This chicken's kickin'!

OK, so the baby book says that baby HeShe weighs the same as a chicken breast... about 5 ounces. Well, now this baby has started kicking more and more... it is actually starting to feel like something!

Pretty darned cool!!! This little chicken is kickin'!

18 weeks pregnant: a peek inside

TODAY, we are 18 weeks pregnant. Scary thought... just 2 more weeks and we'll be HALFWAY THERE!!! YIKES!

Here's a peek inside: According to www.parenting.com, this is what a baby looks like at 18 weeks. At this point, babies have very little fat on them, but will continue to grow rapidly and will gain fat on their tiny bodies. (If I had to guess, I would probably say that the one pictured is a boy. We still have not decided if we will find out the sex at the ultrasound 1/6/09.... or if baby HeShe will even cooperate if we DID want to know! Time will tell...)

What to expect reports: The baby should be about 5.5" long from crown to rump and weighs about 5 oz. I should be feeling movement more and more in the near future.

Mike bought me the WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE FIRST YEAR book for Christmas. It appears that we have A LOT to learn!!! Granted, I've cared for babies before after years of babysitting, but still.... never had one of my own that I was responsible for 24/7! Mike says he doesn't think he's ever even held a baby and most certainly has NEVER changed a diaper.

He told the dentist his theory: if you put the diaper on wrong enough times, you wont be asked to diaper again. The dentist told him that it does NOT work like that... in fact, not only do you have to try again, but you have to clean up the extra mess as well. 

Better that he hears it from someone speaking from experience.

Merry Christmas!

Just wishing a VERY Merry Christmas. 

(See some of you soon!)   Love,  Mike & Sarah (and Baby HeShe)

17: Did anyone else notice the widget?

Just wondering if it is "just me" or if anyone else noticed that the tracking widget with the floating baby has changed within the past few days.... it seems that last week, the floating baby had it's limbs extended... long, lanky limbs, but this week, it seems to have taken a liking to the curled up fetal position.

My uterus is currently the size of a cantaloupe as my belly continues to grow ever-so-slightly each week. The baby is between 5 and 5.5" long from crown to rump this week and weighs about five ounces... think boneless chicken breast.

Yawning is a new skill that the baby develops this week.

Also, the nervous system is developing and progressing this week. (I'm hoping that baby's nervous system works better than mine... and that baby will remain MS-free for life!)

Been a few times that I thought I felt it moving, but it is VERY SUBTLE at this point. (Books say that sometimes it is confused for gas.) The other night, I woke from a sound sleep because I felt movement and it was enough to wake me, wondering "what was THAT?"  As it gets bigger and weighs more, I'm sure I will feel movement all-too-soon, which will be exciting. Mike is looking forward to being able to feel it from the outside. 

One of these days....

Mickey or Minnie?

Our friend Roy, from Burlington Menards, wondered this week: 

Is it too soon to tell if it is a Mickey or a Minnie?

I explained that we are going in for our ultrasound on Tuesday, January 6th and meet with the OB/GYN to go over results on Friday, January 9th.

If baby HeShe is cooperative, we MAY be able to tell what the sex is that week. However, we are still not sure if we want to know the sex or not. There seem to be all too many horror stories of people who were told that it was one sex and turned out to be the opposite. Perhaps it truly is best to remain rather gender neutral in our shopping and planning selections.

Last weekend, we started looking at cribs, as well as the lengthy list of items we'll need to purchase before baby comes. (YIKES! This is not going to be cheap!) 

I poked around online at bedding for a little while and found one that I thought was pretty cute for a gender neutral nursery. (So far, this one caught my eye, but we still have LOTS of places left to look.) 

We've got LOTS of time on our hands... afterall, we're only 42% of the way to the finish line!

Cold: NOT so good (weather and teeth)

Feeling a little bad that I haven't blogged in a while. Nothing overly blog-worthy this week. It has been freakishly cold here this week. Today was the first day that our daytime high made it ABOVE ZERO!!! Monday, the feels-like temperature was -43°F with the wind chill factored in. Tuesday, the feels-like warmed up to -23°F, which was QUITE an improvement. Indoor recess was growing old for all of the kindergartners and first-graders who desperately needed to run off some extra energy. Today, we were, in fact, OUTSIDE and the teachers were feeling VERY LUCKY for that! Tomorrow, the daytime high is forecasted at 20°F and snow is in the forecast.

Even though I haven't blogged lately, I still check into the blog daily. I like to check the baby tickers to see how far we've come and how far we have left to go before we meet little Baby HeShe. (You thought I was going to slip up and spill the beans on the name that we picked.... SORRY... you'll all just have to wait for the BIG DAY!)

Have had a toothache for about a week now and it has been getting worse. My teeth and face hurts! I slept with an ice pack on my face for the past few nights and it has felt better by morning; however, by mid-day, it is quite painful again. Hit the school nurse up for some free advice because I wondered if I should see a dentist or a doctor - not knowing if it was tooth-related or sinus. She suggested dentist.

Turns out that I went to a local dentist and after 3 x-rays, there is no sign of infection in any of my teeth. (The hygienist took extra precautions even though the xrays they use are "safe": she put a lead apron behind me, laid one an my top side and laid another one sideways across my "beer belly" baby. )

My right wisdom tooth looks like it has come down from my sinus cavity a little bit and may be putting pressure on my other (sore) teeth. My sinus cavity does show some fluid in it that does not belong there. Instead of ice, they recommend heat (a warm compress or heating pad). They recommend an over-the-counter nasal flush to help clean out the sinus cavity. Also, they tried to sell me a $150 mouth guard for sleeping, which is NOT covered by insurance. I decided to try the warm compress first before wasting my money on a mouth guard that I doubt I need. (I'm thinking that they would be able to tell if I really grind my teeth when I sleep; also, if it hurts to bite down, I am most likely NOT clenching my teeth when I sleep.) I'm not a dentist, but when they hit on my teeth to check for sensitivity and pain - it would hurt.... especially since they already hurt when I came in. Suggested a soft diet for the next few weeks.

Massage was suggested on my cheek and jaw to relax tension. (The dentist tried to say that it "could be the MS causing those muscles to over-fire" but I am pretty confident that it is NOT the MS since it has been mostly non-active for years now that is causing my toothache.) Seems that they were just guessing. So, looks like if the warm compress does not help, I can follow up with a doctor to relieve sinus pressure, which can affect my teeth. (The hygienist guesses it is more sinus-related since it gets worse during the day when I am upright. She also said that if the ice packs turn out to be more comfortable than heat that I should go back to them, contrary to one of the dentist's COUNTLESS recommendations.)

