Wednesday, December 31, 2008

We are officially registered!

Last night we went to Burlington Coat Factory/Baby Depot and finished our registry. It took us about an hour to find everything we wanted. When we took the gun back to the registration desk, it wouldn't download the information to the computer. So then I spent 15 more minutes running around with the sales clerk trying to remember everything we had registered for. By the time we got back to the desk our original list had downloaded. I was really glad because we had 33 items the 1st time and I only remembered about 20 of them.

Also, we lucked out and found that our bedding set was on sale 30% off so we decided to go ahead and buy it! $100 seems like a lot for a baby comforter that will never get used, but I really wanted it and I'm glad we got it. In case you don't remember, here is a picture of the set we chose.


This picture eerily resembles what our nursery is going to look like. The color of the crib is the same, the walls are almost the same blue, the trim will be white, and the floor is hardwood.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

He's going to be a great dad!

For Christmas this year, Rod and I bought our Little Brother a remote control Hummer. I wasn't convinced, but Rod was sure he would love it. Boy did he ever! When we gave it to him, he was jumping up and down saying "no way!".
Rod thought it would be fun to use his little sports car to race Blake's Hummer. It was only 17 degrees out, so I thought we would have to wait until our next visit to be able for them to actually play with their cars.


Well, I was wrong again. Rod used his brilliantly creative mind to come up with a great solution. We drove to the local community college and parked in an empty parking lot. We left the SUV running while they opened the back and sat inside the trunk. It worked great! They were able to stay warm while still racing their cars. We spent at least 45 minutes there before the batteries gave in to the cold weather.
I just know our son is going to have a fun childhood filled with lots of crazy adventures planned by his dad! :)

Monday, December 22, 2008

Happy Early Christmas to ME!

Guess what I got as an early present? 12 weeks of a special diet and sticking my finger every day. Yep...I have gestational diabetes.

I am disappointed but not surprised. Based on my first blood test, I knew the levels were pretty high but of course I was hoping that was just a fluke. The doctor called me yesterday to say that two of the tests showed that I was over the limit and the 3rd was right on the line. The next step is for me to see an Endocrinologist to learn how to test my blood every day and to talk about ways to control my sugar levels with diet.

From reading online, I know the GD diet is similar to a typical diabetic diet. The idea is to keep carb intake low. Unfortunately, the difference with GD is that I will not be able to have "sugar free" stuff because it often contains aspartame or other ingredients that are not proven safe in pregnancy. Between the GD diet, what I can eat that doesn't cause me heartburn, and being a vegetarian, I'm going to have to be very creative in thinking about what foods I can actually eat over the next 12 weeks.

At first I was feeling really bad like I had done something wrong. My loving husband did some research for me to find out that the casue of GD is actually a hormone the placenta makes that blocks the effects of insulin in my body. The major problem it can cause to the baby if left untreated is "macrosomia" which basically means that baby will be fat. Big babies can have trouble during the birthing process which lead to shoulder injuries. Because the baby's pancreas tries to help out and make extra insulin, it can also cause the baby to have low glucose levels at birth causing breathing problems.

Obviously, I'm willing to do whatever I need to do to keep the baby safe. But I sure am going to miss my buddy carb!

Saturday, December 20, 2008

I finally got around to uploading some pictures...

On Saturday evening 12/6 Rod was home for the first time that whole weekend. Because he was feeling slightly guilty for being so busy, he said he wanted to spend the evening doing whatever I wanted to do. I had been asking him to go with me to Target so we could start our registry and prior to this date he kept thinking of reasons not to go. But he couldn't get out of it this time! He actually ended up enjoying the process (partly because of the cool little scanning gun they give you) and said he didn't know why he had been dreading it. We still have to register at Burlington Coat Factory, but I still have to figure out how I am going to guilt him into that one!


Last weekend we completed one of our family Christmas traditions (decorating the tree at Mom's house). Rod took this picture of me and my sisters in front of the finished tree.


One evening last week I was sitting in the computer chair when Smeagol jumped up on my lap. He sat in this position listening to the baby for a long time. We thought it was cute and had to share this picture with you despite all the junk in the background.
Thanks for looking! :)

Friday, December 19, 2008

Thanks for the positive thoughts!

