29 Weeks

I do apologize for the delay. I would like to say that it's because I have been busy however, that is not the case. Just lazy. The baby is a butternut squash this week which is a good thing for her because I LOVE butternut squash.

Yumm!

Wes and I have been in full baby mode for the last few weeks. Trying to find pediatricians, making sure Wes has his vaccines, signing up for baby classes, getting the house ready for a newborn... the whole deal. All of these little details have made us VERY excited for our little one. There have also been a few other developments that have helped strengthen our excitement...BENJAMIN OLIVER CORE! Matt and Katy's beautiful baby boy was born on October 8th (Matt's Birthday!) and we couldn't be happier for them! Wes was the first of us to hold him (I was too scared):

He is a very sweet baby and one of the cutest things I have ever seen (yes, even cuter than Margaret! Of course I say that because she can't read...). Wes's BIG dilemma now: trying to find a girls name that goes well with Benjamin (Benji for short) because of course they're going to be getting married someday. I'm just excited to have them play together because they will be the cutest babies in the world which will make for some very adorable pictures. OMG!!! I just thought of all the costume ideas for Halloween next year! Prince and princess, ketchup and mustard, peanut butter and jelly, pug and mastiff! The list is endless!

Another exciting development is that Wes's police 'partner' and his wife are expecting a baby in the Spring! Brett and Amanda have become pretty close friends of ours with the boys exploring the vast world of beer together, chasing bad guys and Wes enjoying someone who truly appreciates his 9 million short ribs recipes. We are really excited for the world of babies that is about to smack us all in the face :)

As for me...
I'm a house. I have managed to gain in 7.5 months what most women gain during their whole pregnancy. My doctor actually gave me 'The Look' when I told her that I really am not eating that differently. Katy says to just forget about it and live it up because you can only do this when you're pregnant. I may be able to do that if I didn't have the worlds meanest women coming up to me all the time and making one of the following comments:

"Oh wow! You're having twins?"
"Oh my gosh let me guess your due date... next week?"
"How blessed are you to be having twins?" (This one actually went on to ask if we had conceived twins naturally)
"Oh wow girl! You are big!"
"I don't think I was that big until the week I delivered."
"You're either having triplets, twins, or a 10 pounder."

I'm assuming all of these women are mothers and have been pregnant before and my question is WHY? You can think whatever you want IN YOUR OWN HEAD but I don't want to hear it. I'm already dealing with the fact that my maternity clothes no longer fit, my bras don't fit, my shoes are getting tight, my stomach hangs out of everything, I found my double chin and lost my ankles... isn't that enough? No worries though because as soon as I pop this kid out it's back to the gym! Hahahahaa...

My husbands response to my belly? "Well Ash, at least you are as big as you are going to get. I mean, there's some sort of pouch in there that's already formed and as the baby gets bigger she will just fill into the pouch." Apparently he's been keeping up on his assigned reading. Or maybe he's in denial. 

Aside from my massive size, things are going great. The doctor did mention that it may be a big baby which in my mind just means that she will have to come out sooner rather than later. And I am OK with that. I really think Margaret and Mavis are understanding that things are changing as poor Marge barely fits on my lap anymore. Mavis is very intuitive so I think once the baby room was completed, it really helped to put things into perspective for her.

I finally have pictures of the baby room!! 

The crib and dresser!

Rocking chair!

Changing table!

Oops! How did that get in there?

Book shelf!

Baby's coming home outfit :)

The pictures aren't of the best quality but you get the idea. Everything's finally coming together and now I can just sit and wait... and wait... and wait.

The Things They Forget to Tell You....

