We'll see you when we get back to the States eh'! Jaynee, Benny and Tweet
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
They Don't Tell You About This In The Books
Memorial Day weekend was a four-day weekend for both Benny and I. And we celebrated the holiday by DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. And it was awesome.
Well, it was awesome until Monday morning when I woke up to a beautiful day and thought to myself: "Self? We haven't talked in a while. Why don't we do something awesome and yet not so smart at the same time?"
Hence my suggestion to Benny that we hike up Waterfall Canyon... along with the rest of the State of Utah. I'll admit... just walking to the trail head that's about a 1/2 mile from our house, I started to have second thoughts. It was getting warm... (almost 68 degrees at 10 a.m., Shane). And, the hike to Waterfall isn't for the faint of heart. Or the fat of butt. Nevermind that there were 4-year-olds running up the thing. And parents carrying their newborns. And a man with a cane.
And, yes... for your info, they all passed us. Because yours truly was hiking on the equivalent of a 1/2 ankle and apparently, the fetus in. ma. belly! is not so much into vertical climbs.
Either that or I'm just totally out of shape. But we'll go with the former excuse, rather than the latter.
Anyhoo... I make fun only because I care. And because I can. And because the waterfall was AMAZING. I've lived in O-Town for 14 years now and have never seen it this powerful. It was roaring. Of course, being the Boy Scouts (always prepared) that Benny and I are, we forgot the camera, so no pics were taken that day.
Luckily for us, though, we did NOT forget the water. And, on the way down, that water didn't forget us because Little Miss Can't Hold Her H2O had to take a detour so I could pee in private. Just me, the birds, the bees, the sagebrush... oh, and that helicopter that just flew over my head. Apparently the old man with the cane took a bit of a tumble. (Thanks to our friend Mike who got pics of the helicopter leaving... great pics!)
All in all, it was a great hike. I got to see my first Lazuli Bunting, and identified (incorrectly, at first) the call of a Black-Headed Grossbeak. I know this means nothing to the majority of you, but trust me that this little bird-nerd went right home and marked it in her bird book.
That night, the 4-mile hike came back to haunt me in a big way. Have I mentioned the Round Ligament before?
No? The Round Ligaments surround your uterus in your pelvis. As the uterus grows during pregnancy, the ligaments stretch and thicken to accommodate and support it. Some women feel the pain in their abdomen and it's usually sharp, intense and over quickly.
Not me. No... see, I like to get the most out of my Round Ligaments. Really make them earn their name. MY pain is in the groin area... if you were to trace it, it would be right about the area that a really, really, REALLY inappropriately high-cut, Brazilian-style bikini would sit. And it's a constant, dull ache.
Supposedly, you get the pain if you've overdone it. Like, say, go for a walk? Cuz... wow... EASY NOW. We're not Superheros. Can't be doing crazy things like WALKING while we're pregnant. Cuz we might end up NOT looking like the Goodyear Blimp at 5 months. And we can't have that.
So, yea... the hike did not please the Round Ligaments. Neither did the walk around the neighborhood the next morning to show the ligaments who was boss. (Hint: It's apparently not me). I have been waddling around for the last two days because my yoo-hoo was barking. And don't nobody want a barking yoo-hoo, now, do they?
I cannot believe I'm supposed to push another human being out of this in another 4 months or so. IT CANNOT BE DONE!
Well, it was awesome until Monday morning when I woke up to a beautiful day and thought to myself: "Self? We haven't talked in a while. Why don't we do something awesome and yet not so smart at the same time?"
Hence my suggestion to Benny that we hike up Waterfall Canyon... along with the rest of the State of Utah. I'll admit... just walking to the trail head that's about a 1/2 mile from our house, I started to have second thoughts. It was getting warm... (almost 68 degrees at 10 a.m., Shane). And, the hike to Waterfall isn't for the faint of heart. Or the fat of butt. Nevermind that there were 4-year-olds running up the thing. And parents carrying their newborns. And a man with a cane.
And, yes... for your info, they all passed us. Because yours truly was hiking on the equivalent of a 1/2 ankle and apparently, the fetus in. ma. belly! is not so much into vertical climbs.
Either that or I'm just totally out of shape. But we'll go with the former excuse, rather than the latter.
Anyhoo... I make fun only because I care. And because I can. And because the waterfall was AMAZING. I've lived in O-Town for 14 years now and have never seen it this powerful. It was roaring. Of course, being the Boy Scouts (always prepared) that Benny and I are, we forgot the camera, so no pics were taken that day.
Luckily for us, though, we did NOT forget the water. And, on the way down, that water didn't forget us because Little Miss Can't Hold Her H2O had to take a detour so I could pee in private. Just me, the birds, the bees, the sagebrush... oh, and that helicopter that just flew over my head. Apparently the old man with the cane took a bit of a tumble. (Thanks to our friend Mike who got pics of the helicopter leaving... great pics!)
All in all, it was a great hike. I got to see my first Lazuli Bunting, and identified (incorrectly, at first) the call of a Black-Headed Grossbeak. I know this means nothing to the majority of you, but trust me that this little bird-nerd went right home and marked it in her bird book.That night, the 4-mile hike came back to haunt me in a big way. Have I mentioned the Round Ligament before?
No? The Round Ligaments surround your uterus in your pelvis. As the uterus grows during pregnancy, the ligaments stretch and thicken to accommodate and support it. Some women feel the pain in their abdomen and it's usually sharp, intense and over quickly.
Not me. No... see, I like to get the most out of my Round Ligaments. Really make them earn their name. MY pain is in the groin area... if you were to trace it, it would be right about the area that a really, really, REALLY inappropriately high-cut, Brazilian-style bikini would sit. And it's a constant, dull ache.
Supposedly, you get the pain if you've overdone it. Like, say, go for a walk? Cuz... wow... EASY NOW. We're not Superheros. Can't be doing crazy things like WALKING while we're pregnant. Cuz we might end up NOT looking like the Goodyear Blimp at 5 months. And we can't have that.
So, yea... the hike did not please the Round Ligaments. Neither did the walk around the neighborhood the next morning to show the ligaments who was boss. (Hint: It's apparently not me). I have been waddling around for the last two days because my yoo-hoo was barking. And don't nobody want a barking yoo-hoo, now, do they?