I had my glucose tolerance test this morning and it wasn't quite as bad as I imagined thanks to your support.

Last night I ate a snack before bed in an attempt to keep from being so hungry this morning. Unfortunately, I tend to have weird dreams if I eat right before bed. All night I had dreams about how horrible the test was going to be. At one point I dreamt that they sewed my eyelids shut before drawing my blood so I wouldn't see what they were doing! It was nasty because I could feel the needle and thread going through my eyeball. Ew!!!

Thankfully it wasn't as bad as my dreams. They had to draw my blood a total of 4 times. The first lady was great and it didn't hurt at all. The second lady hurt me a LOT by digging around trying to find my vein. The third time it was drawn by the first lady and didn't hurt at all. The last time was the guy who drew my blood last week. He kept feeling my arm trying to find a vein. When it became obvious he didn't feel confident in finding one, I asked him to have someone else to do it. I felt bad, like I was telling him he didn't know how to do his job. However, it wasn't worth having him probe around my arm looking for a vein. He got another lady to do it and she was great. Hopefully I will only end up with one bad bruise out of the ordeal.

15 hours is a long time for a pregnant lady to go without food. So, as soon as I left the lab I went to my favorite little coffee shop where I bought two sandwiches and a decaf white mocha. I still feel like I could eat an entire Christmas dinner by myself, though.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Waiting Game


Brooke is such a trooper. If I had a little baby all stuffed up inside me I would go nuts! Not because it is weird but because I would be so anxious to get the thing unwrapped. I can't even make it until Christmas without giving away gifts or opening ones that are waiting under the tree. This whole waiting 9 months is getting tough :( However, on the bright side, Brooke and I need the 9 months to come to an agreement on a name. The trouble with us first borns is that we are both stubborn and strive for perfection. I am no help in the process because when I hit a road block I start offering up crazy suggestions like Chandler MacGyver Cruise, or Joey Magnum. With names like these our child will grow up to be either a comedic scientologist bent on using everyday household items to solve life's mysteries, or an underpaid soap star who mooches off a rich man's estate in Hawaii. We better make some progress soon, the waiting game is almost over :)

Saturday, December 13, 2008

It's coming along!

During Rod's Thanksgiving break he started working on the nursery (I can't remember if I already mentioned that or not). Anyway, the room was filled with a lot of junk so he spent several hours getting everything out of there. Then he went to Lowe's and got paint matched to the bedding set we picked out.

This picture shows the first coat of paint...looks pretty good, doesn't it?



Sometime during the 8 hours I was at work that day, he decided to tear the carpeting out. Here is a picture of the floors after the carpet was removed. Hopefully over Christmas break he will put the other coat of paint on the walls and clean up the floors.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

They're getting a little too needle happy!


Yesterday was my 1 hour glucose screening. The results were already back to my doctor today. It's amazing how quickly results come when you don't want to know the answer. Back in Octiober when I needed to know if I had whooping cough or not it took over a week to get my results back.

Anyway, the cutoff for the glucose level is 140 and mine was 172 which means I have to go back for the lovely 3 hour test where they draw my blood five times. I'm REALLY not looking forward to that because they can only find the vein on my right arm and yesterday it "ran away" from them so I was left with a big bruise.

At least my arm will be decorated with pretty colors for Christmas. :)

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Like a kick in the head

Have you ever heard the phrase " I need it like a kick in the head "? Well the other day, after many many months of attempts, I was able to feel the little baby move. I was listening intently, with my ear pressed to my wife's mammoth belly, when suddenly I received a swift kick to the temple. Now under normal circustances I might be a bit offended. But in this instance I thought it was pretty cool. Apparently the little one didn't realize that there is a whole world outside just waiting for his pent up curiosity. I look forward to the day when he gets out. We have so much to do together :)

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

We need your name suggestions!

OK, so we have had 3 different names picked that that we really liked. Unfortunately, none of those are going to work out.

