Dear Baby,

I thought it would be fun, and you would think it cool, to write in a journal to you. A long time from now, probably after you're through being a teenager, you'll find it interesting to read notes from your Mommy...but you'll most likely be referring to me as something other than Mommy by then. I decided to do your journal online so that it'll never be lost to fire, flood, moving, the dog, etc. Now, no matter where we are, you'll be able to read all about yourself. If you're anything like your father, the narcissistic part of you will love this.

Right now your Daddy and I are having the name debate. I promise you, no matter what happens to me, I will not let him name you Nigel, Darth Vader, Larry version 2.0, or Count Chocula. I think I now know the reason the doctors ask the Mommy for the baby's name. Don't worry, little one, the first thing I'll do for you...well after I carry you for nine months and endure hours of pain during labor...will be to save you from being teased for the rest of your life.

It is mind boggling to me when I read about all of the things you're doing in my belly...growing arms, legs, eyelids...the idea that you're so tiny...one book says you're about three inches long...but you're hard at work in there. Next week you'll be learning how to move your arms, make a fist, and inahling and sucking fluid into your tiny little lungs. And I guess you must be smart, because I haven't had to help you with any of this stuff. You just know what to do, while I carry on, sometimes forgetting (only for a second) that there's something so amazing at work inside my body. Of course, I also think you're smart because you're the offspring of your genius Mommy and Daddy...but we're not the least bit partial, I promise!

I'm hoping to begin work on your room by the end of July. If your Daddy had his way he'd start your room when I go into labor. Luckily I'm a bit more of a planner than that. We're doing your room in Pooh, and Daddy says you better like it because it's going to be Pooh until we move. Don't worry though, we're planning to move into a really good school district before you start kindergarten. It's not like you'll have to have a Pooh room when you're eight or nine. I got you a Pooh teddy bear last weekend. It was from a garage sale, and it's probably going to be bigger than you for a while. The little girl who previously owned it was sad that we bought him for you because it was one of her first stuffed animals. I told her we are doing your room in Pooh and that he'll be well loved. Her Mommy told her, "see, Pooh is going to be friends with a new baby." That made her feel better, and I promised her that you'd love him and take good care of him. He's anxiously awaiting your arrival...I think he's a tad bored in that big room all by himself!

Love,
Mommy

Posted by Courtney at 7:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Call me MRS. DISAPPOINTED. We went to the doctor today. I thought we'd be finding out the sex of our little one at the next appointment. Oh no, the doctor tells me, we'll schedule your ultrasound appointment at your next appointment. Perfect. An extra two weeks when I already thought it was gonna be a whole four weeks away. I'm trying to be patient. I'm trying to be patient. I'm trying to be...okay...I know I'm impatient...why deny it?!?

In the good news department, things are going fine. My blood pressure is fine, and I felt the urge to kiss the doctor when he said, "your weight is good". Awesome! Validation at last that all those McNuggets are a-okay. He asked if I had any concerns wherein I told him about my hair falling out moreso than normal. He ordered up bloodwork for a thyroid problem check thinggy because apparently I'm the only preggo person to lose hair...it's much more common for hair to thicken I guess. So just to be sure that there's no possible baby harming thyroid problem, I went to the vampires at the hospital. After a half hour wait I was called back...they ended up taking it from my hand because I have the deepest veins in town...but I can make a fist and have ten or eleven veins pop out in my hand. Anyhow it was less painful than in the arm so I'll be requesting the baby needle in the hand from now on. I also got the approval for my upcoming vacation with my parents.

The heartbeat was harder to find this time, but we did hear it! I don't think that'll ever get old! I told Larry I wanted to buy one of those monitors...they're only like $20 at Walmart...he put the kabosh on that though...possibly because I'm a little obsessive about things....I'd probably never go to sleep if I could listen to the baby's heart all night. The doctor said that it's really moving around, but that I won't be able to feel it for about six more weeks. I don't know how he knows it's moving since I can't even feel it, so I'm pretty sure he couldn't feel it...but he's the one with all the doctor stuff, so he's the one who knows I guess. It was particularly active, I suppose, because he said, "it's really having a good ole' time moving around in there". I'm still continually amazed that there's a baby with a beating heart inside my belly. Larry's continually amazed that said baby came from his testicles. Ah...the simplicity of being a man...

Posted by Courtney at 8:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Isn't it BEE-YOU-TEE-FUL?!?! My favorite perk of being a demonstrator comes at this time of year, when we anxiously await our previewing of the new catalog! Last night I checked my shipping status of the two boxes of catalogs I had on order (since May, might I add). Imagine my intense delight when I did indeed have a ship date...and a scheduled delivery date...of TODAY!

Posted by Courtney at 6:44 PM | Permalink

Doesn't she look like she has bat-ears? They're the most gigantic dog ears I've ever seen.