If they do eventually have to go after the wisdom tooth, I am told it will NOT be pretty. Most likely, no oral surgeon will touch it until after Baby HeShe is here. (It will take LOTS of work to get it out of the sinus cavity! I believe the exact words were "I don't mean to scare you, but it will be no picnic.") Time will tell, I guess.... hoping for a little relief soon!

16 week check-up: x+9.3 pounds

Baby is 16 weeks TODAY and should be about the size of an avocado at 4-5" long from crown to rump.

In one of the pregnancy books I was reading, it said that this 4 month (16 week) phase is awkward because people look at you and wonder "is she pregnant or is that just a beer belly?" (Not really a drinker so, guess THAT explains a lot right there, eh?)

Yesterday was our first OB/GYN appointment with our new doctor. At the appointment, I measured 5' 9.25" which I still find AMAZING that I somewhere/somehow lost 1/2" of height over the past 5 years. (You would think that I would be taller since a weight has been lifted off my shoulders as THIS is the happiest I've been in years!)

I weighed in at: x + 9.3 (where x represents pre-pregnancy weight)

At our appointment, the shadowing resident attempted to find the fetal heartbeat for us since we have never had the opportunity to hear it before. After a little struggling, the OB/GYN stepped in to take a stab at it. He seemed to be struggling as well. I was starting to get a little bit nervous that they could not find heartbeat, but the doctor announced "Don't worry, I know it is in there and moving around because I heard it."

Eventually, Doctor found the heart rate of the baby - which was 140 beats per minute. "Good." he reported. (It was probably only a few minutes of searching total, but started to feel like an eternity for us new-to-be parents who were anxious to hear it for the first time.)

"Did you want to know why I knew it was in there?" he questioned. "I heard it move when I was pressing over here." he explained.

He moved the Doppler back over to the lower left quadrant of my abdomen, announcing "Come on, baby. Move! Come on; move again for us." Within a few seconds, baby had moved and we could hear the SWOOSH, SWOOSH of fluid moving around inside.

We are scheduled to go in for an ultrasound at about 19.5 weeks (first week of January) and will meet again with the doctor at 20 weeks to go over the results and have a regularly-scheduled follow-up appointment. At that 19.5 week ultrasound, we are told they will be examining the brain and major organs to ensure proper development. If baby cooperates, we SHOULD be able to tell the sex at that time.... that is, IF we decide to do so.

Because my twin brother had a birth defect (the hole in his heart that was detected and surgically fixed as an adult, age 30), they will take a close look at the baby's heart at the upcoming ultrasound. Hopefully, all will go well; we're excited to see HeShe inside.

We are waiting on results from the Quad Screen (blood test) that was done yesterday. This test checks my blood for 4 different substances that are produced by the baby and passed into my bloodstream.

I'm told to gain up to 25 pounds during pregnancy. A little scared that I have already gained 9.3 pounds and of that, baby weighs ONLY 3.5 oz. (These larger breasts weigh considerably more than before, but still... I still have 5 months to go...)

You know what they say: it is what it is! Guess we just need to relax and enjoy!

Happy Birthday Grandma O!

Dear Grandma,

I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday TODAY! My, this month is a busy one for birthdays!

My dad says that all of the cute genes come from his side of the family, but I think YOU are very pretty. No matter what I look like, one thing is for sure, I have a good chance of being annoyingly happy like my mom. (I hear my mom gets her disposition and personality traits from you!)

My mom has some big shoes to fill - following in your footsteps - because my mom says that you were an absolutely WONDERFUL mother! I hope my mom is able to be there just like you were always there for her! My mom sure does love you a lot!

Hope you have a happy birthday! See you in the late spring! I can't wait to meet you!

Love,

Sweat Pea

Happy Birthday Grandpa Lowell!

Dear Grandpa Lowell,

Just wanted to wish you a happy birthday TODAY! Mom and Dad had hoped that you could have an ultrasound picture for a birthday present, but I'm afraid THAT present will be belated because they don't take me to the doctor to pose for my pictures until Thursday.

I can't wait to meet you Grandpa! See you in a few more months!

I'll be the one who everyone will be SO EXCITED to meet, but there's a good chance that I'll resemble both you and my dad. (Dad tells me that all of the cute comes from HIS side of the family, but mom just tells me that my daddy wears sassy pants.)

Love,

Sweet Pea

Hi Sweet Pea,

What a great birthday celebration I've had. I've had a b'day cookie (with candle) at church coffee hour; a number of cards have been received, a singing birthday song on the telephone, treats from a neighbor, and a picture with your dad on the blog!!

And, what a birthday celebration we're looking forward to in a few months!! Your parents, grandpa's and grandma's, all the family and all the friends will be excited! You'll be the center of attention and rightfully so. Between now and then, there will be any number of "events" of course; but, your birthday will be THE event. May God provide every blessing to you and to your parents as you grow and develop during these next weeks!!

Love,

Grandpa Lowell

Baby Name

Mike wanted me to blog that Baby has a name!

We have decided to call Baby: 

HeShe

(We're saying that it is Latin for: I'll decide later.)

Not sure if we'll be able to tell the sex at 

Thursday's appointment.... may be too soon yet. 

In that case, it may just have to be a surprise. 

Guess we'll see!

15 weeks (with Belly Pic)

We are now celebrating 15w01d of pregnancy and took a belly pic this morning to document this journey. Had a few people announce "Oh my, you've popped!" this week; although, I still think it just looks a little pudgy in the middle. (Mike still claims it looks like "too many cookies", but since I really don't eat cookies - and the fact that I just can't suck it in since it is pretty firm, I guess it MUST be "baby belly".)

Our pregnancy email updates tell us that we need to start talking a lot because the baby can hear our voices now - this week. It suggested that as I walk around, I talk outloud so that the baby gets used to my voice, which also helps language skills develop later. 

I'm not sure if Mike read about it on the internet or saw it on television, but yesterday he told me about a father who came home each day and said "Hey baby, how's it going?" (or something of the sort). Turns out, when the baby was born, a nurse was holding it and the baby was being fussy, but when the father said those same words , the baby stopped crying and turned it's head toward the daddy. (I think that Mike, too, wants those same MAGIC DADDY POWERS.)