We would love to hear your suggestions. Maybe you had a name picked out that you planned to use but your husband vetoed it, or perhaps you had all girls and never got to use your boy name. Any ideas you could share would be greatly appreciated!

We will be keeping the final choice as a surprise for when he is born, so I won't be able to announce our decision until then. But, all the names you suggest will definitely be entered in the running for Baby Boy Kerbs.

THANKS!

Saturday, November 29, 2008

24 weeks

On Thanksgiving Lindsey and I FINALLY got a picture taken together. We were 24 weeks along here.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

I'm thankful for...

...so many things. I don't have the time to type them all out here. But, I will give you my top 10 in no particular order.

1) My husband. He's a great guy and I'm lucky to have him. I am especially glad that he still likes me after almost 15 years! I know he is going to be a wonderful daddy, it's going to be so much fun watching him fill that new role.

2) My family. I can't name every one of them. But, I will say that I love 'em all despite their quirks!

3) My baby. Although he is LAZY, I still love him and cannot wait to meet him and kiss his little cheeks. I do wish he would move around more. Every day I feel flutters, but no major kicks or jabs yet. I know I will be wishing for some peace a little later in the pregnancy, I just get frustrated when I can feel him wiggle around but Rod still can't really feel him from the outside.

4) My cats. I know I'm thankful for them. Right now I can't remember why. Beasley just put a hole in my leg with his claws, Smeagol keeps walking in front of the computer screen, and Precious is trying to devour a plastic bag.

5) My home. For those of you who haven't been in our house, small doesn't even begin to describe it. The rooms are TINY. We still have a lot of remodeling stuff to do to it. But, in the field I work in I have become acutely aware of how quickly people are losing their homes in this economy. I am thankful that I have a place to live and Rod and I can call it our own.

6) My friends. They are spread out across the country, but I take comfort in knowing that they are here for me.

7) My job. I have a terrific boss and wonderful coworkers. I have also met some great friends through my job. Another bonus is that I love the work I do!

8) The holiday season. I love everything about it.

9) The internet. Because many of my friends live in it. I also enjoy having the world at my fingertips anytime day or night.

10) The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade that starts...right now!!!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

The Big, Bold, and Beautiful Bowler

Well, maybe not beautiful. But, I'm definitely big and I went bowling last night which was pretty bold!
It was cold and rainy (hence the hairdo). So, we thought we would take Blake to play some duckpin bowling. It was a lot of fun even though Rod won by a landslide. I wasn't too concerned about knocking the pins down. Everytime I approached the line all that went through my head was, "don't hurt yourself!". Although I never scored more than 70 in a round, I can say it was a successful trip because I did not get injured!

Friday, November 21, 2008

Thank you Lenny and Cherie!!!

We have these awesome friends who live in New Hampshire. They have 4 kids, the older two are sweet teenage girls and the youngest two are adorable little boys. Gabriel is almost 3 and he is a little genius. Lenny and Cherie have been telling us hilarious stories about him to "prepare" us for having a boy! Nathan is their youngest. He is 9 months old and just as sweet as can be. Nathan is calm and quiet but he is constantly soaking in all the information his little brain can hold.

Anyway, since they are *definitely* done having kids now, they so kindly packaged up many of their baby clothes, blankets, and other supplies for us. They arrived this week and I was like a kid at Christmas digging through the box to see all the goodies! Seriously, there must have been 30+ outfits, a bumbo seat (YAY!), a daddy vest, several blankets, a couple of bibs, and a whole package of newborn diapers. We are so thankful for the baby gifts and even more thankful for our friends. :)

This is a picture from our trip to visit Lenny, Cherie, and their family in June. It was our first time meeting Nathan.

Gabriel thought Rod and I were cool because we brought him chocolate donuts! Even though he hadn't seen us in a year, he was not shy at all!

This is one of my favorite outfits that arrived in our gift box.

I was attempting to take a picture of all the goodies they sent, but our 3 cats would NOT stay out of my way. This gives you a good idea of some of the things that were in there. I bet this picture doesn't even show 1/3 of the outfits they sent. Boy did they spoil us!
Thanks again you guys!!!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

New Post

I wrote a new post, but it is showing up like I wrote it before the previous post. Scroll down to read it, the title is "Surprise!".