Pixel has taken over our smiley face pillow. The upsetting part? The damn thing cost $20. Now our dog, who is the most spoiled dog on the planet, has a $20 pillow that she carries around in her mouth. She can't be happy with a $5 doggie toy...oh no...not our dog...she needs a $20 pillow. Can you tell I'm a tad bitter?!

Posted by Courtney at 6:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's summertime in Northeast Ohio, and you know what that means...garage sales every weekend! I must confess, two weekends ago we went garage sailing in search of crib sheets. Being that I'm about 12 weeks along means so far there has not been much I can do in the way of preparing for this little one. Larry and I went looking for crib sheets after I explained to him just how expensive new crib sheets are...and the quanitity we'd use in one day. We didn't intend to buy any clothes because, as I said, I'm not exactly far along. Well...what happens when you're looking for crib sheets? They put them right next to all the cute baby clothes. We found a few little outfits...unisex of course! Then this weekend my mom and I went garage sailing...because...well...she hasn't been permitted (by my dad) to buy anything for the baby yet...I think she was in danger of having convulsions if she didn't purchase any baby items soon! We also found a few cute outfits...practically brand new I must say! But, I have to tell you about the deal of the century we got at a "rich persons" garage sale. These people live in a million plus dollar home...I couldn't resist seeing what they had for sale. They didn't have any clothes...BUT...they had a crib. Now we had picked out a crib we liked and planned on putting it on our registry...but this was marked $25 and it included the mattress! It couldn't have been used but for one child...no nicks...no scratches...all for $25. What did I do after getting Larry's approval to purchase said crib? I totally offered them $20 for the crib and mattress...and they took it! Oh yeah...baby's sleeping in high style for all of $20! Some of my other favorite items we've purchased:

1) A onesie that says "Future Computer Whiz"

2) A bib that says "I Come From Genius Genes"

3) Onesies that say "If You Think I'm Cute, You Should See My Mommy" & "If You Think I'm Cute, You Should See My Daddy"

4) A Pooh sleeper that says "It's 'Cause I Like Honey So Much"

5) The seven or eight layette gowns we've bought. These are like my new favorite thing! I have to buy almost every one I find! Um...a nighttime changing without having to undo snaps? I'm totally there!

Posted by Courtney at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Um...I'd have to say this is definitely not the most romantic thing he's ever said to me...and the timing (when I was about to lean in for a kiss) wasn't the greatest...but at least he still loves me, right?

Larry: Are you catching a cold?

Me: No. Why?

L: Um...well your breath smells kinda funny, like when someone's catching a cold.

Me: *Jumping Away From His Airspace* Why didn't you tell me it smells bad?!

L: Well, it's not bad...just different...like when someone's catching a cold.

Me: Maybe it's the baby...you know it's making me lose my hair, too.

Someone....anyone....tell me I'm not doomed to bad breath and no hair for the next nine months...or if I am, at least it'll be worth it, right?!

Posted by Courtney at 8:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I had another checkup yesterday...I'm 10 weeks along now. The doctor said, "Now there's a 60% chance we'll hear the heartbeat...that also means there's a 40% chance we won't...so don't be alarmed if we don't." He no sooner finished his sentence, put the monitor on my belly, and we could hear our little one's heart beating away! It was an incredible experience! At first we weren't sure if we were hearing it, or if it was the baby's and not mine, but the doctor said, "Do you hear it?", and that was all the confirmation we needed! He said we must have a smart one because it was right where it's needed to be so we could hear it. I told him that's because I was sending it heartbeat vibes all day hoping that we'd hear it. I think he may have thought that was a little silly, but he simply said, "Well, it's sending those vibes right back at ya!"

It was really cool to have concrete confirmation, you know?! I was kinda at the point of being like I know I'm pregnant, but I don't feel or look any different yet...I'd like some real proof. I think Larry thought that was silly...he's like um, isn't the doctor saying you're pregnant enough proof? The heartbeat was 158. According to some old wives tale the heartbeat being that fast means we're having a girl, but we're not out painting the nursery pink just yet!

While we're on the subject of old wives tales and gender predictions, I thought a fun feature of this site would be to include all of the "expert" opinions on what we're having. For instance, my old babysitter told my mom that since the heartbeat is so fast it's going to be a girl. This is prediction number one that is based on no kind of scientific evidence. Each time someone gives us their "expert" opinion on what we're having, you'll hear about it here. We'll see who's right sometime in December...or whenever an ultrasound technician gives us their expert opinion...which we'll be inclined to believe. Yesterday I did an online quiz that is supposed to be a baby gender predictor. It asked things like: Are you craving sweets or salty stuff? Have you had morning sickness? Well the results of that quiz tell me that we have a 75% chance of having a girl. Then I did one that's an ancient Chinese gender predictor that's supposed to be like a million percent accurate. The results of that say we're having a boy. So far the overall useless predictions tell me that we're either having a boy or a girl. That's a relief, let me tell you! That rules out the fact that we're having a demon, doesn't it?!

Gender Prediction Totals Thus Far:
2 Votes for Girl, 1 Vote for Boy

Posted by Courtney at 8:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)