SuperBLOG Sunday!

I hope you enjoy my very clever title to this blog post.  I though of it in my sleep.  I think I was dreaming about the fact that I hadn't blogged for a little while.  :)

I've had a good week, and I think I'm starting to feel better.  I haven't had as much of an issue with headaches, and I'm really grateful for that.  My nausea stays generally under control as long as I'm eating before and after I do any sort of physical movement.  That includes going up or down stairs, etc.

I keep saying I want to start exercising, and I definitely plan to do that starting this week.  I know Arthur will be overcome with joy that I've finally decided to move around more.  I just have to make sure that I eat before and after.  :)

This week was good, and not too busy.  I went to a fun birthday activity for Arthur's little brother, Eli.  He planned this crazy 2 part party so he could do everything he wanted for it.  We went to Sweet's candy factory just west of Salt Lake City.  There was a 40 minute tour and samples afterwards.  It was really cool to see how they make all of the candy!

Here are some pictures from their website showing some of the stuff we saw.  I would have taken some pictures myself, but for security reasons, I couldn't take my cell phone with me into the tour.

 After that, we went to a little bakery downtown SLC called Mrs. Backer's Pastry Shop.  I've driven past it a million times growing up, but never actually went in.  I was in heaven!  I understand now why they call Salt Lake City "The Place".  It's because of this pastry shop.

The pictures below show the front of the shop and a panoramic shot of the inside of the store:

 I couldn't decide what I wanted, because there were so many options.  I ended up deciding on a chocolate cake with raspberry filling and chocolate buttercream frosting on the top.  It was so delicious.  I also got a Valentine's sugar cookie with fondant frosting.  *DROOL*

 So, that was the highlight of my week.  :)

Later today, Arthur's family is going to come over for a Superbowl Sunday party and we're going to have snacks and play games.  I'm not too much of a football fan, but I will definitely enjoy the company and the food!  I'll try to take some pictures of the fun and post later today.  No promises!  :P

How far along:  17 Weeks, 3 Days

How much time left:  22 Weeks, 4 Days

Top two symptoms:  Lately, it's just been some minor exhaustion and nausea here and there.  Nothing too bad!  :)

Favorite thing I ate today:  So far, I've only had Green Tea with Jasmine and some hashbrowns.  I'm sure I'll eat something more delicious later, so I'm leaving this spot empty!

Mood:  I had some ups and downs this week, mostly related to how well I can handle other people.  I seem to have lost a lot of the patience I used to have before I was pregnant.  I tend to have a short fuse and I let things get to me easier.  I just have to focus on the positive stuff and it helps. 

Worried about: I keep worrying that I'm not showing too much, and then I remember that I am still not super far along, compared to others I know.  I keep comparing how I look to how other pregnant people I know look, and it's probably not a good idea.  I can feel a difference in how my clothes fit, I guess that's good.  I think because I'm a little more overweight than most of the super skinny pregnant people I know, I am not showing as much as they are.  I just need to be patient here too. 

Excited for:  My 18 week doctor's appointment a week from yesterday!  Next Friday, February 8 is the day!  Wooo!  I don't expect an ultrasound, but I can certainly hope for one.  :)

Good Sunday Morning!

I love that it is a 3 day weekend.  I always feel like the weekends are too short.  I think it's because I don't usually do too much, and am pretty lazy.  I like it that way, though... so don't judge me.  :)

Yesterday, Arthur and I slept in until around 11:30 or so.  We played Wii with Mike and hung out for a little bit.  Around 3, we left and went to Buy Buy Baby.  It was pretty cool, but I didn't really see a whole lot I liked.  I think it's because we have a very specific theme in mind for our baby boy.

We are probably going to do his nursery in an "Under the Sea" theme.  I previously joined Pinterest but didn't really use it.  I went back on Thursday night (after we found out that he's a boy) and looked up some fun ideas.

Arthur's favorite theme is a dark brown crib and some cute ocean accessories:

He also likes the wall decoration of these schooling fish:

I'm not too picky, but I'm leaning towards liking the lighter colored wood because to me, it looks less cagey.  :)

I've been pinning some other things, not just room stuff.  I found some cute knit things that would be fun for pictures when he is born.  I just need to learn to knit.  :)

After Buy Buy Baby, we met up with my parents at the mall for a minute so they could pick up Arthur's grill saw.  My dad is redoing his bathroom with one of those walk-in tubs.  I think it's great that he's making an effort to make their house nicer.  He's doing it all himself, but he has asked Arthur to help one weekend when he's free.