Baby is about 4.5" long from crown to rump and weighs about 2.5 ounces. Size-wise, according to our book, it is the size of a large navel orange.

It is hard to imagine that just 3 weeks ago, it weighed only 1/2 oz.... which might explain why the belly bump is also getting bigger now. By Christmas, three weeks from now, it will have doubled in weight again.

Any time now, I will start to feel movement. Most likely, those few incidents where I thought I felt "something" were, in fact, most likely baby movements. Within the next weeks, I will feel more and more - as the baby is actually quite active right now. In fact, hiccups (by the baby) will become a common occurrence for me to be feeling. Thinner people normally feel it sooner, I read online.

If I write too much on the blog, Mike gets bored and stops reading part-way through so, I can write about him near the end of my posting and he very well may never know... Tee Hee. He thanked me for letting everyone know that he is getting old and puked not once, but twice while playing broomball. Hey, those are the breaks... it's called aging!

Hoping for a great week and looking forward to being able to post new baby news following Thursday's new OB/GYN appointment. (We'll hope for ultrasound pictures or fetal heart-rate to post online for everyone to enjoy.) Cross your fingers...

OUCH!

Last night, Mike started up playing broomball again. He had been on a 3-year hiatus and was happy when we moved here because he was close enough to play again.

Turns out, he's not as young as he used to be!

Ordinarily, he reports, he throws up once at the beginning of his first game because he is out of shape. Last night, however, he threw up twice while we were there and reported being short of breath, having a racing heart and being just plain-old out of shape.

I gave him a shot of my albuterol inhaler, which seemed to have helped the shortness of breath.

While we were there, he has suggested that I dress warm so, I broke out my first pair of maternity pants - layering them with leggings underneath for warmth. I figured that they would be warmer than low-rise non-maternity blue jeans because they cover more. They were pretty comfortable actually so, I decided to wear them to school today.

OUCH!

Turns out, my belly is NO WHERE near big enough to hold the maternity pants into position so, I suffered from incredible chafing on my inner thighs when they kept creeping lower and lower.

Guess I need a bigger belly.... but all in due time!

Glad to hear that our doctor's appointment (one week from today) will almost definitely entail an ultrasound and fetal heartbeat, along with some lab tests. Getting pretty exciting....

New car needs baby seat

Went car shopping over the weekend and traded in our old car for a newer model.  It should be a great car for our growing family.

Now, all we'll need to officially make it a "family car" is a baby car seat.

Surprise! (and belly picture)

So, I was reading the message boards on the "What to Expect" website from others who are also due in May 2009. It seems that pregnant women get VERY FEISTY when it comes to ultrasounds. 

Despite our frustrations with our first ultrasound, the one with no paper in the printer and lack of a fetal heartbeat attempt, we remained polite. From the sounds of it, if you are pushy - you can almost assure that you will get what you want. (And if you show enough emotion, they will often offer to retry the ultrasound the following week.)

From my vantage point, I would prefer to be nice to those people because I am new to this whole pregnancy-thing and I think I would like to have them helping me to be as comfortable as possible, instead of seeking revenge on the hormonally-raged woman who turned into a P.I.T.A. (pain in the ____) at every appointment.

ANYWAYS... onto the ultrasound surprise idea that I thought was rather cute....

There was someone who said they were taking an envelope with them to their ultrasound so that the technician could write the sex of the baby down and place it into the sealed envelope. They plan to open the envelope in front of their family at Christmas so that they can all learn the sex together. (Of course, the baby has to cooperate for this idea to work.)

From the sounds of it - if you eat a huge piece of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting (or drink a large Coke) one hour before the appointment, the baby will be QUITE active and more likely to cooperate and less likely to be curled up sleeping. Although, it can be frustrating for the poor ultrasound technician to get appropriate measurements if the baby is too active. 

We'll see if the baby will cooperate at our appointment on December 11th.  At that time, we will be 15w/6d, which MAY still be too soon to tell.

Guess we'll have to wait and see what happens....

Today, baby is 13w/5d and THIS is what belly (and baby inside) looks like.

NOTE: This is NOT our actual baby... it is a photograph of what one would look like at 14 weeks.

When asked earlier this week if I had started to show yet, Mike replied "Well, it is hard to tell. It kind of looks like she eats too many cookies." In my defense, I almost NEVER eat cookies so, I'm afraid that THIS is what my baby belly looks like!

Baby ticker removed.... crazy, I tell you!

The baby ticker from the What to Expect website has been removed so, the blog no longer announces that we are 13 w/4 d pregnant. 

It seems that specific ticker has been doing some CRAZY things.... it kept gaining days. It had us almost to the end of the 13th week and today is only Tuesday. We wont be at 14 weeks until Friday!

So, I made an executive decision to get rid of the wacky widget. Now, you just see the Guard baby floating around. I will try to do a better job when I post on the blog to indicate where we are on the timeline since the visual part has been removed.

As far as the books go, I am not yet supposed to feel the baby yet. However, there have been a few times where I thought I felt a little something different, which I would honestly say did NOT feel like gas. Last night, for example, right after I had gone to bed, I had been laying in a position that was half side/half stomach and thought I felt a little something flutter.

Maybe....

I can't wait until it is strong enough for Mike to feel it when he puts his hands on my belly. That will be so cool for both of us to enjoy together.

According to the baby book, within the next few weeks, the baby can hear the sound of my voice. So, I am thinking that this will be one smart baby... it will know how to count to 30 and backwards since I feel like I am doing that more and more at school these days.

No school for the rest of the week. So, TODAY was Friday for me. We have off until Tuesday so, that is 6 full days to enjoy! Thankfully, of those 6 days, Mike will be with me for Thursday, Saturday and Monday [EDIT: Sunday off, not Monday] so THAT will be nice to spend some relaxing time off together.

Have to go tend to some naughty kitties right now... some people's kids, right?

EDITED: Found a new ticker gadget to track the progress of the pregnancy so, we'll try this new one for a while and hope that this one keeps better time.

Baby Name Game (Daddy vs. Grandpa)

Grandpa Lowell and Daddy Mike are having a great time emailing each other regarding the BABY NAME game. It seems that they are FULL of suggestions.

BACKLASH GUARD would have something to do with a fisherman's move if pro-fishing is in the baby's future.

POINT GUARD would be a good choice if we think the baby would grow up to like basketball. 

RIGHT GUARD had been suggested, but is owned by a deodorant/soap company.