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Yowsers!

Remember my wrist pain? Today I saw the doctor about that. He said I have deQuervain's tendinitis and carpel tunnel. I'm not convinced about the carpel tunnel diagnosis. He got that from my statement about my arms going numb at night. But, that only happens when I'm laying on my side and the arm I'm laying on falls asleep sometimes. I do not have numbness or tingling except when my arm falls asleep at night. He gave me some braces to wear at night just in case it is carpel tunnel.

To treat the tendinitis, he gave me a cortisone injection. The pain is so sharp in one place on my wrist that even when the doctor gently touched it, I jumped. Imagine a needle digging into that sensitive spot for 30 seconds. That hurt! Hopefully it will make my wrist feel better, he said I should feel a big improvement by tomorrow. Unfortunately, he also said that it will feel much worse for the remainder of today. I have to ice it and keep it elevated until I go to bed.

Have you ever had a cortisone injection? Did it hurt? Other people in my office have gotten them and they say it didn't hurt at all.

Surprise!

I don't think I have shared these pictures here yet. Some of you may have seen them in other places, but I thought they would be fun to share here.

This is the picture I took immediately after seeing "pregnant" on the test. I told Rod about the pregnancy by making him scroll through a bunch of cat pictures then he came upon this one!
This is the picture I took of Rod as he was jumping all over the kitchen after I told him!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Pictures galore!

I just uploaded a few pictures that I wanted to share.

This one is Rod trying to hear the baby move with a stethoscope. It didn't work, but I thought it was cute that he tried!

This is me modeling some of my birthday presents on Sunday. Rod took me to Cracker Barrel for breakfast then we went to the outlets where I got a new purse, a COMFY pair of shoes, and this maternity sweater. He also bought me a pair of yoga pants and another sweater.

Mom and Lindsey went with me to Johns Hopkins. This is a pic Lindsey took of me and Mom while waiting for the doctor to come tell us everything looked great!

We lucked out in getting a few more pictures of our baby boy. This is the only one that is semi-cute. Most of the profile shots were distorted. They also gave us some pictures from the front of his face, but they look like pictures of a CREEPY skeleton!

Monday, November 10, 2008

Johns Hopkins

Today Lindsey, Mom, and I made the trek down to Johns Hopkins for the fetal echo cardiogram. The traffic was much lighter than I expected, so that took my anxiety down a notch. We decided to do valet parking rather than trying to find a place to park in the parking garage (most of them had "full" signs out front). So, we made it to the appointment with time to spare!

The ultrasound technician was able to see all 4 chambers of the baby's heart. She looked at the vessels going into the heart and even listened to each valve. It was quite impressive how she could see all the intricacies of his heart. After she got the pictures she needed to evaluate the heart, she took a look around at the rest of the baby. We confirmed that he definitely is a boy! We also got to see his hands, feet, face, and spine again. They gave us a couple more pictures, but they aren't as good as the first set we got.

Anyway, at the end of the visit the doctor came in and told us that his heart looks fine. That's the good news we were hoping for! :)

Mom, Lindsey, and I made a stop at the Cheesecake Factory for lunch on our way home. Let me just say that if you have never tried a piece of Godiva cheesecake, you are missing out on the best dessert on earth!

Friday, November 7, 2008

Doctors, doctors, and more doctors.

I think I've spent more time in doctors offices over the past 21 weeks than I have in the past 21 years! Yesterday I saw a different OB in my doctor's office. He was so nice and answered all of my questions as if he had nothing else to do that day. I am relieved because I have now met all the doctors in that practice and they are all great. This means I don't have to worry who is on call when I go into labor.

One of the questions I had for the doctor yesterday was about a sharp pain on the side of my wrist. Pregnant women often get carpel tunnel, but I know that's not what I am feeling. He said it is likely a pinched nerve (which is what I had guessed) and wrote me an order to see an orthopedist (sp?) in town. Normally I would just hope the pain goes away, but it is pretty severe at times and I'm afraid of permanent nerve damage if it is a pinched nerve. Besides that, last night I was trying to pick up my little nephew and it was causing my wrist a lot of pain. I need to get this taken care of before I'm trying to lift a baby multiple times every day.