At the Mall, Arthur and I went to Gap Kids and I found a really cute hat that was on sale.  I think it's  Christmas hat, but it looks like the 4th of July to me.  Because my due date is July 11th, it will be a perfect little hat for him to wear:

Then, we went to Cheesecake Factory with some friends and my brother.  There was a mixup on the reservation for how many, so Mike and his girlfriend waited for nearly 2 hours for a seat for 2 after we had left.  They still got seated just before 9, so it worked out.   

I ordered the Chicken Bellagio and the Godiva Cheesecake.  Sooooo good!

Arthur and I went to a friends house after dinner and played games.  I was feeling pretty good, so that was appreciated.  Overall, it was a good day.

How far along:  15 Weeks, 3 days
How much time left:  24 Weeks, 4 Days
 
Top two symptoms:  Yesterday my symptoms were slight nausea and a headache later on in the day.  Nothing too bad.  I think they're slowly getting better, which tells me that the 16 week timeframe for my headache going away may be true.  I sure hope so.

Favorite thing I ate today:  I didn't eat much of my dinner because I had Gastric Bypass 10 years ago... so I don't have a lot of room.  So I took it with me and ate some at our friend's house and it was just delicious.  I love that it includes Prosciutto on top, and pesto... two of my favorite things. 

Mood:  My mood yesterday was really good.  Since I found out that I'm having a boy, everything has become happier for me.  I love that.  :)  I did have a few minutes yesterday where I was worried about Mike and his girlfriend getting to eat, and I did have a bit of trouble processing those emotions.  That's one thing about being pregnant that I struggle with, which is not being able to let some things not get to me.  Pregnancy hormones win!

Worried about:  I chatted with a girl last night who was in the group I was with, and she's also pregnant.  She's much farther along that me, 30 weeks or so.  We were talking about different birth methods and whether or not we were going to go natural.  I worry about my pain tolerance, and I struggle to make a solid decision about how I'm going to handle it when the time comes.  I know that I'm going to have intentions of going natural, but I have absolutely no idea how bad it's going to be.  I do plan on pushing myself to stay strong and breathe through the pain... but every time I say that to someone who's been through it, they laugh at me because the know I have no idea how bad it can get.  It doesn't scare me, it feels more like a challenge, which I like.  I am probably over thinking it because I'm not even close to that time yet.  I will have to figure things out soon, I'm sure.  I'm open to advice here!

Excited for:  This might sound weird, but I'm very excited for dinner tonight.  Arthur is making squash and Salmon for dinner from Costco.  There is nothing I love more than salmon!  *drool*

Lots of Rest for the Weary

Happy Sunday!

I have had a very low-key day today, and really focused on trying to rest and recover.  I am looking forward to feeling normal again.

During the week at work, when others realized I was getting sick, they would say "It sucks to be sick during the holidays!"  I would keep replying that I didn't care if I was sick for Christmas, as long as I was not at work.  After missing 2 really big Christmas parties with my family and Arthur's family, I'm starting to understand why people say that it sucks.

I really was looking forward to going to my sister's Christmas party last night to see Jackson and Brielle and Adam and Whit and EVERYONE.  I realized as time got closer to when it was time to leave that there was no way I was going to be able to shower and get ready.  So I had to call my sister and tell her I couldn't go.  The good news is that I got to FaceTime with them and waved hello to everyone from my bed.  That made it better.

Today I've done little but nap and eat a little here and there.  My cough is significantly better.  I still just have those violent fits of coughing every once in awhile, and less often than before.  My congestion is much better, and I can breathe through one nostril.  :)  I'm still feeling pretty tired and generally out of it, which tells me I'm still working on getting better.

My parents and Grandma came out today so they could see our Christmas tree.  My Grandma has only been to our house once before, but it was very dark out, and so she couldn't see much of the house with just the inside lights on.  She sat in front of the tree for nearly an hour just admiring it and commenting about how pretty the blue ornaments were.  I stayed upstairs the whole time and just waved at my family from the "loft" of the kitchen.  I told my mom that if she was going to insist on coming over, then I was going to Lysol everything and stay away from them.  I did that.  I didn't touch anybody and Arthur did a good cleaning before they all came over.  It was nice to see my Grandma and my parents after being cooped up in my house for so long.

After they left, Arthur got ready and went to his mom's house to help her with wrapping her gifts for their family.  Arthur loves to wrap, so it's something he looks forward to every year.  He left me here so I could get some more rest.  I wanted to go, but I know that if I go outside in the cold air, it could set me back.  The freezing air just killed me on Friday when I went to work, and it took me like 4 hours to feel normal again after being outside.  So, I stayed home.  I'm marinating some chicken and Mike is going to BBQ it for us.