LEFT GUARD had a nice ring to it, if the baby would like football.

COAST GUARD was one that would be memorable and has potential to make you especially proud (and probably somewhat nervous) as a parent. (From the sounds of it, this baby is getting pretty good at swimming.)

We are pretty darned sure that COLOR GUARD won't be applicable in the name pool; although, I suppose that if the baby was a fan of the band, but not good enough to be a cheerleader - it may still work.

The GUARD DOG (Bishop) is ironically pretty friendly so, perhaps names like these just don't work out as they are intended. So, maybe we're best to stick to the A-B-C list of baby names instead.

Getting closer to a baby name...

For the record, we are getting closer to picking out a baby name.

I made a list of names I like. (Mike has added a few.) Then, we went through the entire list and rated them by A, B and C for both boys and girls. 

For some reason, it seems that we have WAY MORE boys names picked out.

After we narrowed down the list to just A's and B's, I mentioned that we will need a middle name as well. (Mike was thinking we only had to agree on a first name so, he was trying to convince me that our baby does not NEED a middle name, but I really think it does.)

The A-list for boys has been narrowed down to 10 and B's are narrowed down to 13. (Truth be told, he still likes the name LINCOLN, but I keep reminding him that we can't steal that name from our expecting friend since that's what they plan to name their baby boy around Christmas.)

The A-list for girls has been narrowed down to 5 and the B-list to 4.

We have 3 uni-sex names that are on both lists.

As for that list.... sorry, think you'll have to wait a while. 

(Afterall, you know how Mike is with those "secret projects"....)

Want to know the names that did not make the grade?

Maxwell, Zachary, Jordan, Joshua, Joseph, Abraham, Adrian, Presley, Weston, Vincent, Emma, Abigail, Chloe, Zoe, Charlotte, Sierra, Hannah, Willow, Felicia and Emily

Executive decision: new doctor/appt scheduled

Upon further review, we have decided that we would like to look for a new doctor. 

It seems that everyone has an opinion on the medical profession and I had been hearing more and more that there are better doctors outside of this city. Yesterday, I had heard some things about my current doctor from the school nurse, who used to work at the clinic and witnessed first-hand the care in this town.

The school nurse, who recently had her third child, HIGHLY recommends using a midwife. She provided me with a list of midwives, doctors and a reputable OB/GYN in this town. She informed me that my current doctor is NOT qualified to call herself an OB/GYN, but strictly is family practice. (When we looked online on the Aetna insurance website, it confirmed that she truly is classified as Family Practice, despite the false advertising that we had received.)

The school guidance counselor, who is pregnant right now, HIGHLY recommends her OB/GYN in the next town over - about 14 miles away. She said that she had hopes of using a midwife for her first pregnancy, but ended up upgrading to a doctor and then again, to the OB/GYN. She wishes that she would have gone straight to the OB/GYN and asks herself "what was I thinking?".

So, one thing that we CAN agree upon is the fact that our doctor (while she seems to be a very nice person) does not feel like a "good fit" for us. When we see her, we feel as if we are there so that she can practice medicine and we did not get the feeling that she was at all there to see us. 

Having read a good portion of the "What to Expect when Expecting" book, I was confused how people can switch around to find just the right doctor. I feel a little bad running out on her, but in the same respect, this is our first child and however routine it may be for her, we want this to feel special for us. 

I did not want to be a pain-in-the-butt who jumps from doctor-to-doctor. I explained to Mike that if I go to the Mexican restaurant and order "the combination platter", I don't want to be the pain-in-the-butt who tries to substitute everything in that combination platter to make my own combination; I like to be the non-picky person who can order off the menu as-is. He corrected me by saying "Yes, but if the food is not good at that Mexican restaurant, you don't have to go back there to eat."  (Like my indecision when picking off the menu in a restaurant, I still remain rather indecisive in this matter. Let it be known that I had a difficult time deciding between a midwife and an OB/GYN.... but Mike reminds me that "at least you easily decided that we should find a new doctor".) I guess I should be proud of those "baby steps".

When I called this afternoon to see if the nearby OB/GYN is taking new patients, the nurse was SO NICE! I explained that we had an initial confirmed pregnancy at 4wk/4d and that we had our first appointment, after waiting the suggested 5 weeks (9wk/5d) in order to hear the heartbeat and then we were not given that opportunity at all.

She asked "So you have not yet heard your baby's heartbeat?"

"Nope. Just an ultrasound with a machine that was reportedly out of paper and not refillable."

"Well, that just isn't right. You need to hear the heartbeat of your baby!" she said.

She suggested that in the coming weeks, we gather medical records and lab results. The new doctor's office was going to send out a new patient info packet. Then, she suggested that if possible, we should try to come in ASAP during the 15-18 week window because that is when the 'quad screen' is completed. 

For an initial appointment, there are specific slots allotted; however, none of these worked with both of our work schedules and Mike wants to attend the appointments very much as well. They were SO accommodating to sneak us in on a day/time when they don't normally do it, but told us that they would work around it to make it work for us. (We might have been able to pull a string to get in on the morning of Monday, December 1st because there is no school that day, but Mike can't be late for the weekly Monday meeting so, we played it safe and went for a later date.)

After talking with them on the telephone, I felt a sense of relief and am looking forward to our first appointment with our new OB/GYN on Thursday, December 11 - which will be here before we know it! (Guess the baby news will be a slightly late birthday present for Grandpa Guard 12/9 and Grandma Olson 12/10!) We're hoping to record the heartbeat, at least, so we have something EXCITING to post on our BabyBlog.

13 weeks felt pretty good. Hard to imagine that we are 1/3 of the way done already.

Time sure flies when you're having fun.... check back on the "fun factor" in the 8th month, right?

Baby needs a bedtime snack and some sleep. (Sore back, for some reason, caused a rather restless night for me last night so, I am looking forward to a good night of sleep tonight.)

Time to go count some sheep...   Zzzzz  Zzzzzz Zzzzzzz!

...that's when Daddy says "Oh no!"

Last night Mike was doing a little pregnancy homework online. I think he was having a good time. That is, until he read the words "entering into the second trimester, expect an increase in energy and libido" – to which he replied "Oh no!"

Poor guy... you feel really, REALLY sorry for him, don't you?

He happened to find a website that had 3D models of what your baby looks like each step of the way. When he found that 3D one, he was really wishing he had the special 3D glasses to get the full effect.