I cannot believe I'm supposed to push another human being out of this in another 4 months or so. IT CANNOT BE DONE!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Pregnancy-The Father's Perspective
As some of you have already read, pregnancy for Jaynee has been a mix of ups and downs, excitement and frustration, glow and nausea. But all things considered I think she is handling pregnancy wonderfully and seems to be enjoying it. Aside from an occasional bout of nausea, Jaynee has a certain "glow"that I can't describe. One that can only come from being an expectant mother.
Jaynee has written all about her experience as a mother-to-be. But I thought I'd share my perspective of the pregnancy, including my emotions as an expectant father and the role that I've played in our pregnancy.
I first learned that we were pregnant on Valentines Day. The news of our pregnancy was the best gift I could ever receive. I was so excited that I cried while we embraced in the excitement of our future family. It was obvious from the start that Jaynee and I were ready for the challenge of parenthood. Well, as ready as we can be anyway. Neither of us feel we can ever be fully prepared for what lies ahead, but we knew the time was right to start a family. We were set to be parents. But first, we needed to wait the requisite period before we could start telling our friends and family.
The secretive period of our pregnancy was unbelievably exciting. In some ways it was my favorite part of the pregnancy. Jaynee and I grew quite close during that period. There is something indescribable about sharing "our little secret." We were giddy every night in anticipation, and it was fun to give each other secret looks in public when people mentioned kids, or asked about our future plans, etc. We read books together in bed each night that described pregnancy, what to expect, how to prepare, social norms, etc. But as our secret continued and the idea of Tweet grew in our minds, and in Jaynee's belly, we started to get anxious to tell our friends and family. Not to mention that people were starting to suspect something was up!
The day that we told our parents was unforgettable. Jaynee's mom's reaction was priceless, touching and hilarious all at once.
It was a wonderful feeling to share our secret. My mom and Pops were obviously excited too, and I think it caught everyone off guard. Our little secret was no longer a secret, so from that point forward the experience of being a father-to-be changed completely.
When I read books about being a father-to-be, all of them mentioned the feelings of alienation that fathers often experience during pregnancy. But as I read about these issues I never thought it would be a problem for us. Since Tweet was our little secret for so long it was hard to imagine that I would feel left out. But as time went on and more and more people learned about our pregnacny, I felt myself being alienated from the experience. It was a terrible feeling at first, one that I initially chose to ignore in hopes that it would go away.
In my mind, this would be the first test of our relationship during pregnancy. While you're probably thinking, "oh, you haven't seen anything yet," you're probably right. But I can tell you that as a father, to feel uninvolved in your own pregnancy is a terrible feeling, and it takes a strong relationship to resolve. Every book we read suggested that close communication with your spouse is key to resolving issues of alienation.
In my mind, this is one small example of why Jaynee and I waited to have children. We needed to be ready; together. We will need a strong marriage to resolve a host of issues throughout parenthood, and this issue was the first small speed bump in that process. I'm thankful that our marriage is strong and that we communicate with each other about our emotions. As soon as we talked about it, identified key issues and developed a plan together, the problem was fixed. Just like that! From that point forward I have felt completely involved in the process. Well, as much as a father can be anyway. My experience will never rival that of Jaynee, but I'm thankful for the closeness that Jaynee, Tweet and I have shared throughout this journey.
Jaynee's day-to-day struggles have been difficult to witness, but every day she makes me proud for the way she handles them. She handles the struggles in stride and seems to keep an appropriate perspective during hard times. This is where I think father's have an advantage during pregancy. While we'll never know what it feels like to have a child growing inside of us, we do however enjoy an untainted, almost utopic perspective of pregnancy. We see the miracles of pregnancy without experiencing the harsh side effects. This is a really big deal. One that I hope to never take for granted.
So, from this father's perspective, pregnancy has been a beautiful experience. I wish I could share in the burden's of nausea, swelling, cravings, etc., but I can't. I can only be supportive, do things to make them feel better, be kind when others are mean, be understanding when others are not, rub her belly when she doesn't feel well, and run to store when a crazy craving hits. In essence, I just need to be there for them, and "being there" mostly involves handling logistics, rubbing her feet and preparing the nest.
So, my role as Tweet's father, aside from emotional support, has involved a lot of house construction and "jumping on grenades." I'll explain the latter in another post, so for now I'll explain the former; house construction and nest preparation.
Preparing the nest has been a huge job for me. I first found out that we were pregnant when I was up to my elbows in basement construction. I had hit a proverbial wall at that point, in terms of both energy and ability, but knowing that Tweet was coming gave me the energy and drive to continue. I finished my all-time biggest construction project in short order and the results were better than expected, especially for a fish biologist with no dry-wall experience.
The room was designed from the beginning to be completely baby proof. Even the TV is mounted high on the wall, way out of Tweet's eventual reach. I can thank my co-worker Matt for that bit of advice, as his son Spencer is known to climb on the TV, A LOT. We intentionally left the far side of the room empty so that we can accommodate things like cribs, rockers, bouncy chairs and play pens in the future.
With the basement squared away it was time to prepare Jaynee's home office. Jaynee's employer has been gracious enough to allow her to work from home when Tweet arrives. But to accommodate a home office we needed to completely re-purpose our house, which involved more demolition in the basement. I tore out another bedroom, formerly known as the "man pit," where I once studied for my entrance exams for graduate school. The room was in dire condition. So dire in fact that even without walls or carpet the room is in MUCH better shape.
Once the bikes, tools and cat (yes, my wishes finally came true and the cat was permanently kicked to the curb) had been removed from the eventual office upstairs, it was time for more construction. I decided to surprise Jaynee with this renovation while she was traveling for work. I worked on this room for long hours at night while she traveled and was able to complete it before her return. The room will obviously allow her to have a comfortable work space in the future, but has also allowed us to organize ourselves before Tweet's arrival. We now have all our insurance, finances, documents, files, etc. in proper order.
Up next? The baby room! I'm most excited about this project, but it will have to wait a couple more weeks. Jaynee and I are still wrestling with weather we want to know the gender of the baby. For now we are leaning towards finding out, so we figure we'll wait to start painting when we know what colors are most appropriate. So, the building of the nest continues and I'll be sure to share my construction progress with you in a future post.