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve.  I really hope I've got some more energy tomorrow so we can go to the Christmas Eve party at my parent's house.  I look forward to that every year.  The gift exchange is the best part, when we trade white elephant gifts.  It's also the beginning of the Christmas Day marathon.

The Christmas Day marathon begins on Christmas Eve night.  We go to my family's house for dinner and dessert and a Christmas program.  By about 9:30-10:00, we leave and go to Arthur's mom's house.  We get Christmas pajamas and open presents that the siblings give each other.  Then, we sleep there and get up super early on Christmas day for presents with his family.  We stay there until about noon and then go to my family's house.  We open gifts there until about 3 or 4 and then go back to his mom's house for Christmas dinner and gifts from his Aunt Joan.  By the time we get home to exchange gifts with each other, it's usually about 9 or 10 PM.  I'm always so exhausted, but it's always fun to look forward to our gifts to each other.

How far along:  11 weeks, 3 days
How much time left:  28 Weeks, 4 days
Top two symptoms:  Nausea today a bit, since my cold seems to be getting a bit better.  Cold-wise, coughing and congestion.  :(

Favorite thing I ate today:  My little brother Mike made me a grilled cheese sandwich.  He calls it a "Grilled Cheesus".  It's pretty funny.  :)

Mood:  I was pretty mopey/whiney today.  I think it's because I want to get up and do stuff, but my body just wants to drag, so that makes me feel like I can't do all of the things I want to do. 

Worried about:  The Christmas Day marathon.  After thinking it through... I hope I have the energy to do everything.  I will rest most of the day tomorrow and hopefully I'll feel better by tomorrow night. 

Excited for:  Christmas Food.  Maybe some mashed potatoes.  Maybe some turkey.  Not sure what's on the menu, but I'm hungry for it!!!!!  :)

Pregnancy Update!

Now that I have my vacation blog entry out of the way, I can now post about how things are going with my pregnancy!

Over the past week at work, it was really, really busy.  Probably the most busy I've been since I went to the Philippines.  We are training a new group of Coaches on Quality, so there is a ton of prep work that I had to do before it started.  Since I had the week before off, I didn't get time to prep like the rest of my team did.

The week was successful, and I was able to get through it without too much stress.  Mostly, I was looking forward to Friday, which was my first official doctor's appointment.

One strange thing was that I hadn't gotten a confirmation phone call from the doctor's office like I normally do.  I called around 11 AM and asked to confirm the time.  They told me they didn't have me on the schedule at 4, but at 3.  So I had to call Arthur and tell him to get ready.  I left work a little early because I was so excited to get there.

I picked up Arthur at home (he had the day off) around 2:30.  We drove to the office and had to wait for almost an hour.  It was so busy!  When we finally went in, the doctor completely calmed my fears by saying "You ready to hear a heartbeat today?!"  All of my fears were washed away.  He told me to get on the table and he had a medical student help him.  I told Arthur to record it with my phone.

At first, the doctor could only get my heartbeat.  Then, he found my baby's heartbeat.  It was so fast, and strong!  Arthur got up and came over by me and we held my phone by the speaker.  I closed my eyes and just listened.  It was really amazing.  I made a little video so you can hear it:

The doctor said that the heartbeat was completely normal at 182 beats per minute.  I was happy to hear that it was beating so strong.  It really does feel real now.  :)

How far along:  10 Weeks, 2 days
How much time left:  29 Weeks, 5 days
Top two symptoms:  I had low energy today.  Over the past two days my appetite has come back.  Everything tastes good!

Favorite thing I ate today:  Mango Peach Salsa from Costco.  Steak.  Hashbrowns.  Oh my goodness, with my taste buds working again, everything tastes good. 

Mood:  My mood today was happy.  I had a really relaxing day.

Worried about:  Getting through this week before Christmas!

Excited for:  My next doctor's appointment!  4 weeks away!  January 11th!

Announcement Thursday and Friday!

Happy Black Friday!  By the clock, it's actually almost 1:00 AM on Saturday morning, but to me it's still Friday because I haven't gone to bed yet.  It's a wonder that I'm still awake!

I didn't get to blog yesterday because it was such a crazy Thanksgiving day.  Arthur and I woke up early and he started cooking around 8:30 AM.  He cooked straight through until everyone arrived at our house, around 4:00 PM.

I am a terrible cook, so I didn't do much of anything to prepare the food.  What I did was clean.  I cleaned the family room, the living room, the bathrooms and the dining room.  It was a joint effort in that way.  I can't even imagine what it would be like to have to do all of the cooking and cleaning by myself.  I admire my mother-in-law and my mom even more now after seeing how much work goes into one Thanksgiving dinner.

