Week 16-ish

More energy - check. Appetite - double check. Peeing every 5 minutes - check. I think I'm having a pretty normal pregnancy. This week I have an apple. Last week was a peach (although Wes likes to argue they are very close in size and they should find some other fruit to compare our child with). I would like to see them use things other than fruit. Maybe a stapler or a Kleenex box.


I'm on a baby book kick right now. I want to find all of my favorite stories from when I was little so I can read them to him/her. My dad and I are trying to find a copy of the Night Before Christmas that my Grandpa Merchant had given me when I was younger. I LOVED that book on Christmas Eve! My best friend, Carper, was visiting from Arizona last weekend and she introduced me to Half Priced Books. I was like a kid in a candy store! Every childhood book you could think of! The Bernstain Bears, Little Critter, Clifford, Beatrix Potter, every Disney book imaginable, Arthur, Franklin the turtle. It was amazing. I walked away with what Wes would allow me to. If you have any suggestions of fun kids books (new or old!) let me know.

The little munchkin is starting to protrude, which I'm glad for because I don't want everyone thinking I just gained a TON of summer weight. Wes FINALLY believes I'm pregnant now that I'm starting to show. Weird how two doctor's appointments and 9 pregnancy tests didn't set him straight...

I think he's beginning to get a little excited, which is good because I need that excitement and adrenaline to get him to get some projects done around the house :) Baby's room, guest room, and a new Kitchen floor, along with a few smaller projects around the house. We've been trying out a few names but he's stuck on the name Max. It's a cute name but I don't think it's for us. I need something with a little more ZING! I don't want to give our baby a name that everyone else in the world has (Ashley!) so I keep trying to find new names. My mom doesn't like anything that varies from your standard George, Frank, Joe kind of deal.

I am starting to miss wine. Not that I ever drank a lot before, but just a glass when I watch my Real Housewives of New Jersey & New York. A glass here after a hard day's work, a glass there to just deal with the dogs. But in my dreams...

No really, in my dream the other night I was at a winery in California and I was squashing grapes just like Lucy (Wes swears I was Lucy in my previous life).

I went home last weekend and was able to see the family, which was nice. Susie won't stop looking/touching me and my brother likes to make crude jokes about how fat I am. Ahhh, good to be home. Both Wes's Mom and my mom have purchased cribs and strollers and the lot for their own houses. Apparently the baby will be spending the majority of it's time with them and not me so I'm off the hook after delivery. SWEET! No, but really, the baby will have 2 very wonderful grandmothers that I will have to make sure won't spoil the him/her.

We went to our 16 week appointment yesterday. A verrry boring appointment. I did meet my new OB and I LOVE HER! If you are in the Omaha area, Dr. Phillips at Methodist Women's Hospital is all that and a bag of Cheetoh's. We heard the heartbeat, a strong 140bpm. Our next appointment will be the BIG one, boy or girl.

Until next time...

Week 13ish

Well, I am out of the scary 12-week period... and I couldn't be happier! Nothing but babies on the brain from here on out. Something else I have on the brain: what is Margaret going to do when there's something around to take all of the attention off of her? Wes and I always said, "If Marge doesn't get along with the baby, the only answer is to find a new home for the baby."

Margaret, the Princess

Mavis, the Jester

We're just joking of course, but I really cannot imagine my life without my dogs. My mom, sister, and cousin came up to visit last weekend and that was fun. It's nice to have you're mom around and focused on you, especially because come 5 months from now she won't even remember my name. She claims she's going to come once a month until the baby comes. This, I do NOT mind as long as she does my laundry like she did last weekend :) There's just something about a Susie-folded pair of underwear that really makes you appreciate the little things in life.

People keep saying "Ohh! You're starting to show! Look at that little bump!" I still think it's fat because it doesn't look or feel any different than when I had gained 5 lbs. last summer. But, I've come to realize with pregnancy one thing: what do I really know?  There's so many opinions and facts and ways to do everything. I'm bound to get something wrong! Don't eat this or don't drink that. If you sit like that your baby's head will be misshapen. If you sleep on your right side you're baby won't be able to read. Don't paint your nails or you will lessen your baby's IQ. This poor child is doomed from the beginning! I'm going to have a super fat, illiterate, unintelligent, cone-headed baby! He'll fit right in with the rest of us.

The morning sickness has subsided along with the majority of the exhaustion. My main concern right now is being near a bathroom at all times. I peed 7 times at work this morning. That's between the time of 8:30am and 12:30pm when I took my lunch. And this may be hard to believe but I only drank ONE bottle of water. WHERE IS THIS COMING FROM?! I don't get it. Wes is annoyed, Margaret and Mavis are mad because I get up twice a night and wake them up, and frankly, it's getting more and more difficult the focus on anything other than peeing. This may be pushing the envelope but I am very tempted to grab some diapers for myself.

Now what about Wes? That's a good question. Wes is kind of in his own world right now. He's picked up a security job at a grocery store and is working a lot of overtime with the OPD. I hate to see him work so much but love to see the checks! I don't know that he's fully aware of the tornado that's about to ensue. He's slowly understanding that babies need space and his 'cop room' will have to become the 'baby room'. I also think that he's starting to understand that he won't be able to hang with the boys as often as he does now. As far as the cleaning, he hasn't really gotten the hint and I don't know that he ever will. I am relishing every moment I have with him right now because I have a hard enough time sharing him with his friends, let alone a baby. I just want to make sure that he doesn't forget about me when the baby comes.