Preparing for Tweet's arrival has been a lot of work, but I'm confident that the real work lies ahead. I know that my job as a father will never be easier than it has been for the past 4 and a half months. But that seems to be the beauty of this process. We are gradually introduced to increasing gradations of responsibility. Until that is, on October 20th when Tweet finally arrives. THAT my friends, will be a whole 'nother ball game. But rest assured, when Tweet arrives our home will be fully prepared, full stocked and ready to rock. Our home will be everything we dreamed it would be. A home where we will raise our family.
A place where love will always come first.
Jaynee has written all about her experience as a mother-to-be. But I thought I'd share my perspective of the pregnancy, including my emotions as an expectant father and the role that I've played in our pregnancy.
I first learned that we were pregnant on Valentines Day. The news of our pregnancy was the best gift I could ever receive. I was so excited that I cried while we embraced in the excitement of our future family. It was obvious from the start that Jaynee and I were ready for the challenge of parenthood. Well, as ready as we can be anyway. Neither of us feel we can ever be fully prepared for what lies ahead, but we knew the time was right to start a family. We were set to be parents. But first, we needed to wait the requisite period before we could start telling our friends and family.
The secretive period of our pregnancy was unbelievably exciting. In some ways it was my favorite part of the pregnancy. Jaynee and I grew quite close during that period. There is something indescribable about sharing "our little secret." We were giddy every night in anticipation, and it was fun to give each other secret looks in public when people mentioned kids, or asked about our future plans, etc. We read books together in bed each night that described pregnancy, what to expect, how to prepare, social norms, etc. But as our secret continued and the idea of Tweet grew in our minds, and in Jaynee's belly, we started to get anxious to tell our friends and family. Not to mention that people were starting to suspect something was up!
The day that we told our parents was unforgettable. Jaynee's mom's reaction was priceless, touching and hilarious all at once.
It was a wonderful feeling to share our secret. My mom and Pops were obviously excited too, and I think it caught everyone off guard. Our little secret was no longer a secret, so from that point forward the experience of being a father-to-be changed completely.
When I read books about being a father-to-be, all of them mentioned the feelings of alienation that fathers often experience during pregnancy. But as I read about these issues I never thought it would be a problem for us. Since Tweet was our little secret for so long it was hard to imagine that I would feel left out. But as time went on and more and more people learned about our pregnacny, I felt myself being alienated from the experience. It was a terrible feeling at first, one that I initially chose to ignore in hopes that it would go away.
In my mind, this would be the first test of our relationship during pregnancy. While you're probably thinking, "oh, you haven't seen anything yet," you're probably right. But I can tell you that as a father, to feel uninvolved in your own pregnancy is a terrible feeling, and it takes a strong relationship to resolve. Every book we read suggested that close communication with your spouse is key to resolving issues of alienation.
In my mind, this is one small example of why Jaynee and I waited to have children. We needed to be ready; together. We will need a strong marriage to resolve a host of issues throughout parenthood, and this issue was the first small speed bump in that process. I'm thankful that our marriage is strong and that we communicate with each other about our emotions. As soon as we talked about it, identified key issues and developed a plan together, the problem was fixed. Just like that! From that point forward I have felt completely involved in the process. Well, as much as a father can be anyway. My experience will never rival that of Jaynee, but I'm thankful for the closeness that Jaynee, Tweet and I have shared throughout this journey.
Jaynee's day-to-day struggles have been difficult to witness, but every day she makes me proud for the way she handles them. She handles the struggles in stride and seems to keep an appropriate perspective during hard times. This is where I think father's have an advantage during pregancy. While we'll never know what it feels like to have a child growing inside of us, we do however enjoy an untainted, almost utopic perspective of pregnancy. We see the miracles of pregnancy without experiencing the harsh side effects. This is a really big deal. One that I hope to never take for granted.
So, from this father's perspective, pregnancy has been a beautiful experience. I wish I could share in the burden's of nausea, swelling, cravings, etc., but I can't. I can only be supportive, do things to make them feel better, be kind when others are mean, be understanding when others are not, rub her belly when she doesn't feel well, and run to store when a crazy craving hits. In essence, I just need to be there for them, and "being there" mostly involves handling logistics, rubbing her feet and preparing the nest.
So, my role as Tweet's father, aside from emotional support, has involved a lot of house construction and "jumping on grenades." I'll explain the latter in another post, so for now I'll explain the former; house construction and nest preparation.
Preparing the nest has been a huge job for me. I first found out that we were pregnant when I was up to my elbows in basement construction. I had hit a proverbial wall at that point, in terms of both energy and ability, but knowing that Tweet was coming gave me the energy and drive to continue. I finished my all-time biggest construction project in short order and the results were better than expected, especially for a fish biologist with no dry-wall experience.
The room was designed from the beginning to be completely baby proof. Even the TV is mounted high on the wall, way out of Tweet's eventual reach. I can thank my co-worker Matt for that bit of advice, as his son Spencer is known to climb on the TV, A LOT. We intentionally left the far side of the room empty so that we can accommodate things like cribs, rockers, bouncy chairs and play pens in the future.
With the basement squared away it was time to prepare Jaynee's home office. Jaynee's employer has been gracious enough to allow her to work from home when Tweet arrives. But to accommodate a home office we needed to completely re-purpose our house, which involved more demolition in the basement. I tore out another bedroom, formerly known as the "man pit," where I once studied for my entrance exams for graduate school. The room was in dire condition. So dire in fact that even without walls or carpet the room is in MUCH better shape.
Once the bikes, tools and cat (yes, my wishes finally came true and the cat was permanently kicked to the curb) had been removed from the eventual office upstairs, it was time for more construction. I decided to surprise Jaynee with this renovation while she was traveling for work. I worked on this room for long hours at night while she traveled and was able to complete it before her return. The room will obviously allow her to have a comfortable work space in the future, but has also allowed us to organize ourselves before Tweet's arrival. We now have all our insurance, finances, documents, files, etc. in proper order.
Up next? The baby room! I'm most excited about this project, but it will have to wait a couple more weeks. Jaynee and I are still wrestling with weather we want to know the gender of the baby. For now we are leaning towards finding out, so we figure we'll wait to start painting when we know what colors are most appropriate. So, the building of the nest continues and I'll be sure to share my construction progress with you in a future post.