Arthur was a rockstar.  He cooked a 24 pound turkey, mashed potatoes, two kinds of gravy, two kinds of green bean casserole, 4 kinds of stuffing, sweet potato yams, corn, cranberry sauce and 7 different kinds of pies.  Everything was from scratch.  He never sat down once, all day.  He cooked straight through the day.  His only break was to take a shower, and during that time I helped him by watching the potatoes to make sure they didn't boil over.

Dinner was delicious and we had a big group.  It was Arthur's family, including his mom, his dad, his brother Eli, his sisters Sunny and Autumn, his Great Aunt Joan, and his mom's friend from work, Patrick.  Arthur is taking the picture so he's not in it.  Here's our Thanksgiving table:

After dinner, we played a game with the group.  We played Scribblish.  It's a really fun drawing game.  After the game we were either going to play Settlers of Qatan or watch Arthur Christmas downstairs.  I asked if we could take a family picture in front of the tree.  I also asked Patrick (the visitor) if he could take the picture.  I showed him how to use the camera, and I went downstairs with the group.  He took a couple of practice pictures and then it was time for our big reveal.  :)

The first picture is right after two practice shots.  Arthur said "Ok, this one is the real one... everybody say... 'GENEVIEVE'S PREGNANT!'  It hadn't sunk in just yet, but the pre-reaction is helpful to compare the other reactions to.  Thank goodness Patrick was good at photography, because he kept snapping shots and got a bunch of great reaction photos.  

Everyone was thrilled.  It was a great way to document the announcement, and I really loved how happy everyone was.  Arthur's mom cried, and we were excited most to tell her because our due date is her birthday (July 11).

After we told everyone, we sat around for a little while and I answered the normal questions like whether or not I am sick.  It was fun talking about it really openly.

All-in-all it was a great day.

Today I couldn't get up to go Black Friday shopping because I was too exhausted from the day before.  I slept in and lounged around the whole day.  I spent a little bit of time working on my picture frame for my mom.  I printed out a picture of each grandchild when they were less than 6 months old.  I put them each in a picture frame with 4 windows.  In the bottom right corner window, I put a picture of the words "July 11".  Arthur and I wrapped it up and we took it to her this evening.

After we went to Chili's for dinner, everyone was gathered in the living room.  I gave my mom the present and she opened up the frame.  She looked at it for a minute and couldn't understand what the "July 11" meant.  She asked me "What's July 11?  Are you expecting?"  It then hit her and she started screaming.  I looked around at everyone's reaction, and everyone was freaking out.  Adrienne and Leo started to cry and I got up and hugged everyone.  They were all so surprised.  Adrienne was screaming and cheering, she was so happy.  My  mom was also very happy, and was crying.

Brielle and Adam were freaked out because everyone was so happy.  It was great to be able to tell my family because I have been so ready to share the news.  :)

I didn't get any pictures of their reactions because it wasn't really the time or the place to take a bunch of pictures... but the memories are there, and that's what matters.

It turns out that my sister was really sick with Brielle, for her first pregnancy.  She said she also had headaches.  It's comforting to know that she went through those things too.  When we asked Brielle if I was having a girl or a boy, she said I was having a girl.  She also said that I wasn't having twins, just one.  It was cute to hear Brielle get all excited.  I got more hugs from her tonight than I've ever had.  I loved it.

My mom also called my Grandma Frazer (her mother) and I got to tell her.  My mom also called my Aunt Zebby and told her.  It was cool to know that my family knows.  I'm not going to announce it on Facebook, because I really don't think it's the place for me to tell people.  I will probably tell people individually, as the opportunities come up.  I'm not an extremely public person, so the individual method will have to be what it is.

The announcements were a success overall.  :)

How far along:  7 weeks, 1 day
How much time left:  32 weeks, 6 days
Top two symptoms:  Headache and exhaustion.  I took a lot of Tylenol yesterday because my headache was so bad.  My nausea can be controlled by eating.  Exhaustion comes in with not getting enough sleep and feeling generally gross in the morning when I first wake up and not being able to go back to sleep.  :\

Favorite thing I ate today:  Leftover mint chocolate Oreo pie!!  Yummo!

Mood:  Calm, not overly emotional.  I have been able to keep my emotions in check pretty well these past few days. 

Worried about:  Keeping this pregnancy healthy so I can make it to my due date.  Now that I've told everyone, I feel an extra pressure to make sure that I'm not miscarrying.  I know it's completely out of my control, but I can still focus on the positive things I can control, such as my diet and activity level.