- The sleepless nights because it feels like you have rocks in your stomach and you can't get comfortable
- The back pain because you've gained 30lbs. and you're only 6 months along
- The difficulty getting up from a sitting position
- The rapid heartbeat
- The kicking and punching that for some reason only occurs at night (she's probably as uncomfortable as I am!)
- The peeing in the middle of the night
- The peeing when you sneeze
- The peeing when you laugh
- The peeing when you cough
- THE PEEING!
- The constipation
- The inability to ever control your body temperature
- The swelling of your feet that makes them look like life preservers
- The swelling of your fingers so that your wedding ring is NEVER coming off
- The constant crying (I literally cried over an episode of COPS the other day. Wes is beside himself with what to do with me)
- The new found sense of smell - good and bad
- The new found ability of turning every commercial into something new that you need for the baby or that you think will benefit the baby at some time in their life

All in all - it's kind of a raw deal! I went into this whole pregnancy thing thinking that it was going to be blissful and SIMPLE! Regardless... I wouldn't change it for the world. Women have been going through these same changes since the beginning of time and I am just one more to add to the list.

23 Weeks

So it has been a very busy past few weeks! My parents were here for Labor Day and we overhauled the house, Wes and I have both been working until the wee hours, and I have been watching myself grow larger and larger (a very big task!). I feel like one of those little animals you buy that says "Put me in water and watch me grow!" My t-shirts no longer cover my stomach and instead fall just below my belly button. The normal clothes I had put aside thinking I would be able to wear, I no longer fit into. It's just a slippery slope from here. I feel like I'm much bigger than what I should be although the Doctor has assured me I'm perfectly normal, just 'carrying differently'... which in my mind is a nice way of saying "Wow! You really ate whatever you wanted during your first trimester!" And it didn't help when I asked my mom if my stomach looked bigger than normal and she replied, "Yea, that's a big belly." I feel the love.

So the good news? The baby's room is done! Wes picked out a lovely Top Banana for the walls with white trim around the door and closet. It looks really nice with the cherry colored crib, dresser, and changing table. Sometimes I just go and sit in the rocking chair in the room and I can't help but get excited that in 3.5 short months there will be a little baby in there!

I think Margaret is really starting to understand what's about to happen. The other night I was laying on the couch and she was draped across my stomach. Now, I am at the point where the baby is moving constantly (and kicking and punching and I'm pretty sure she's bit me a time or two) but I'm the only one who can feel it. I keep trying to catch it by putting my hand where the movement is and she stops every time. So anyways, Me and Marge are laying on the couch and the baby starts kicking up a storm. After a minute Marge sits up and looks at my stomach like "What the HELL is going on in there?" Then, all hell breaks loose and she starts clawing at my shirt and the baby's kicking furiously and I thought to myself, it's already starting.


It's difficult to get in the mindset of working out when there's so many restrictions on what you can do. So I will admit the last few weeks I have not been doing so well however, I have been trying to swim more. I was in the pool yesterday and there were two older women in the lane next to me. After my work out was over I went into the locker room and as I came around the corner these two women were saying, "Can you believe she is still working out? Can you imagine the stress that's putting on the baby? How horrible for that unborn child!" I stopped and stared at them for a moment and asked if everything was Ok. Neither responded and they rushed out of the locker room. Maybe back in their day pools weren't invented yet? I think they were just offended that the one piece swimsuit I was wearing was not meant for pregnant people and there may have been a few pieces hanging out... Oops!

Sorry no pictures with this one! Our computer is a dinosaur and it's hard to upload them. Hopefully next time!

The SECOND Biggest News of My Life...

It's a Girl! I'm sure that most of you already know via me, my mom, or my mother-in-law but there it is: it is a girl!
And so it begins! The dresses, the shoes, the hair ties, the ballet slippers and the dance recitals. Or maybe it will be soccer balls, cleats, basketball shorts and all-weekend tournaments. OR MAYBE she will be like her mother and it will be band instruments, marching band uniforms, choir concerts, sheet music and All-State competitions :) Regardless of the road she travels down, she will more than likely be mediocre at everything, as this is the Merchant gene that I carry ;) She could take after her father and be a step above mediocre...

The ultrasound was the COOLEST thing I have ever seen. She really looks like a little person! From her head to her tiny little toes. The ultrasound tech and my OB couldn't get over her pointy little nose (Thanks Mom for that one;)) and how cute it looks. It actually reminds me of those Kleenex cartoon people that you see on TV.