We also looked at baby names online last night. We were looking into our family trees to see if there is something that sticks out for us. So far, we managed to cross a few names off of the potential list and added a few more on. 

Tomorrow is 13 full weeks! Thankfully, we've gots of time to figure it all out yet...

Counting down the last of the first trimester

We are now counting down the last few days of the first trimester. Amazing how quickly it went by. On Friday 11/21, we will officially be 13 full weeks - with Saturday 11/22 entering into the second trimester.

Pregnancy-wise, I have been feeling pretty darned good for the past two weeks. Then, on this past Thursday, I had to break out the snacks in the afternoon because I was getting sick to my stomach. (Thought I had already declared myself done with morning sickness a few weeks prior.) Turned out, I had to snack quite frequently over the weekend.

Friday morning, I woke early because I was STARVING! Got up to eat the rest of my leftover veggie calzone and take my vitamin. However, a short while later, I was feeling rather sick to my stomach and was not finding "just the right quick snack". Ended up having to run to the bathroom to hurl... MULTIPLE TIMES 'til the old tank was empty again.

So, that plan to take my vitamin early in the day and cure my hunger kind of back-fired on me... afterwards, I was left hungry once again and had to re-take my vitamin. (By then, mom was awake and she made me something to eat. I have SUCH a great mom!)

While visiting my hometown, went shopping at Kohl's and took advantage of a great 50% off sale on bras. Needed to upgrade my size quite badly for quite a while now. (I'd like to report that my new bra is SO COMFORTABLE and Mike really likes how large they are growing.)

It has been a long day of traveling so I prefer not to sit any longer. Instead, I think it is time for bed. May as well get off of my back side and enjoy sleeping on my stomach. Afterall, time is running out...

Almost 12 weeks

Just wanted to report that we are just a few short days away from reaching 12 full weeks.

At 12 weeks, baby will be about 2.5" long and the size of a large plum.

GET THIS.... within the past 3 weeks, baby has more than doubled in size!

Poor baby must be moving and shaking with all of my excess coughing these past few days. (My friend who is a physician's assistant has scolded me for not calling the doctor yet for my cold, but I figure that colds last a week. Perhaps, I will think about calling within the next day or two if I am not feeling better.) Daddy reports that the bed is "lonely" with me sleeping on the couch or in the recliner (for relief).

Truth be told, I miss him, too!

• • • • • 

Looking forward to celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday and being with family and friends. (Hope my cough wont keep everyone in the house awake.)

So much for getting weekend work done

So much for getting weekend work done. 

Those cold symptoms got the best of me over the weekend. What started out as sneezing on Friday turned to feeling rather crappy on Saturday. In fact, I never made it out of the house on Saturday. Who knew that on Sunday, I would feel SO MUCH WORSE!

Sunday morning consisted of a morning cat-nap for about 30 minutes. Then, around the lunch hour, I took hubby lunch and ventured to the grocery store. After putting the groceries away, I was wiped out so, I curled up with my red, Polartec blanket in the recliner and woke up 2.5 hours later with not one, but TWO cats in my lap. (We were SO WARM and SNUGGLY!)

Broke down Friday night and used my inhaler for the first time. Being pregnant and all, I didn't want to use it unless I had to, but my old hometown pharmacist told me that it is fine, especially if I use it sparingly. So, I broke down and used that on Friday night... HOLY COW, I felt like a million bucks after that! My pesky cough was gone for QUITE a while after that. It was nice.

Today, I went to work. I had planned to give these germs back to the kids with hopes that they will keep them to themselves for the rest of the season. (I had hoped to be healthy enough for a flu shot within the next week or two.)

I guess that I am fortunate to spend 2.25 hour each day on the playground. That gives me that much more exposure to clean, fresh air. (If only the cold air didn't make me cough so much!)

Forgot my inhaler at school tonight so I ran back to get it just before they locked up for the night. Quick thinking on my part! Think I will go have some orange juice now.... and LOTS more fluids.

As far as my laundry pile and dish duties, it is a good thing I have such a wonderfully understanding husband throughout this week's sickness vs pregnancy melt-down.

Now, about that orange juice...

Wacky widget while waiting for movement

For the last few days, I have noticed that I have a wacky widget on my blog. 

It appears that the countdown widget from the "What to Expect" website has a mathematical flaw in it all of a sudden. I even went back and entered our due date (May 29, 2009) and tried to get a new one, but for some reason, the clock is rushing.... that particular widget has changed by a day. So, the black widget with the baby floating around IS the correct one. (I might just remove that wacky widget if it does not correct itself over time.)

Today, we are 11 weeks and 1 day pregnant. We forgot to pose for our belly shot this morning before Mike went to work. (Guess we'll have to do that one tomorrow morning before he leaves for work.)

It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving weekend, we'll be in the 2nd trimester already. (We've got so much to be thankful for... mostly for having each other.) By the end of November, the baby will be able to clench its fist, wiggle its fingers and toes, as well as suck its thumb. It will be moving almost constantly (according to my book), which is sad that I still will not feel any of that for nearly another month. Between Christmas and New Year's, I should be feeling movement, which should be very, VERY cool. 

Today's agenda includes: getting rid of my headache and sinus pressure, putting away yesterday's clean laundry, as well as a trip to the grocery store and a special dinner delivery to Mike later this afternoon. I also think that it 'tis the season to dig out my space heater from the garage so that it is toasty in my office so I can work on my online scrapbooking class homework and maybe making some cards.

Week 11: Thumb's Up – Size Matters

Wondering how BIG the little "sweet pea" is getting this week? Inquiring what's going on inside this "belly'O mine"?

By Friday, when we officially hit 11 weeks, the baby will be about 2" long - roughly the size of a thumb - and will weigh 1/3 oz.

In recent weeks, the baby's hands have transformed from little webbed paddles to hands and feet with individual fingers and toes. On those individual little fingers and toes, nailbeds form this week and by the end of next week, nails will start to grow!

As the baby's diaphragm is forming, hiccups will become more and more common inside the womb. With so much growth and development, baby should be quite active - participating in stretches, somersaults and forward rolls. Other activities include swallowing and kicking. Sadly, BabyMama shouldn't be able to feel ANY of that yet.... not for at least 5 more weeks when baby will be considerably bigger.

Utterly fascinating, this truly is a MIRACLE OF LIFE.