Excited for:  Christmas.  Everyone talked about gift ideas when we told them today - and it was fun to think about some of the different things we might get for the baby.  :)  Hurray!!!

Movie Sunday

It's Sunday!  It's also my day off.  I am feeling better today than I've felt in awhile, but I'm still really tired.  It's chores day, and I'm struggling with getting started.  Mostly because of how tired I am and because of my back hurting.

I went to bed last night at around 11:30 and woke up the first time at 5:30.  I was proud of myself for sleeping for so long.  My normal wake up time is 3 or 4 AM.  I went back to sleep downstairs until 9:00.  I appreciated the few extra hours.

Arthur made me breakfast, and I appreciated that.  That was one of the many reasons why I married him.  He is such an amazing cook, and even if he makes something simple like eggs cooked in bread (called camel eyes), it is absolutely delicious.  While we ate breakfast, we watched a movie, "What To Expect When You're Expecting."

I really enjoyed the movie.  I laughed a lot, and it made me feel less alone on some of the dumb symptoms.  There are like 5 different pregnancy stories, and every one is different.  One person who is adopting, one person who isn't expecting a baby, one person who is trying, one person who is the girl we all hate, etc.  It's fun to watch some of the things that I am always thinking that I think no one else thinks.

After the movie, I started the laundry and since then I've been thinking of starting my chores.  Chores are a bugger.  I'm so tired and I don't feel like moving much at all.  I know that I was like that before I got pregnant, but now it's even harder to get myself going.

So, I took a nap earlier this afternoon for 1 hour.  It was nice to fall asleep and feel like I was more awake for the rest of the day.  So now I'm eating some lunch and I'll then go finish up my chores for the day.

After my chores tonight, Arthur and I will eat dinner and maybe watch Dexter.  It's a new week, and it's a short week since Thanksgiving is going to give me 2 extra days off (Thursday and Friday).  :)  Hurray for paid time off!!  :)

 How far along:  6 Weeks, 3 days
How much time left:  33 weeks, 4 days
Top two symptoms:  Exhaustion and slight head pressure.  It's better today!!  :)

Favorite thing I ate today:  The camel eyes Arthur made me for breakfast.  So good!

Mood:  Today I have felt physically better than I've felt in awhile.  It kind of scared me after we watched the movie today, that I wasn't feeling like crap.  I'm used to feeling awful all day long.  I have been drinking more water, and maybe that's helping.  My mood overall is ok, maybe still a little bit lazy.

Worried about:   The decrease in symptom severity today.  I looked up "symptoms come and go" on some of my pregnancy message boards and it looks like it's pretty normal.  I still worry that if my symptoms go away then I might miscarry.  I am still staying positive. 

Excited for:  I'm really looking forward to eating Thanksgiving Dinner.  Arthur makes the most delicious mashed potatoes and stuffing.  Sometimes he makes me Thanksgiving Dinner during the year with a smaller sized turkey/turkey breast, since he loves it.  I enjoy it even more on the actual day.  I'm also looking forward to shopping on the day after Thanksgiving.  I love going out early and seeing the angry people grabbing stuff and pushing through long lines.  So awesome.

Every other day?

I seem to be trending every other day for my blog updates.  I know I committed to every day, but some days it is really hard to sit down and dedicate this time.  I know how important it is, so I will really try harder this week to blog every day.  I also know that there are going to be a lot of things going on leading up to me telling friends and family that I'm pregnant, so I want to keep this blog updated as much as I can.

Yesterday was Friday, and I had to work all day.  I went in around 8:30 AM and had a bunch of meetings until 1 or so.  My afternoon meetings were cancelled, which was nice.  I had some pretty annoying nausea and head pressure, so I was grateful to go home a bit early at 3:30 PM. 

On Friday night, I drove home and took a nice long nap until about 5:30.  Arthur came home at about 8 with Chinese food.  I wasn't incredibly hungry.  However, I did have this amazing head pressure that wouldn't go away.   I started feeling it about the same time I started feeling the nausea.  It feels like I've got my head saran wrapped to a piece of board and it's wrapped really tight around my head.  I can feel the pressure in my forehead and scalp just pushing up against my skull.  I got kind of scared last night that it was my high blood pressure, or something similar.  I tried to do some deep breathing to calm myself down, and that seemed to help.  I still have the problem today, it just isn't as bad.

Today was my lazy day.  Arthur had to go to work at 6:30 and be there at 7.  I woke up that early and tried to go back to sleep.  I couldn't until a little later in the morning after I'd eaten something.  I usually don't feel nausea right away when I wake up, which is weird considering that morning sickness is called morning sickness because of how early you usually feel it.  I don't start feeling it until I've been awake at least an hour.