Preparing for Tweet's arrival has been a lot of work, but I'm confident that the real work lies ahead. I know that my job as a father will never be easier than it has been for the past 4 and a half months. But that seems to be the beauty of this process. We are gradually introduced to increasing gradations of responsibility. Until that is, on October 20th when Tweet finally arrives. THAT my friends, will be a whole 'nother ball game. But rest assured, when Tweet arrives our home will be fully prepared, full stocked and ready to rock. Our home will be everything we dreamed it would be. A home where we will raise our family.
A place where love will always come first.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Bump Watch - 18 Weeks
I had meetings all day Monday-Wednesday of this week and I got to bust out my new maternity wear for the office. Benny and I made the rookie mistake of going to Pea In The Pod a couple of weeks ago and spent about $300 there for office maternity wear. But, considering that this week was a big unveiling week for many of my colleagues throughout the league, it was money well spent.
The skirts and shirts that we got are perfect for work... even though this summer I won't really have to use them that much. I'm still struggling with finding the perfect bra, too. That's a post in an of itself.
For all future mommies-to-be, I highly recommend staying as far away as you can from Pea In The Pod... not only for their ridiculous prices (I actually tried on a pair of $210 jeans... because $220 would have been excessive) but because they really didn't think through the dressing room situation and I was trying on clothes in front of Benny under what I would compare to a heat lamp at KFC. By the end of it, both Benny and I felt like pieces of steroid-injected original recipe fried chicken. Me, because my breast size does not occur in the natural world, and him because he was sweating BUCKETS helping me into clothes that should not occur in the natural world, either!
Motherhood Maternity is much more my style... and my pocket book didn't scream in agony when I went in there.
Other than the meetings, this week was relatively calm. Although we did take KC down to SLC for her 30th birthday and getting home at 1 a.m. doesn't sit well with a pregnant woman (and her adoring husband) who are used to going to bed at 8:30 each night. (Unless 24 is on, and then we make time for Jack Bauer to save the world. It just seems like the patriotic thing to do!)
Symptoms
- HELLO, BELLY!
- Tums to the rescue... AGAIN!
- Is that a huge zit on my chin, or am I just happy to see you?
- I spend more time in the bathroom peeing than in any other place in the house!
Complaints
- This sounds totally weird, I know, but at times I get uncomfortable talking about the pregnancy... because I feel like that's ALL I AM and ALL I TALK ABOUT. And I know that other people aren't as in to it, so I try not to talk about it... but then I HAVE NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT!!! It's a lose-lose situation, really.
- The season finale of 24 DID NOT MAKE BENNY OR THE BABY HAPPY.
- The bra situation is getting desperate! I need to find something STAT!
- I truly can't remember a darn thing unless I write it down.
Cravings
- I'm still on the salad train.
- Tonight, I'm craving a chicken patty.
- Cran Grape Juice. I've actually been craving that for weeks now!
- 1/2 cup of OJ every morning or my day is worthless.
- Water, water, WATER!
- Banana flavored popsicle!!! I got a whole bag for 99 cents yesterday!
- Cheese
Smells I Can't Stand
- Canned corn
- The garbage and disposal
- The dog is particularly horrendously smelling right now!
Bonus Features
- Benny finished up my new office this week. Our friend Jodi helped us score some free desks that her sister was getting rid of and they look great in our office! We only have the baby room left to get ready!
- People have been so generous! We have had so many offers of baby clothes and baby gear... not to mention the early baby gifts we have received.
- I feel more in-tune with the world around me. Sometimes. If I can remember to.
18 Weeks
The skirts and shirts that we got are perfect for work... even though this summer I won't really have to use them that much. I'm still struggling with finding the perfect bra, too. That's a post in an of itself.
For all future mommies-to-be, I highly recommend staying as far away as you can from Pea In The Pod... not only for their ridiculous prices (I actually tried on a pair of $210 jeans... because $220 would have been excessive) but because they really didn't think through the dressing room situation and I was trying on clothes in front of Benny under what I would compare to a heat lamp at KFC. By the end of it, both Benny and I felt like pieces of steroid-injected original recipe fried chicken. Me, because my breast size does not occur in the natural world, and him because he was sweating BUCKETS helping me into clothes that should not occur in the natural world, either!
Motherhood Maternity is much more my style... and my pocket book didn't scream in agony when I went in there.
Other than the meetings, this week was relatively calm. Although we did take KC down to SLC for her 30th birthday and getting home at 1 a.m. doesn't sit well with a pregnant woman (and her adoring husband) who are used to going to bed at 8:30 each night. (Unless 24 is on, and then we make time for Jack Bauer to save the world. It just seems like the patriotic thing to do!)
Symptoms
- HELLO, BELLY!
- Tums to the rescue... AGAIN!
- Is that a huge zit on my chin, or am I just happy to see you?
- I spend more time in the bathroom peeing than in any other place in the house!
Complaints
- This sounds totally weird, I know, but at times I get uncomfortable talking about the pregnancy... because I feel like that's ALL I AM and ALL I TALK ABOUT. And I know that other people aren't as in to it, so I try not to talk about it... but then I HAVE NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT!!! It's a lose-lose situation, really.
- The season finale of 24 DID NOT MAKE BENNY OR THE BABY HAPPY.
- The bra situation is getting desperate! I need to find something STAT!
- I truly can't remember a darn thing unless I write it down.
Cravings
- I'm still on the salad train.
- Tonight, I'm craving a chicken patty.
- Cran Grape Juice. I've actually been craving that for weeks now!
- 1/2 cup of OJ every morning or my day is worthless.
- Water, water, WATER!
- Banana flavored popsicle!!! I got a whole bag for 99 cents yesterday!
- Cheese
Smells I Can't Stand
- Canned corn
- The garbage and disposal
- The dog is particularly horrendously smelling right now!
Bonus Features
- Benny finished up my new office this week. Our friend Jodi helped us score some free desks that her sister was getting rid of and they look great in our office! We only have the baby room left to get ready!
- People have been so generous! We have had so many offers of baby clothes and baby gear... not to mention the early baby gifts we have received.