Hopefully it will round out before the delivery because it looked a little sharp. We were sent home with a lot of very cute photos including one where she was sucking her thumb. The tech was very excited about the photo she snapped of the baby yawning. I personally thought it was kind of creepy and reminded me of a Halloween costume but I am obligated to say it's beautiful. Wes has apparently missed his calling as he was naming most of the body parts before the tech was, including the girl parts! This could either be a really good thing... or really bad. His reaction when he first found out it was a girl: "Oh no another Ashley."

I don't blame him, I haven't made it exactly easy on the poor boy. But it keeps him on his toes and he knows better then to ever get comfortable because I'm bound to have some idea or dream that I want to pursue and he had damn well better be behind me 100%. Selling insurance, saving the penguins, selling Mary Kay, going to nursing school and deciding a few months later it wasn't what I really felt like doing, wanting to move to NYC. So yes, if she turns out like me... Poor, poor Wes. But at least she won't be boring. His next thought after the news: "More girls?" Margaret, Mavis, and I were more than he could handle for the last 2 years and now add a little baby girl into the mix... it's bound to get interesting!

We have been so fortunate to have such a loving and supportive family as I already have a full baby room! Crib, rocking chair, bedding, stroller, changing table and dresser. Wes's dad was here this week helping him with a few fixes around the house and then my family will be here over Labor Day weekend to help paint. I have made a VERRRY long list of things for my dad to do as well. Just a few things that poor Wesley hasn't learned how to do yet such as finding where the leak came from, fixing the ice machine, and finding the squeak in the dryer. I'm told these things come with age... is this true? I hope so!

I tried to explain to the dogs that Mommy and Daddy will be bringing home another little girl. I really think Margaret is excited. She seems very ready to take on the big sister role. Mavis seemed a little nervous but then again that's just her.

Wes and I are very excited for the change of seasons and for Fall to finally come. I love the cooler temperatures, color of the leaves, the football games (Go Clones!), and the smell of the air. We have decided to go to one last football game 'baby free'. This will be a very different experience than any other football game as I will not be able to drink. I may just make it to the football game this time ;)

If anyone knows where I can find a Cyclone Cheerleader outfit... please let me know!

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.

11 Weeks

11 weeks. Headaches, exhaustion, food cravings and aversions. One thing is for sure, I'm ready for this first tri-mester to be over! We have our 12 week appointment on Thursday and we will get to hear the heart beat with some sort of utensil. Exciting!! It's been a busy few weeks with weddings, concerts, family get-togethers and summer.

Things that I'm finding are much different now:
Weddings are definitely not the same when you're pregnant. Normally I'm the crazy dancer in the middle of the dance floor but now I'm too tired to get off the darn chair! And we won't even get into the fact that I have to stick to water while all of my friends are drinking wine and beer. It has also been difficult for me to slow down to the level I should be rustling around at. I'm used to running around and packing my day so full that there's no time to sit and now, all I do is sit! Wes and I went to a concert the other night (Mumford & Sons...Amazing!) and I wasn't able to be smack dab in the middle of the crowd, jumping and singing along like I usually am. So instead I had to sit in the back with my pregnant friend Katy. We had our own pregnant fun though :) I don't have ANY patience for anyone or anything, and this includes the dogs. Margaret and Mavis. They need obedience training and I'm so angry with them most of the time I don't want to take them to the training classes. I cry all the time. There was a storm last night and I bawled like a baby when the sirens went off. That'll be a nice sight for our unborn child,
:::Tornado Sirens blaring:::
Baby: "Where's mom? We need to get in the basement!"
Wes: "Oh she's hunched over in the corner bawling like usual"

Other than that, I think things are going as they should be. I can't really say that I know what normal is because this is my first pregnancy, but let's hope it's alright. I don't think I'm showing yet although I do feel like I'm a moose right now. Wes SWEARS that I don't look like one, he's sweet. We're trying to get some things fixed up around the house before the baby comes but it's proving to be more difficult than previously thought. I keep asking Wes, "Do you think it's a boy or a girl?"

He thinks its a boy. But what does he really know? Like I said, it doesn't matter to me as long as it's healthy... and likes to sleep, doesn't hate me, likes dogs as much as I do, loves the environment and all it's creatures, and wants to be an Alpha Chi Omega. Otherwise I'm sending it back.