I ate a lot today, but only because I felt extra nauseous.  I made myself French Toast, I had a salad with ranch dressing and green peppers.  I also had a peach and some french fries that I made in the oven.  All delicious things.  :)

Tonight we went to my nephew Adam's birthday party.  I took a bunch of really cute pictures.  I'll try to get them up in this entry a little later.  I would do it now, but the camera is far away and I'll need to upload the pictures. 

Tonight I spent some time at Arthur's mom's house and I was trying to help with some legal things that his brother is dealing with.  I really hope it will work out, and I believe it will if his brother gets more involved. 

How far along:  6 Weeks, 2 days
How much time left:  33 weeks, 5 days
Top two symptoms:  Head pressure and nausea.  The head pressure is the worst part. 

Favorite thing I ate today:  The French Toast I made myself for breakfast.  So delicious, and so easy!  Who would have thought I could cook French Toast?!

Mood:  Today I felt good, due to multiple distractions.  Being around people doesn't allow me to dwell on my symptoms.  I need to remember that.

Worried about:   This darn head pressure.  It's driving me crazy.  It never goes away except for when I'm lying down and about ready to sleep. 

Excited for:  Telling my family on Thursday and Friday.  They will all be so surprised!!  :)

Caturday Saturday

Today was a really lazy Saturday.  We were both home all day and didn't get much accomplished.  We did do some wrapping and that was really fun.

We were supposed to go to my nephew's first birthday party today and we couldn't because everyone was sick at my sister's house.  I was a little sad because Arthur and I had made him his first birthday cake.  Since we couldn't go up, Mike is going to eat it tonight and we're going to put a candle on it and take his picture.  That will be fun.

Here is a picture of the cake:

While Arthur and I were wrapping today, we played with a ribbon with KitKat.  It was really cute.  She is such a good cat.  She never gets mean, and she just licks your fingers if you pet her.  :)

Later this afternoon, I was sitting on my couch in my office, and Arthur came in to join me.  He asked me if he could sit by me, so I cleared a spot for him.  He asked why I hadn't opened up my Eric Carle books, and I told him I was saving them for when our baby is here.  He said he wanted me to read the Hermit Crab one, so I did.  Out loud.  He said he loved it when he was little, so I did it.  You could tell he enjoyed hearing me read a kid's book.  It was a fun moment, and it made me look forward to having those moments with a baby with us too.

Tonight, Arthur is making Pineapple Curry and Pad Thai.  It's my favorite meal.  So good!

Tomorrow is chore day and also I need to prepare for an interview I have on Monday.  I'm not sure if I really want the job because of the added stress and the additional time I'll have to take off to have my baby.  I'm still debating whether or not I'll bring it up in the interview.

If I do get the job, it would be a great opportunity, and a raise.  Who doesn't like a raise?!

How far along:  5 Weeks, 2 days
How much time left:  34 Weeks, 5 days
Top two symptoms:  Exhaustion x 2

Favorite thing I ate today:  I haven't eaten it today, but when I do, it will be Pad Thai.  *DROOL*

Mood:  My mood was good today, but mostly because I was so tired, I struggled to feel super happy.  I think I've felt closer to Arthur today than I've felt in awhile.  I think it's because I had that bad dream last night and I never want to feel that angry at him. 

Worried about:   I hope my exhaustion isn't related to something that is wrong with my baby.  I am sure it's normal, since I read everywhere that exhaustion is just a part of the first trimester.  I'm also a little worried about my job interview and how it could affect my world if I get the job.

Excited for:  As I was decorating the cake for baby Adam last night, I kept thinking about what I would do for my baby's first birthday.  I'll probably do it inside/outside since it's going to be in July.  We might even do a combined party for the July birthdays... but I would prefer to have our own party so my baby can eat a whole cake by themselves.  :)

Friday... Friday... Which seat should I take?

Happy Friday!!  Today feels like a Saturday, though, because I worked from home this morning and I had the rest of the day off.  Arthur's Great Grandma died last week and she was up in Washington.  They brought her back here to be buried next to her husband in Sandy.  Arthur was really supportive of me when my Grandpa died so I wanted to do the same for him.

It was a nice funeral, and I loved hearing about Arthur's family history.  I don't know much about it, and so whenever I can hear cool stories like I heard today, I love that.  I found out that his Grandma Nelson loved to play games.  I think that is where his dad got it from, and so now I feel differently about the game playing extravaganzas that his family has.  Qatan, anyone?  :)

After the funeral, Arthur and I went shopping for Adam's birthday presents.  He is turning 1 on Sunday, 11/11/12.  I am excited for the party.  I love birthday parties for my niece or nephews.  I sort of blame Brielle and Jackson for making me want kids again.  I had thought for a long time that I don't want kids.  And then when I got to hold and play with them, I realized that I wanted one of my own.  I guess that's what Baby Hungry is. 