- I feel more in-tune with the world around me. Sometimes. If I can remember to.
18 Weeks
Bump Watch - 17 Weeks
This week was my birthday and Benny took me out for some bird watching near the Great Salt Lake. It was amazing! So many birds. So little time for me to stare at them all in wonder.
We had friends in town this week for the Ogden Marathon. Carrie and her kids stayed with us for a few days and it was amazing to have little kids in the house running around. We're so used a quiet house (with the exception of Bailey barking at every passing mosquito), that the laughing of children was a great reminder of what we're about to embark on. And although we've had young kids in the house before, this time it wasn't scary or annoying. Clearly, we're ready for this.
This week was exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. When Carrie and the kids left, we weren't prepared for the sudden silence in the house, but remedied that by passing out on the bed for a few hours!
We learned a lot about parenting styles this weekend. Carrie gave us a lot of great advice and it was great watching her interact with her kids. She's amazing.
Last week we went to visit mom and dad in Preston. We had a great time with them and it was really interesting to hear about mom's pregnancies. It sounds like she had similar experiences and never really had morning sickness, so that's a nice history for me to follow!! Although, she also mentioned that she was in labor for 29 hours with me. THAT, I could do without!!!
Mom also made a beautiful receiving blanket for Tweet.
I do believe more are to come, but I think this will be my favorite FOREVER!!
Symptoms
- Heartburn/Indigestion.I do not leave home without my Tums.
- Fatigue
- Instant irritability for no good reason. At unsuspecting souls.
- Forgetfulness
- Serious bloating and gas
- I haven't slept through the night in weeks. Have to get up and pee 2-3 times a night!
Cravings
- Hot chocolate with hazelnut creamer!
- Salad with croutons
- BEEF
- I have to have a half-glass of OJ every morning.
Smells I can't stand
- Canned corn
- Peanuts being eaten by someone other than me.
Complaints
- Benny makes a big deal about the gas... this cannot last for the next 5 months!
- This has nothing to do with the pregnancy, but the cat keeps waking us up at 6 a.m. to be fed! She may not make it to the next trimester!
Bonus Features
- Still have the good skin and complexion.
- Having the kids around last week convinced me that we're ready for this.
- Benny rubs the belly all the time. He's SO EXCITED for this.
- Our house is awesomely ready for a baby... only thing left is the baby room!
17 Weeks
We had friends in town this week for the Ogden Marathon. Carrie and her kids stayed with us for a few days and it was amazing to have little kids in the house running around. We're so used a quiet house (with the exception of Bailey barking at every passing mosquito), that the laughing of children was a great reminder of what we're about to embark on. And although we've had young kids in the house before, this time it wasn't scary or annoying. Clearly, we're ready for this.
This week was exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. When Carrie and the kids left, we weren't prepared for the sudden silence in the house, but remedied that by passing out on the bed for a few hours!
We learned a lot about parenting styles this weekend. Carrie gave us a lot of great advice and it was great watching her interact with her kids. She's amazing.
Last week we went to visit mom and dad in Preston. We had a great time with them and it was really interesting to hear about mom's pregnancies. It sounds like she had similar experiences and never really had morning sickness, so that's a nice history for me to follow!! Although, she also mentioned that she was in labor for 29 hours with me. THAT, I could do without!!!
Mom also made a beautiful receiving blanket for Tweet.
I do believe more are to come, but I think this will be my favorite FOREVER!!
Symptoms
- Heartburn/Indigestion.I do not leave home without my Tums.
- Fatigue
- Instant irritability for no good reason. At unsuspecting souls.
- Forgetfulness
- Serious bloating and gas
- I haven't slept through the night in weeks. Have to get up and pee 2-3 times a night!
Cravings
- Hot chocolate with hazelnut creamer!
- Salad with croutons
- BEEF
- I have to have a half-glass of OJ every morning.
Smells I can't stand
- Canned corn
- Peanuts being eaten by someone other than me.
Complaints
- Benny makes a big deal about the gas... this cannot last for the next 5 months!
- This has nothing to do with the pregnancy, but the cat keeps waking us up at 6 a.m. to be fed! She may not make it to the next trimester!
Bonus Features
- Still have the good skin and complexion.
- Having the kids around last week convinced me that we're ready for this.
- Benny rubs the belly all the time. He's SO EXCITED for this.
- Our house is awesomely ready for a baby... only thing left is the baby room!
17 Weeks
Birthday Joy
Benny decided that for my big 3-2, he would surprise me. It's one of his favorite things, actually... being able to pull one over on the old lady. He drove us out to Farmington Bay where I immediately guessed that we were going bird watching. (See... this is why he has to try so hard to surprise me... I'm surprisingly good at story problems.) I was so excited, but at the same time a little disappointed because had I known that this was what we were going to do, I would have brought my binoculars and my bird book.
And this is where Benny excels in surprises, because when we got out of the car, he pulled out my binoculars AND my bird book AND dinner from the trunk of the car! Because we've learned the hard way that if I'm more than 50 feet away from a source of food at any given time, someone will die.
But, wait! There's more! Besides the binoculars, the book and dinner, Benny had gone even one step further... making it damn near impossible for anyone to compete with. He had rented an AIR BOAT for us so that we could actually go out in the bay and get close enough to the birds to hear the sucking sound their feet made as they moved through the mud. We were also close enough for them to squawk at us to get the hell out of the way, Dobie!
It was AMAZING. We saw Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, American Avocets, Stilts, Dowitchers, Gadwalls, Teals, Ruddy Duck, Coots, Terns, Greebs... the list goes on and on and on. It was unbelievable and something I'll never forget.
I even got to drive the boat. Which I didn't know at the time, but was a life-long dream of mine... because I felt exactly like the detectives on CSI: Miami. I even took off my sunglasses, turned myself to profile and said something Horatio Cain-ish, like: "This was no accident, Mr. Wolf. This.... was murder." And... "Remember when you're in O-Town.... we. never. close."
But I don't think Benny got it. He really doesn't get that in order to improve his pop culture knowledge, he's going to have to get his nose out of the books and his booty in front of the $1,000 television we bought that we never turn on. Er... he doesn't turn on.