ADVICE - in a pocket for a lifetime

Happened upon a "Blog of Note" that encourages you to WRITE FOR ONE MINUTE of each day. They provide a topic to provoke thought. Today's topic had to do with the election, but I am SO SICK of hearing all of that political jargon that I decided to read some of the past topics instead.

Here's one that I really liked (and will have a purpose to really do.... at the end of May 2009, that is.)

ADVICE: You have a child and are writing down one piece of advice that will be in his/her pocket for a lifetime. What does it say?

Hmmmm........

(MS) Keeping an eye on it

During the night on Saturday-into-Sunday, I woke up rather alarmed because I had lost sensation in my left leg. I had noticed it once or twice before (within the past week or so), but blew it off - thinking that I must have just been laying on it funny. However, this time, I was pretty darned sure that I had not been laying on it. Granted, my MS has been going so well that I had started to take for granted how lucky I was so, this was a great surprise and somewhat of a disappointment for me.

At this point, I notice it only when I am sleeping (or should I specify - laying down) so, I am not sure if it is the MS acting up - or if I somewhere have a pinched nerve that affects sensation only in my left thigh. (If I had to guess, I would venture that it IS related to the MS though.)

I can feel pressure of touch, but not sensation. Then, during the day, once I am up and moving again, it seems to go away for the most part. My strength and coordination remain good so, that is optimistic.

I have tried calling UW-Madison twice to talk to my neurology nurse, but have now been told that she is out on vacation this week. (Perhaps it would have been nice to tell me that the first time I called.) So, since it is not debilitating (just slightly scary that it has resurfaced in my life) I will try not worry too much. Perhaps, just the stress of pregnancy and my battle with another  cold sore was just enough blast to the immune system to freak things out for a little while.

So, now - we will just keep an eye on it and I'll try to continue to be a great home for this baby.

Swimming is over

I had joined an early morning water aerobics class in September and really enjoyed it. So, in October, I paid for another month. 

It is November now so, lessons are over.

Last night, Mike asked if I was going swimming anymore. I told him that I am done now because we are trying to save on excess spending.

He told me that it is good exercise for me and that they are running a great deal for me:

Buy One (BabyMama) get one FREE (fetus)

Gotta love him....

I'm thinking I will go back to my pilates DVD's instead. That is, if I can keep the cats out of the way long enough.

[Edited: After another disappointing weekend "belly-shot", the pilates would be good. It seems that we are still trying to perfect the "belly-shot" photos to show growth. However, I'm thinking that it is just making me look overly fat right now. We checked out some that were posted on the internet documenting growth and it appears that everyone really POPS out big at 18 weeks. Think we need a new system. One that we had observed had the BabyMama standing against a wall so you could really see the growth rate. Still working on it....]

Growing at leaps and bounds

Here's what www.Parenting.com shows the "baby" to look like at 10 weeks. (Starting to get pretty cute, isn't it?)

[EDITED: Mike read the Baby Blog and said "I don't know that I would call THAT cute yet...." so, in an attempt to clarify, we'll say that it is getting cute-ER. Hey, I think it is cute because at least it no longer looks like a seahorse!]

It is hard to believe that "baby" is now the size and shape of a cocktail shrimp when just a month ago, it was about the size of a sweat pea. THAT, in and of itself, is INCREDIBLE!

I was just reading that within the next week or two, "baby" will DOUBLE in size.

This truly is a MIRACLE of life.

Also, growing at leaps and bounds.... "the girls". 

Mike and I have already discussed that bra shopping is on the agenda for the weekend as "the girls" are testing the theory of "cups over-floweth" to the extreme these days. (He's liking that feature a lot.... afterall, boys will be boys!)

Now that we are 10 full weeks, we are also due to take another belly shot to monitor progress. Thankfully, the wide angle lens will not be needed for this shot....

For the record: weight gain under control (x+2.5)

For the record:

At my doctor's appointment five weeks ago, I weighed x.

At yesterday's appointment, I weighed x+2.5 pounds.

So, the 8 pounds I thought I had gained in the last 4 out of 5 weeks (from the health insurance screening) was incorrect. Guess it pays to weigh yourself on the same scale.

However, after being 5"9.75" (rounding up to 5'10") for all of my adult life (and much of my youth) they tried to tell me that I am only 5'9". When I requested a re-measure, she told me "OK, 5' 9.25"." (I really doubt I am shrinking..... has every other doctor's office all of these years REALLY measured me at the wrong height?)

I am told that I should shoot for only 20 pounds of pregnancy weight-gain. (I'm thinking that the extra 10 pounds I put on since our relocation doesn't count though since that was all pre-pregnancy.)

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Mike started to get the itch to look around for advancement opportunities, despite his one-year commitment not being up. There is an open position that he is interested in and is tempted to ask his boss about moving him along quicker than previously agreed upon. Mike thinks he will talk to the landlord first to see how bad we would be impacted by breaking our lease much earlier than expected.

Mike is thinking that it would kind of suck to pack our belongings again. (I reminded him that it will suck a lot LESS now than when I am more pregnant later.... to which he agreed.)

Guess we'll see what happens.... not sure if it would even be an option. (But the thought of living closer to home - YEP, that is pretty darned tempting!!!)

Disappointing doctor's appt: printer out of paper

We had our first appointment today with the doctor. Initially, upon confirmation of urine pregnancy test, we were told to come back in 4-5 weeks so, we picked 5 weeks to wait because the doctor had suggested that if we wait til then, we would be able to hear heartbeat.

Today, in the appointment, it turns out that she did not even offer to do the Doppler to hear the heartbeat because sometimes you can't hear it this early and she's afraid that too many people freak out needlessly over it. So, instead, she did an ultrasound.

Of course, Baby Mama was at a bad angle and couldn't see much. Doctor and Daddy both had optimal seats for viewing. (Well, actually, they were both standing, but still....)

When I sat up, saying "I want to see", I was quickly instructed to lay back down flat and to stop flexing my stomach muscles."

Mike did his best to ask for a printout on multiple occasions, but we were told that the printer was out of paper. When he asked if it was going to be refilled, he was shot down again. (So, sorry folks.... no visual confirmation to post on the blog YET.)

While the doctor was doing the ultrasound, the fetus (sweat pea turned prune) was moving slightly and it's heartbeat was visible. At the next ultrasound, 20 weeks, we're told we will see a whole lot more, as well as boy parts, if that's what it is....

Our next appointment is in 4 weeks. (We are on a 4-week rotation until 7 months; then, we switch to every other week and increase frequency from there.)