There is always the random, occasional person who asks us when we are having kids.  It's usually family and since we're not telling anyone yet, it's difficult to keep a straight face or play it off like "it's just not time yet."  I am looking forward to when I can grin and say "In July!!!"  :)

I read some rubbish online today that says that children who are born in July are least likely to become CEOs.  They say it's because leaders are usually those who are always the oldest in their school class, and those who are developmentally younger (born in June, July, August before the cutoff date) are usually less likely to be leaders.  I don't believe that.  I am going to instill leadership in my children regardless of when they are born.  I was born in May and I was one of the youngest in my class, and I still am a great leader.  So there!!  If my child is reading this some day, know that the only person who can determine your ability to be a leader, and the only person who can judge your success is you.  If anyone ever tries to tell you that you are not good enough, then they obviously don't know you. 

How far along:  5 Weeks, 1 day
How much time left:  34 Weeks, 6 days
Top two symptoms:  Exhaustion and hunger (still)

Favorite thing I ate today:  Three things.  Sweet potato chips, Funeral potatoes and this delicious peach. 

Mood:  I've felt a bit weepy today, but I think that's due to the funeral and the fact that my mom had surgery yesterday.  I do go from normal to teary really easily.  It's hard for me to control my emotions right now.

Worried about: I had a slight worry about finances today.  About all of the things we are going to need to buy for a baby.  We have nothing... we just have a room and that's it.  We will need a crib, drawers, clothing, diapers... ugh!!  Now I know why people have baby showers.  I think I'm going to ask for Babies R Us gift cards for Christmas, lol.  In all honesty, I know that Arthur and I will be fine.  We have some time before next July and we just need to make sure we are planning on adding some additional expenses to our list. 

Excited for:  I am excited for our baby's first Christmas.  I thought about that moment on Christmas morning next year and I imagined bringing our baby downstairs and opening presents as a family.  It made me tear up, and it made me excited all at the same time.  I wish it was now!!  :)

Monday, Monday

Today was definitely a Monday.  I struggled with feeling awake today.  I didn't have too much of a stressful day, but the stressful parts were very stressful. 

I get to work every day at 7:15 AM and I work until 6:00 PM (or later), Monday through Thursday.  I usually work a 7 hour day on Fridays.  So, that equals out to be 50+ hours a week.  I do this because I carpool with Arthur every  morning and it doesn't make sense for us to drive separately an hour apart in the morning.  So, I get up and get ready and leave the house with Arthur at 6:45 every morning.  I usually wake up around 4:45 - 5:00 AM every morning. 

So, this means that I work more hours than anyone on my team.  It's my own choice... but sometimes I just get so tired of being there before anyone else and leaving after everyone is gone.  But - I know that the long hours will eventually get recognized.  Maybe. 

After work today, Arthur and I went to his niece's birthday party at Subway.  Arthur's mom works at Subway, and she made my sandwich.  She put extra meat and extra cheese on my sandwich.  It was so delicious!!!!

Overall, today was an ok day.  I'm looking forward to bedtime and a back scratch.  :)

How far along:  4 weeks, 4 days
How much time left:  35 weeks, 3 days
Top two symptoms:  Exhaustion and foggy brain

Favorite thing I ate today:  Subway Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki.  Deliciousssssss.

Mood:  My brain felt like it was in a fog today and I kept triple-checking my work.  I hate feeling like I'm missing something. 

Worried about: Thank goodness, I've been keeping a close eye on this infection and I think it's going away.  I have been avoiding sugar and fruit and breads of most types for 2 days.  I know that those foods can exacerbate a yeast infection... so I've had to cut way back.  It sucks not being able to eat chocolate (caffeine), sugar (YI), bread (YI), soda (caffeine, YI) or any other of the delicious things I love to eat that I'm trying to cut out.  I know that this is worth it though.  I'm not complaining in any way - I'm just noting that this thing requires a lot of sacrifices that I wasn't betting on going into it.  Don't get me wrong, I'd take a lifelong yeast infection just to have this chance to be a mom.