Anyhoo, it was an absolutely wonderful birthday. I couldn't have asked for better. Tweety-Pie enjoyed it to... until we'd been out for a couple of hours and we hit Code Red on the pregnant women's Don't Venture Too Far From The Nearest Bathroom Lest You Pee Your Pants Scale.
And, really... is there any better place to cop a squat than on the banks of a bird refuge near the Great Salt Lake? I think not.
The next night, we met Supa, Dev, Krista, Shane, Carrie, E and D at a restaurant in downtown SLC. It was great to see everyone, although I really wished that I'd been training so that I could shovel down the enormous amount of food that was put in front of us for the next three hours, instead of sneaking Tums in between each course. GOOD GRIEF THESE MARATHONERS KNOW HOW TO EAT.
Supa hooked a sister up with an awesome baby-bottle holder... but for now we're putting wine in it.
Krista and Shane hooked a prego woman up with some serious chocolate (bless you... but there is no photo evidence. on purpose.) and a cute baby frame. And if someone can tell me how they got a picture of our baby before even we did, I would appreciate the info!
And then Carrie called on her mother, a woman I've never met but am hoping that one day will babysit the Tweet so her daughter and I can go to Dinosaur Park again, to make this cute diaper bag. Sersly... above and beyond the call of duty, I say.
II've received a lot of early baby gifts. Something I was unaware that people actually do. In fact, I've been trying to think if I ever gave a gift to a pregnant woman or friend prior to the baby shower. And I do believe the answer is no. Cuz, I'm selfish that way and how was I supposed to have time to buy a gift when I've got a cat that is dying from hunger every minute of the day?? IT. CANNOT. BE. DONE.
My mother... the first-time Granny-To-Be... has already made a cute receiving blanket.
Benny was a little concerned when she showed us the blanket... because it didn't smell like baby yet. He tried rubbing it against my belly, but then all it smelled like was bloat and maybe that enchilada I had for breakfast.
Benny's swim partner was so excited when we told her the news, that she ran out the very next day and got this for Tweet.
Have you ever seen something more hilariously cute? Me neither. Which is actually tragic... because it signifies that I've become ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE. The people that ooo and ahhh over theeeee cutest little things for babies. It's the end of an era... really.
And, that about does it for what's been going on for the last 18 or so days since the last post. The Tums are still in full effect. Benny has taken to rubbing the baby every day. All. Day. Every. Day. Which, obviously, I'm okay with.
What I'm not okay with are the random acquaintances that I sorta know... but not really... and definitely not enough for them to come up and rub the belly. I always thought that the pregnant women who complained about this may have been exaggerating.
But they're NOT.
It's amazing the number of strangers and, I dunno... para legals in the office next door... who think that it's perfectly normal to rub your belly. With or without your permission. And we're only at 18 weeks. Holy crap... can you imagine what the next 22 weeks will hold?
Someone might lose a hand.
And this is where Benny excels in surprises, because when we got out of the car, he pulled out my binoculars AND my bird book AND dinner from the trunk of the car! Because we've learned the hard way that if I'm more than 50 feet away from a source of food at any given time, someone will die.
But, wait! There's more! Besides the binoculars, the book and dinner, Benny had gone even one step further... making it damn near impossible for anyone to compete with. He had rented an AIR BOAT for us so that we could actually go out in the bay and get close enough to the birds to hear the sucking sound their feet made as they moved through the mud. We were also close enough for them to squawk at us to get the hell out of the way, Dobie!
It was AMAZING. We saw Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, American Avocets, Stilts, Dowitchers, Gadwalls, Teals, Ruddy Duck, Coots, Terns, Greebs... the list goes on and on and on. It was unbelievable and something I'll never forget.
I even got to drive the boat. Which I didn't know at the time, but was a life-long dream of mine... because I felt exactly like the detectives on CSI: Miami. I even took off my sunglasses, turned myself to profile and said something Horatio Cain-ish, like: "This was no accident, Mr. Wolf. This.... was murder." And... "Remember when you're in O-Town.... we. never. close."
But I don't think Benny got it. He really doesn't get that in order to improve his pop culture knowledge, he's going to have to get his nose out of the books and his booty in front of the $1,000 television we bought that we never turn on. Er... he doesn't turn on.
Anyhoo, it was an absolutely wonderful birthday. I couldn't have asked for better. Tweety-Pie enjoyed it to... until we'd been out for a couple of hours and we hit Code Red on the pregnant women's Don't Venture Too Far From The Nearest Bathroom Lest You Pee Your Pants Scale.
And, really... is there any better place to cop a squat than on the banks of a bird refuge near the Great Salt Lake? I think not.
The next night, we met Supa, Dev, Krista, Shane, Carrie, E and D at a restaurant in downtown SLC. It was great to see everyone, although I really wished that I'd been training so that I could shovel down the enormous amount of food that was put in front of us for the next three hours, instead of sneaking Tums in between each course. GOOD GRIEF THESE MARATHONERS KNOW HOW TO EAT.
Supa hooked a sister up with an awesome baby-bottle holder... but for now we're putting wine in it.
Krista and Shane hooked a prego woman up with some serious chocolate (bless you... but there is no photo evidence. on purpose.) and a cute baby frame. And if someone can tell me how they got a picture of our baby before even we did, I would appreciate the info!
And then Carrie called on her mother, a woman I've never met but am hoping that one day will babysit the Tweet so her daughter and I can go to Dinosaur Park again, to make this cute diaper bag. Sersly... above and beyond the call of duty, I say.
II've received a lot of early baby gifts. Something I was unaware that people actually do. In fact, I've been trying to think if I ever gave a gift to a pregnant woman or friend prior to the baby shower. And I do believe the answer is no. Cuz, I'm selfish that way and how was I supposed to have time to buy a gift when I've got a cat that is dying from hunger every minute of the day?? IT. CANNOT. BE. DONE.My mother... the first-time Granny-To-Be... has already made a cute receiving blanket.
Benny was a little concerned when she showed us the blanket... because it didn't smell like baby yet. He tried rubbing it against my belly, but then all it smelled like was bloat and maybe that enchilada I had for breakfast.Benny's swim partner was so excited when we told her the news, that she ran out the very next day and got this for Tweet.