So, Monday is the testing at Johns Hopkins and Thursday is the hand doctor. Let's see...maybe I should try to tour the offices of some other doctors. What should I try next? :)

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Nursery decor

Since Kimmy asked about nursery colors yesterday, I thought I would share our pick with you today.

I need your honest opinions about it, so please share! First, even though I picked it out months ago (from Burlington Coat Factory), I just found out that it is available through Babies R Us, Target, and Walmart. So, I'm wondering if you've seen it used before...is it too popular?

My second question is what color(s) would you paint the room? Our crib and changing table are a light oak color. The trim and doors are white. The room has 3 windows in it, so it is pretty bright.
Isn't this mobile too cute? I think the mobile is what sold Rod on this set.



Monday, November 3, 2008

He loves his daddy!

Every night Rod spends a few minutes talking to the baby before we go to bed. Almost every time he puts his hand on my stomach, I immediately feel the baby move towards his hand. It is so cute!

Rod has been wanting to feel him move so badly. He often yells into my stomach trying to make the baby move. Unfortunately, I am very ticklish and the vibration of his yelling on my stomach makes me laugh hysterically. Last night, I was too tired to laugh which resulted in Rod finally getting to feel the baby move. Even though it tickles, I'm glad the baby will have the opportunity to know his dad's voice even before he comes out. :)

We did a little shopping on Friday after we found out we were having a boy. Rod had to have this set of bibs.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

20w1d pictures

As promised...














































Friday, October 31, 2008

It's a...

BOY!

Everything looks great and he is quite a cutie. :)

I have been on the phone since we got out of our appointment so I apologize for keeping you waiting. I promise to post pictures tomorrow.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Tomorrow is the big day!

We are scheduled for our anatomical scan tomorrow at 4. Rod and I are both very eager to find out if we are having a boy or a girl. I'm not nervous about the ultrasound, but I am a little anxious thinking that Rod might not make it in time. He has 2 big performances with his band at school this weekend. That takes a LOT of work to set up. Friday afternoon he has to set some things up before he can leave. I'm hoping he can get lots of volunteers to help him so he is able to leave by 2:30. Once he leaves, we have to hope that the traffic is light enough through Frederick that he can make it back to Hagerstown in time. Maybe I can stall the ultrasound technician for a few minutes until he gets there. Keep your fingers crossed for us! :)

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

57 days until Christmas!!!

I am so excited about Christmas this year. That's nothing different because Christmas has always been my favorite day of the year! The whole Christmas season has so many great traditions and memories for me. Some of my favorite things are: buying and wrapping gifts, the smell of cinnamon when you walk into a retail store, making cookies, Christmas specials on TV, decorating the tree (although my sisters and I have a tradition of complaining the whole time we are helping Mom with the tree), and of course watching people's faces when they open their gifts.

Rod is hoping that I stick to our Christmas budget this year because he knows for the next 18+ years I will not be able to keep from buying our kids tons of fun presents!

So, tell me what you're looking forward to this Christmas season.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Big Foot

Another lovely symptom of pregnancy has come my way...swelling! Yesterday I was changing for the gym. When I went to put my socks on, I looked down at my feet and let out an audible gasp. To my amazement one of my feet was extremely swollen! I've asked a lot of (previously pregnant) people about this. A couple have said it could be a sign of preeclampsia but most people say it is pretty normal. Don't worry, I've been carefully watching for signs of light-headedness and a racing heartbeat.

Today I put a makeshift stool under my desk at work which allowed me to keep my foot propped up most of the day. It looks a lot better tonight than it did last night.

This picture was taken last evening after I had already had it elevated for about an hour. Please excuse the worn-off nail polish. Later in the evening I took care of that!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

I'm Having A...

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NEPHEW!!!
My sister and her husband found out last evening that they are expecting a baby boy! She said he was kicking all around and looks very healthy. :)

Friday, October 17, 2008

Bored or nesting?