Excited for:  Last night I was reading about Postpartum Depression and some of the remedies that are out there for it.  This caused me to think of different things that I would want to do to avoid it.  I kept thinking about holding my baby close and feeling connected with them.  I got to do this with Brielle when she was only a week old.  I went up to visit my sister and she let me lay with Brielle on my chest after she had eaten, and it definitely created a forever bond between us.  I am confident that doing this with my own baby will help me feel more connected.  I'm excited to hold them.  *sigh*

Lazy(ish) Sunday

Today is Sunday, and I was both productive and lazy.  I had a really rough night, and slept in three different places up until 9:00 this morning.  I went to bed again last night after blogging around 3:30 and tried to get comfortable on the couch downstairs with the fireplace on.  I slept until about 7.  I then woke up and went upstairs because I was too warm.  I went to sleep then on my office couch until 9.  I went in to see that Arthur was already awake.  Since it was daylight savings time, I'd hoped I'd gotten at least another hour of sleep somewhere in there. 

Arthur and I had a relaxing morning watching some TV.  When our show was over,  He told me that if I wrapped up my chores then he would make omelets.  I jumped up and got cleaning, since omelets are delicious.  He made me a provolone cheese omelet with turkey meat, cucumbers and spinach.  I know that it doesn't sound amazing, but it's what sounded good to me.

After we ate breakfast, we watched Rock of Ages.  I fell asleep (of course) about halfway through.  After the show, Arthur got out the stuff to decorate the family room Christmas tree.  We realized that we our mantle twinkle Christmas lights were burnt out so we couldn't put them up.  So, we went to Walmart.

I picked up some new sweaters and tanktops at Walmart since I don't have a lot of things that fit me anymore.  I am not sure I care that I've gained weight, I think I just care that I look good in the clothes I have.

We came home and finished up decorating.  Here are some pictures from the family room!  :)

Here is the fireplace.  Notice the spot on the right for a baby stocking?  :)

This is Arthur's Christmas village.  Made out of Legos, of course!  Did you notice the cool edits I did with snow swirls?!  

 This is the family room tree.  We call it the "Red Tree".  It's much more Christmas-y downstairs.  My favorite ornaments are the red glass grape things.  They glow in front of the white lights!

How far along:  4 weeks, 3 days
How much time left:  35 weeks, 4 days
Top two symptoms:  Sensitive breasts and yeast infection.  (Blech!)

Favorite thing I ate today:  I'm seeing a theme... I LOVE anything garlic these days.  I had some delicious garlic bread with cheese on top.  *drool*

Mood:  I felt very productive today.  Anytime that I needed to get up and get something done, I was able to do it.  I didn't have to find that internal drive to start something, I was able to just start.  I hope I get more of those days soon, because it's nice to not think about pushing myself to get things done.  Now, if I could only find the energy to put 3 baskets of laundry away... :P

Worried about: This darn yeast infection.  I'm trying to manage it by not eating any sugar and eating extra yogurt, but I still worry that it will come on stronger.  I might have to go to the pharmacy tomorrow and get a Monistat kit.  UGHHHH!!

Excited for:  Today, when I was getting the downstairs tree up I was thinking about Christmas day at my family's house.  I imagined opening up baby presents like Onesies, bottles, diapers, and other baby things.  It made me a little teary when I thought about how teary I will get when I open these things.  I'm so excited!

Breakfast as a Pregnant Lady

Good morning!

Here we are, day 2 waking up as a pregnant lady.  Today I woke up and wasn't extra hungry, and didn't feel sick.  I hear that morning sickness starts at about 6 weeks.  I'm only considered 3 weeks and 4 days.  So, I know that I need to take advantage of good breakfast while I still can.  :)

I made an open-faced breakfast sandwich with 2 eggs over hard, cheese, and fake sausage.  The fake sausage is Morningstar, it's made from soy.  I think they taste better than real sausage and they're healthier too.

 

Yesterday was ok, I am finding that I am extra grumpy and in a fog after 9 PM (or so).  We tried to watch Dexter, but I fell asleep after about 10 minutes into it.  I kept telling Arthur and my brother not to delete it because I didn't want to miss the episode.  I'll have to watch it tonight.

Today I am going to tell my boss that I'm pregnant so I can move my sabbatical to next year.  I originally moved it forward to happen in December.  I was looking forward to having a month and two weeks off (with all of the holidays).  But, I'm willing to sacrifice the time and hold onto the extra month to happen after my maternity leave.  That way, I'll get an extra month to extend it and I'll get 3 months off instead of 2.  I'm sure that's what I'd prefer to do instead of coming back to work right after maternity leave.

I think before I close each entry, I write something that I'm excited for.  I'm excited to be able to have my own kid for Halloween, and dress them up in ridiculous costumes.  :)

I think that's all for today.  I'll write more later, or tomorrow.  Adios!