We did take home a goodie bag today with all kinds of information in it, as well as some free gifts from the formula company.

Our next appointment, they will take some measurements of the size of the uterus, etc - we're told.

Running on an empty tank.... need some sleep now. (Speaking of empty tank, gas dropped all the way down to $2.18/gallon today in town... hard to believe it was $3.40-something one month ago.)

Taking the prune to bed now.

Good night.

This (10th) week: Grape meet Prune

I have just determined that it is hard to blog with a cat in the lap. 

(Sounds a little Dr. Seuss-ish, doesn't it? Well, I have a cat in my lap... and it is, of course, the fat one so it is difficult for me to reach the keyboard around/over him. It was already more difficult because I have a new keyboard, which I am not yet used to.... it is micro-thin and strange-feeling to me yet, but I will probably get used to it in time.)

So, here's an update for the Baby Blog: Going into the 10th week

• My uterus used to be the size of a pear, but now should be the size of a grapefruit and growing larger throughout the month.

• My taste buds are doing funny things [must be from the hormonal surge(s) in my system] because there are foods that I normally love that I can't handle right now. For example, I tried a piece of dried kiwifruit and thought it felt like pure crystallized sugar in my mouth. Dried cranberries, one of my favorite healthy snacks, also tasted like pure sugar, while Mike insisted they tasted just fine to him. This morning, I had to stop eating a sliced apple because it tasted too sweet. Hmmm..... I've got days where nothing sounds good to me; however, McDonald's fish fillet and Papa Murphy's pizza seems to ALWAYS sound good, but I must control those particular cravings with extra willpower.

• The baby has recently graduated from embryo to fetus-status.

• This week, the baby grows from the size of a grape/medium green olive to the size of a prune, growing from 1" in length to 1.5".

• Tiny buds of baby teeth will form under the gums this week.

• It should be busy moving its little muscles, but those movements wont be felt by me [the baby-mama] for another month or so.... 

• Bones and cartilage are forming.... elbows will be working by the end of the week.

• The baby's stomach is producing digestive juices and its kidneys are producing larger volumes of urine this week.

• And IF it is a boy, it will begin producing testosterone. (We'll have to wait and see on that one for a while now. The Chinese lunar calendar that I messed with the other day is predicting a girl.)

Isn't this all just SO amazing? 

We are looking forward to our first doctor's appointment on Wednesday afternoon. We're hoping that the heartbeat will be heard by Doppler at that appointment. (It would be nice to see something on ultrasound, as well, but we weren't promised that yet...) It will be interesting to see how regularly we will go in for appointments. As of right now, it is SO GREAT that Mike is equally excited for the appointments. We are just SO DARNED EXCITED!

Better run... getting hungry (again). Mmmm, leftover Papa Murphy's pizza is in the fridge (and is calling my name, I'm afraid..... )

So much for will-power, eh?

Uh, Oh... 8 pounds in 4 weeks! YIKES!

Had a physical at our home yesterday in order to qualify for life insurance.... was a little disappointed to discover that since my doctor's appointment 4 weeks ago, I have gained 8 pounds! Granted, it was not the same scale used, but still.....

What's a pregnant girl to do?

It seems like I am snacking all the time in an attempt to fend off morning sickness, which let me tell you - does NOT stick to just mornings! Speaking of which, yesterday was the first day that I actually threw up -- as in the past, I've just heaved and managed to talk myself out of hurling. My snacks usually consist of a few pieces of cereal (Quaker Oat Squares have become a new favorite of mine) and some water. Really, I have been eating healthy. Granted, there is ALWAYS room for improvement - a chance to add more fruits and vegetables, but for the most part has been healthy.

I'm starting to feel like those 8 extra pounds have found a home in my bra.... or should I say starting to hang out of my bra. It really is amazing how "the girls" grow so much bigger, so fast - when realistically, they wont be needed for MONTHS!

We remain excited for our first real appointment next week. We are hoping for a strong heartbeat and a healthy baby.

I am currently out of work due to a parvovirus that is circulating at the school where I work. I had labwork done on Monday morning to see if I am immune to it, but the results will not be back for a week they said. So, we are playing it safe (or should I say SAFER) at home; although, I had been exposed to Fifths Disease prior to when I had been notified since by the time the child presented with a rash, they were no longer contagious and I had been exposed for an incubation period of 4-21 days. Needless to say, we are hoping that everything is OK with the baby. With the threat of cold weather coming, I wouldn't be completely heartbroken if I don't return.... 2.5 hours of playground supervision in these cold Minnesota winters doesn't sound all that fun. Although, it sounds like I will soon be warmed from the inside.

With my 8 pounds of weight gain and my recent freedom from work, I think I will go for a walk before it rains. It has been a dark and overcast day all day so far so, I should stay close since the forecast sounds cold and rainy for the next few days.

SO, BABY.... let's go for a walk!

8 weeks today!

Hard to believe that I am now 8 weeks pregnant! Even harder to believe that I have neglected posting on my blog(s) for this long now.

Truth be told, I have visited my Journey of Life blog almost daily... especially since placing the pregnancy tracker widgets on the blog. I like to watch the baby float around and see how much cuter it gets each week.

A friend of mine, who is due around Christmas, told me about some free pregnancy magazines, as well as some great websites for watching the progression of a pregnancy. Let me tell you that the widget makes it look MUCH CUTER than the real life photograph at this point! In real life, the baby had more seahorse qualities and was not smoothed out like the widget graphic. (Guess that is only fitting since it will be swimming around for quite a while....)

When it was the size of a sweat-pea, we liked to call it that. Now, "sweat-pea" just kind of stuck because it sounds cute.... I'm sure it WILL be quite cute!

Mr. Right and I look at the widget trackers often. It is a great reference to know exactly how far along we are. (I also find it SO DARNED CUTE how he's looking online to see what is going on with my body, as well as the baby...)

We are just SO DARNED EXCITED! Looking forward to our first major appointment with the OB/GYN near the end of this month. We're hoping to hear heartbeat, as well as a sneak peak of what is making my breasts grow and stomach under the weather.

Mr. Right started telling people that I am far enough along to be sick to my stomach and emotional. (Personally, I think the EMOTIONAL-part is an over-reaction.... that may get sympathy on his end.) Will be glad to get out of the food adversion-phase of pregnancy! Afterall, I am SO used to eating anything and everything, but now... just not in the mood for much of anything.... just eating for survival these past two weeks, I suppose.