Have you ever seen something more hilariously cute? Me neither. Which is actually tragic... because it signifies that I've become ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE. The people that ooo and ahhh over theeeee cutest little things for babies. It's the end of an era... really.And, that about does it for what's been going on for the last 18 or so days since the last post. The Tums are still in full effect. Benny has taken to rubbing the baby every day. All. Day. Every. Day. Which, obviously, I'm okay with.
What I'm not okay with are the random acquaintances that I sorta know... but not really... and definitely not enough for them to come up and rub the belly. I always thought that the pregnant women who complained about this may have been exaggerating.
But they're NOT.
It's amazing the number of strangers and, I dunno... para legals in the office next door... who think that it's perfectly normal to rub your belly. With or without your permission. And we're only at 18 weeks. Holy crap... can you imagine what the next 22 weeks will hold?
Someone might lose a hand.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Happy Birthday Mommy!!!
Well, hello Tweet. I know we haven't been formerly introduced, but we’ve had many conversations already. I feel like I already know you, even though just four months ago you were merely a dream. But it didn't take long for our special dream to come true, and since we've gotten to know each over last four months, I thought I should tell you how your mother and I met. After all, this story marks the beginning of our lives together.
Your mother and I were obviously much younger when we met, and neither us knew what our future held. We had always known of each other, but neither of us suspected we’d end up married, let alone bringing you into the world! Nevertheless, today’s story begins on a farm, stumbles upon a can of pork and beans, and ends in a little brown house on Marilyn Drive.
Once upon a time there was a young, vibrant, smart and athletic woman who had grown up on a farm, but then ventured to the big city to go to college. This woman was full of passion and spontaneity. She loved spending time with her friends, and loved more than anything to spend her summer morning’s water skiing. She was good at it too! She was the talk of the town.
Your mother and I were likeable people in college and we shared a lot of the same friends. We’d never formerly been introduced, but I knew my chance to meet her would come soon. I knew that once I met her I would reel her in with my charm, classic good looks and impeccable sense of responsibility. Much to my surprise, my chance to meet your mother would come much sooner than I thought.
One day I received a call while I was studying in my dorm room. It was one of my friends inviting me to go water skiing with your mother and some friends. It was arranged that I would ride to the lake with your Mommy. Naturally I jumped at the opportunity, but quickly realized that our magical relationship would have to wait. I had important obligations to tend to, and besides, I knew she’d appreciate my impeccable judgment and sense of civic responsibility. It was time to let the dazzling begin, so to speak.
Shortly after receiving the phone call, I ran into your mother in the lobby of the dorms. She approached me and acted as though she didn’t know who I was. You know, as if she hadn’t been checking me out all summer long. We greeted cordially, and I informed her that I’d have to decline her offer to go water skiing. I continued by telling her that I hadn’t eaten anything besides pork and beans for six days, that my bean supply was running dangerously low, and that I had to find a way to get my hands on some more beans! I knew she’d understand and find my charm irresistible. Besides, who wouldn’t be impressed with a man on a bean mission? But I still hadn’t delivered the clincher. When I told her that I had an appointment to donate plasma, that I was in the running for “donor of the month”, was making serious cash in the exchange, AND was saving precious lives as a result, well, she pretty much fell in love at first site.
After impressing her with my maturity and responsibility, I figured it was time to dazzle her with expensive things. But first, I needed to lure her to my dorm room in a casual manner. This would prove an easy task, much like attracting a mosquito to a light bulb.
You see, that evening your mother was working at the dorm where we lived and was in charge of supervising the residents. Each night she walked the hallways looking for behavior infractions, and when she found one she had a reputation for cracking down on the offenders. With this in mind, I devised a bullet proof plan.
The next evening I found out what time she would be patrolling the hallways. I decided to wait until after quiet hours, then crank up Uncle Ryan’s stereo really loud, thereby luring her up to my dorm room where I could once again, dazzle her with my charm. The plan worked flawlessly. Within moments of turning on the stereo your mother was knocking on my door.
She obviously told me to turn down the stereo, which I was happy to do. Besides, I didn’t need music to sway her in my favor. I had charm, remember? So we talked for a little while, I invited her in, and we talked some more. As it turns out, we hit it off right away. We immediately made each other laugh. We had a natural chemistry, one that would make us happy for the rest of our lives. But on that faithful evening we had no idea where I lives together were headed.
Shortly after her arrival she needed to get back to work, so I walked her to the door and begrudgingly said good bye. But I knew I’d see her again, because the very next night I’d hatch the same ingenious plan. But this time we talked even longer and laughed even louder. But before we said good bye I mustered up the guts to ask her on a date. She immediately accepted and our hearts were filled with joy, trepidation, anticipation and exhilaration.
After a few weeks of dating we knew that we were meant each other. For the remainder of the summer we lived, we laughed, and we eventually fell in love. We knew our relationship was special, but neither of us knew just how special our lives together would be.
Throughout the years your mother and I have been on a magical journey together. A journey that neither of us anticipated, but neither of us would dream of changing. We’ve laughed together, cried together, loved together, built a home together, traveled the world together, and now we will raise a child together.
Our pasts are widely divergent, but our future is narrowly focused. You are all we think about Tweet. You are our thoughts, our hopes and our dreams, and we promise to share with you the love that we have for one another. We are ready to be your parents Tweet. We are ready to hold you, hug you, cherish you and love you.
So as we prepare to welcome you into this world, let’s start by sharing that our love for you will always come first. As a family, our love for each other will always come first.
We welcome you to our blog, to our family, to our journey, and to our world; a world where love will always come first.
So, with all the love that our hearts can muster, let’s wish your mother a very happy birthday.
Happy Birthday Mommy!!!!!
With all our love and all our hearts…
Tweet and Pappa Tweet
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Happy Mother-To-Be Day!!!
Benny and I have been thinking long and hard about how to welcome everyone to the Nadolski Family Blog. The first post, as you all know, is HUGE. In it, you want to catch everyone up on how things have been going so far (wonderful!) and what you hope to accomplish with this blog (keep all our friends and family up-to-date on the pregnancy and new family we'll be after)... and somehow do all of this as succinctly as possible.
And THAT, we have discovered, is impossible.
But today, Mother's Day 2009, we opened up a package from Bart, Helen and the boys that seemed to accomplish all of this at once. And if a picture is worth a thousand words, cookies have to be worth twice that.
