it.

That first pregnancy test was two weeks ago. My first doctor’s appointment is in two weeks. Stay tuned… J

9-16-08
Alright well, due to sheer timing, we have decided when to tell the rents. I must say, the actual fact that there is a date to share this news is making it easier to keep it a secret. My dad and his wife will hear the news on October 1st because he doesn’t live here and he is coming into town for that one night. We won’t see him again until Thanksgiving and that’s just too long to wait! I just have to tell him that he can’t tell anyone else yet. He happens to be stopping in Atlanta on his way to his yearly cabin trip with old college buddies, some of which live in the same small town as my aunt on my mom’s side. That would be lovely….aunt Gail calling my mom upset because she heard from good old “Bodene” that her niece is pregnant before she heard it from her own sister. We have decided to tell the moms and siblings soon after the doctor’s appointment next week, although there is no exact date/creative presentation in mind yet. I have some ideas brewing, but I can’t decide what to do….it has to be big though. Telling Seth’s dad is a toss up. I am not sure about that one but I am intrigued to hear his response at the prospect of being a grandfather.
**Side note….I know people mean well, but if one more person tells me take a crapload of drugs so I will feel better I am going to blurt out that I am pregnant and not feel bad about it.

9-22-08
I am all better! I am also realizing that being pregnant is exhausting. I have never been the type of person who can fall asleep at the drop of a hat, but seriously, it’s ALL I THINK ABOUT. I wake up thinking about going back to sleep. I used to be a bit of an insomniac/night owl and now I am in bed and almost asleep by 9:30. I also pretty much want to barf all the time. I never actually do, but I don’t know if that’s better or worse than constantly feeling like I could. I’m pretty sure Seth now sees me as a lazy, whiny, cranky brat. You know what though, that’s just tough isn’t it? J

We took the plunge and bought a new bedroom set that I am very excited about. We aren’t exactly small people, so I have been wanting a king size bed basically since the day we got married. I have also had visions of being 8 months pregnant and unable to get out of the water bed. Yes, we currently sleep in a water bed. I actually LOVE the bed, when Seth isn’t in it. He will tell you the same thing. When he is in it, I am basically mid-air. Upgrades are so exciting.

9-23-08
Tomorrow is the big day. The first big day of many. Confirmation of what I can’t imagine could be anything else other than pregnancy. I have to say this and you will just have to deal if it makes you uncomfortable, but the biggest change has been boob size. I truly can’t believe they are growing before my very eyes. God’s cruelest joke? That everything else is going to grow with them. I mean seriously, if my rear end could just remain the same, I won’t ever curse my small boobs again.

Here I actually wrote the blog about the Halloween candy (9-23-08), but I figured, it would work as a regular blog. People would just think I was a total fatty and not pregnant.

9-29-08
Ok so disregard my ranting about wanting to talk about it because I have officially told everyone a month before you are “supposed” to. I knew we were telling our entire families within the past/upcoming week so we decided to just get the ball rolling. I went to dinner at Kim’s last Wednesday night and a large portion of my girlfriends were going to be there so I decided it was as good at time as any, even if it was early. Why did I have to wait until Thursday to officially blog about it? Well, my dad wasn’t going to be here until the first remember? I know he randomly reads my blog so I had to be patient one more time. There was no grand announcement for the moms or siblings unfortunately. I was so hoping to be WAY more creative, but it just didn’t present itself. SO, we told Seth’s mom the day we bought the furniture. We told my mom the day we went to the doctor. Seth told his dad over the phone to which his dad replied “what make is it?”. Gotta love Bill. I told my sister over the phone. Levi heard through our tailgate on Saturday! And everyone else had apparently been speculating for weeks anyway. So there you have it. I can finally post the “knocked up” t-shirt picture! I have been saving the shirt for this since the movie came out. Ironically I got it as a free gift at a beerfest no less. That makes me laugh.