It will be SO COOL to see what is brewing inside, as well as start to feel "pregnant". Think I have 10 more weeks to go before I will "feel" movement, but HOW COOL WILL THAT BE?

My mom was telling me that she met with a bunch of ladies that she graduated from high school with this past week. She was talking about one woman who currently has a 2-year-old grandchild... with twins from one child and a single birth from the other child - all due before Christmas! (Mom also said that she was excited to be able to share the SHE, too, will be a grandmother!) I told mom that we were glad that we could "take one for the team" for her to participate in grandmotherhood. With a new computer and webcam on the way, mom is excited to be able to see 1) her own baby girl - ME, 2) her grand-kittens in my lap while I blog and 3) my ever-changing shape through pregnancy. She's also pretty excited to someday be able to see her grandchildren via webcam (in case we live too far away).



Thinking about doing a 365 project (photos, journaling or blogging), as inspired from graphic design great Ali Edwards website. Just wondering what is a good day to start it.... or if I am trying to tackle too much.

"Did you pee on the stick yet?"

So, here's the deal: Mr. Right kept teasing me each day "Did you pee on the stick yet?" He had started betting people that I would pee on it by Saturday morning because I don't like surprises.

Well, the directions for the test indicate that it isn't 100% accurate PRIOR to your period, but we gave it a shot and this is what it said:


Looks like we'll be busy at the end of May.

Having fun trying

OK, so we had officially entered the "Have Fun Trying" phase of life within the recent past.

And now?

Now we wait out my ridiculously long cycle to see if any MAGIC happened.....

Why wait? he says

posted 9/2/08

Mr. Right and I were having the BABY conversation earlier today.

He still watches our finances closely so, I was not sure how soon he wants to actively pursue this baby-making hobby. (I had been unemployed for all of July and all of August due to our relocation, which was not helping the bank account grow; although, I just started my job in our new community officially today so, paychecks should start flowing in within the next few weeks again.)

I do not want to pressure him into meeting any kind of deadlines or schedules with family planning.

So, I thought it was pretty cute when he announced "OH, I DO WANT A BABY."

I asked of him "how soon?" to which he replied without hesitation "Well, Now." He went on to say "I see no reason to wait since we're not getting any younger."


I believe this is what you call the HAVE FUN TRYING phase. (Bring on the fun, right?)

And so, with that, I guess we will have to pay special attention to our window of fertility to improve our chances of success. Still think it is rather fitting that the window of opportunity falls over GRANDPARENT'S Day... starting to think THAT is a sign!

Not trying to prevent it

Mr. Right hears chatter at work and wants to know "how come you're either ON birth control or else you're trying?"

He doesn't like to come right out to say that we are trying. He explains: We are no longer taking preventative measures to stop it from happening.

While being on birth control for the better part of half of my life, we are still trying to figure out my body's schedule and learning how to work with it. From what we've read, the average is 6 months of trying before successful pregnancy. (Nothing like having fun trying, right?)

Our next window of fertility happens to fall on Grandparent's Day. That would be pretty cool to be able to tell my parents that they will be grandparents for the first time and that it MAGICALLY happened on Grandparent's Day..... I guess only time will tell!

TRUE: books have not been my forté as of late

So, a few months ago I saw a segment on the TODAY show where they were announcing a new edition of a popular book. I made mental note of it because it did not pertain to me at the time so, it has been stored in the back of my memory bank.

Now that I am at a point where I can start to think about this, I dug into the memory bank for more information. In my recent free time, I had researched a little bit to see how much I could purchase this book for and found that Wal-Mart has the best price ($12.64) so, I informed Mr. Right that I had purchased us a new book on a hobby that we hope to partake in.

"New hobby?" he asked.

"Yep. New hobby." I replied.

He inquired why I did not check it out from the library so, I informed him that we would most likely want to keep the book on this new hobby for a reference.

"I hope BABY MAKING is the new hobby." he said.

Mr. Right reminded me that I have not been the greatest at reading books lately. I asked him what he meant. He reminded me that HE was the one who read books on owning a bed & breakfast when the idea had popped into my head, as well as the books we had checked out from the library on how to write a prenuptial agreement that he mostly read. On television, I had been inspired by THE LAST LECTURE series and ordered that book when it was published. It was Mr. Right who read almost the entire book, while I had only made it through the first third of the book.

OK Mr. Right... YOU WIN! You've got me there!

So then, Mr. Right asked me "What makes you think that YOU will actually read more of this book than I will?"

My response: "Yeah, well this one will pertain to ME much moreso than you since my body will be highly involved in this new hobby."



So, I state at this time (for the record) that WE ARE NOT YET EXPECTING, but are starting to research pre-pregnancy information so that we are ready when the time is right!

Guess I'd better read up on this one.

Welcome to my Journey of Life

1. Find Mr. Right
2. Fall in love
3. Marry the one you love
4. Discuss family planning with Mr. Right as well as with OB/GYN
   
5. Go off of birth control (However, let it be known that NuvaRing is THE greatest invention in the entire world!)
   
6. Go on prenatal vitamins
7. Take care of your body to make it into the best baby-making machine.
8. Wait for the right time... you'll know when you're ready.

OK, so I have found Mr. Right and he is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! I can't believe I had to wait until I was in my 30's to find him! (Better late than never though... isn't that what they say?) So, life is good.... VERY GOOD!

Off of the checklist, I am currently working on numbers 6 and 7. A friend of mine (Heather), who recently had a BABY BOY, forewarned me that prenatal vitamins cause some SERIOUS constipation so, I am fearful of that. I am trying to make sure that I drink plenty of fluids and eat LOTS of pumpkin seeds. (The pumpkin seeds had been a great addition to my diet prior to talks of any family planning so, I thought I would continue moving things along with that extra fiber in my diet.)

At my regularly scheduled OB/GYN appointment, I had mentioned an upcoming wedding and plans to start a family. I had been given a prescription for prenatal vitamins and was told to continue living my healthy lifestyle. I was informed to remain hormone-free (without birth control) for one month before getting pregnant and that the average timeframe to get pregnant is six months. (Longer timeframe with higher age, I'm told.)

I've started looking online at various sources for pre-pregnancy tips & tidbits. Sounds like I don't have too much of a change in lifestyle ahead of me in order to transform this body into a baby-making machine. So, we'll see how it goes.... looks like TIMING is a crucial role in most of this.

I am currently just a few days into this pre-pregnancy preparation. We'll see how it goes....