Holy cow! We're gonna be parents!!!!!
So, welcome to the blog. All future cookies should be forwarded care of Jaynee. Benny prefers protein shakes.
Love to you all. Welcome to our journey.
Benny, Jaynee and Tweet.
And THAT, we have discovered, is impossible.
But today, Mother's Day 2009, we opened up a package from Bart, Helen and the boys that seemed to accomplish all of this at once. And if a picture is worth a thousand words, cookies have to be worth twice that.
Holy cow! We're gonna be parents!!!!!So, welcome to the blog. All future cookies should be forwarded care of Jaynee. Benny prefers protein shakes.
Love to you all. Welcome to our journey.
Benny, Jaynee and Tweet.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Bump Watch - Weeks 1-16
16 weeks
Well, I'm still in the stage that people don't know if I've put on a few pounds, or if I might be prego. Fortunately (or, unfortunately) no one has bothered to ask. I guess that's what being tall gets you. A buffer on a few poundaroos.
Even though I was convinced that I had gained at least 7-10 pounds in the last four weeks, turns out I've only gained 3.5 pounds. Which means that I've only gained 4.5 pounds total for the first 16 weeks. Funny how it feels like SO. MUCH. MORE.
Weeks 1-12
The first trimester was actually pretty easy... considering what a lot of women have to go through. I never vomited. Never got morning sickness. Actually had more of an afternoon nausea that didn't really let up. Of course, there was the fatigue and the Super Sniffer that ended up being the demise of the cat living in the house. She's surviving just fine outside and my nose (not to mention Benny) is a lot happier.
Weeks 10-12 were by far the worst so far. I didn't want to eat anything because I knew it would just make me feel terrible. Working out was (and remains) a no-go because I feel terrible after exercising... instead of how all the books say you'll feel which is GREAT. These books... they LIE.
The worst day, by far, though was the day of our 12-week checkup. Man did that suck. Benny had to beg me to eat something while we were waiting for the doc to come in. And I had to beg him not to talk so loud because I was sure that my head was going to explode from the sound... not of his voice... but just noise in general.
When the doc did come in, she took one look at me and asked if I wanted a prescription for anti-nausea. Um... YES, PLEASE!!
After that little episode, I only had to take those little magic pills twice. I made an almost miraculous recovery in the following weeks.
We weren't able to hear the heartbeat at week 12 because the placenta was sitting on top of the baby and all we got was a lot of gurgling noises, but we still got to see the heartbeat and walked away reassured. Still nauseous, but reassured.
Symptoms
Nausea
Heartburn
Gas
Super Sniffer
Headaches from hell!
Irritation at everyone for no good reason.
Smells I Can't Stand
Canned Corn
Asparagus
The Cat
Struggling with the smell of coffee grounds
Cravings
Clementines
Apples with cheese
Turkey Burger fingers
Kashi Granola Bars
Salad
Goldfish crackers
Shocking Developments
Not so much craving chocolate right now. A first!
-------------------
Weeks 13-16
Weeks 13-16 were pure bliss. I felt great... had my appetite back and had a little of the energy back. I still walk around with Tums in my purse at all times because I never know what food is going to come back to haunt me later.
My belly is getting a little rounder and on my last business trip to Bozeman, Mont., I discovered that I was just days away from not being able to fit into any of my business suits. Even the rubber-band trick isn't pulling it's weight. Am convinced that no woman in the history of the world has gotten as fat as I have before the 16 week mark.
We had our 16-week checkup on May 11th. At that appointment, I discovered (much to my shock) that I'd only gained 3.5 pounds. Which seems, still, to be absolutely impossible.
The doc asked how I was feeling and as she lubed my belly up for the doppler to listen for the heartbeat, Benny and I held hands. This was the moment we had been waiting for.
"Woosh, woosh, woosh, woosh, woosh.... "
We couldn't believe it. There actually IS something in there! We'd seen it with our own eyes... but being untrained in the art of reading sonograms, we were really just taking the docs word for it. But hearing it? WOW. 153 beats per minute. A strong, healthy sound.
We were awstruck. And, honestly... if it had been allowable, we would have sat there and listened to it all day. I would seriously love to have a doppler at home just to check every night that the heart is still beating. That the baby is still strong. Then again.. I'd never get anything done. And I'd probably never shower either. I'd just lay in bed and listen to the heartbeat.
This is something the books don't tell you about... how hearing the heartbeat will absolutely change your life. But it does. It makes it somehow more real. More tangible. More... OH MY GOODNESS... IT'S ALIVE IN THERE!!
We were on Cloud 9 all day. In fact, we both walked into our respective offices and exclaimed: "153 beats per minute!!! Woo-hoo!"
Symptoms
Weight gain
Still a little tired
Super Sniffer still on patrol
Heartburn requires me to carry Tums everywhere
Smells I Can't Stand
Anything Cat Associated
Canned Corn
Asparagus
Myself.... (need new perfume STAT!)
Complaints
- People who you don't know that well... or complete strangers, even... touching the belly. Without permission. I find this extremely disconcerting... And I'm afraid it's going to be an issue throughout the pregnancy.
- No, we don't know what it is yet. Yes... I think we're going to find out. No, I don't care if it's a boy or a girl. No, I haven't felt it move. Can you please just bag my groceries so I can go home?
- I'm not thrilled with bras right now. I much prefer wearing a tank-top with a built-in shelf. That seems to be the least offensive to the girls.
Cravings
- Salad with Ranch and Croutons. If there are no croutons available, the salad is dead to me.
- Water. I constantly need water. I can't make it 2 miles to Kaycee's house without a bottle of water!
- The chocolate craving is back. With a vengence.
- Beef!
- OJ every morning
- Hot dogs... thank goodness I've resisted THIS craving.
Bonus Features
- I've finally got "The Glow". My skin is looking pretty good and has good color to it.
- Benny and I continue to grow closer day-by-day. He love rubbing the belly and talking to Tweet.
- Got a new office after we kicked the cat out of the house! Woo-hoo!
- We went maternity shopping and got some really cute shirts and skirts. I think for the most part, I'll be able to get by with my Costco skorts with the drawstring, though.
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