After almost 5 days of being in this house, I have decided to tackle (multiple) projects. I hope this is what nesting is like! Although it would take me and an army of maids to get thise house organized, I feel like I'm making a little bit of progress. The dining room (which will become the nursery) has been our dumping ground for junk over the past 3 years. Because I'm excited to get the nursery started, I decided to begin my blaze of organizing in there. I am even organizing our wrapping paper!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

I finally felt it!

Yesterday I finally got to feel the baby move! There have been times over the past two weeks when I thought I felt a flutter. Yesterday I felt it very clearly. I was laying on my stomach watching TV. I wasn't squishing the baby because I was propped up on my elbows, but I think the added pressure in my abdomen was what helped me be able to feel it. Now I am fighting the urge to lay like that all day so I can feel it constantly. :)

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Camping Trip

Since the last several posts have been about boring medical stuff, I thought I would share some pictures today.

We chose a beautiful weekend to go camping. At night it got a little chilly but during the day it was in the mid 70s! It was fun to relax around the fire and chat with our friends Amy and Tony.

The only scary moment was when I tried to fall into the fire! I tripped over my chair one evening when I was trying to sit down in it. I was falling straight forward like I was going to land in the campfire. As I felt myself falling, I decided that I needed to do anything possible to keep from catching on fire! I used every muscle in my body to throw myself sideways to avoid the fire. It worked but not without some consequences. My arm landed on the grill part of the fire pit, I scraped my knee up, I knocked my chair and Rod's chair over on me, and worst of all I spilled my baked potato all over the ground. When I knocked the chairs over, the drinks that were in the drink holders spilled all over me. Meanwhile, Amy saw me falling and as she jumped up to help, she knocked her drink onto her lap. I'm sure it was quite a sight!


A self-portrait of me!
Rod cutting a log in half to put on the fire.
Rod grilling up some shishkabobs.

Our friends Amy and Tony with little Luc and their dog Odie.

This was a self-portrait using the camera's timer...not too bad.

17 weeks 2 days.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Quarantined

So, I've been coughing quite a bit over the last two days and decided to see my doctor today. Based on the knowledge that I was exposed to whooping cough, I thought it would be wise to get tested.

I went to my family doctor who asked me some questions and listened to me breathe. She seemed stuck on the idea that I have bronchitis (I strongly doubt it) so she gave me a breathing treatment. That didn't change anything so she agreed to write a lab order to test me for whooping cough.

After seeing the doctor I went straight to the lab and had a nasal swab done (OUCH!). They told me I can expect results in about a week. Because I have a life to live, I didn't feel like waiting a week was acceptable. I asked my doctor if she could go ahead and treat me for whooping cough but she said no because she did not want to expose the baby to the antibiotics unless absolutely necessary.

So, here I sit at home on day 1 of waiting for my results. Thankfully I have an awesome boss who agreed to let me work from home until I find out for sure if I'm contagious or not.

Friday, October 10, 2008

We're going camping...

...for the last time without a baby!

I was thinking this morning that we are going to have to rent a trailer when we go camping next year. We already fill the Explorer to the ceiling with stuff. I can't imagine what it will be like when we are taking baby accessories, too.

I'm not one of those people who really enjoys camping. I don't understand why people choose to sleep on the hard floor of the forest when they have a perfectly good bed at home. I am not a fan of cold showers, eating food with ashes in it, having to walk down the road to the bath house, etc. But, I do love my husband and I enjoy spending time with my friends so once again I will go on a camping adventure and try to have a good time!

And now for the REAL reason I agree to go camping every year: THE S'MORES!


I promise to post some camping pictures next week. Have a great weekend everyone! :)

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Fetal Echo Cardiogram Update

So, I spent basically my entire morning on the telephone with doctors, NICU units, my insurance company, etc. It was quite a pain but I'll try to make this short.

I spoke to my doctor and she said that she agrees with the doctor I saw yesterday and would like me to get the test done. However, she said that she fully understands why I don't want to do the echo cardiogram at the same time as the ultrasound. She recognized that the ultrasound should be a fun occasion and that the echo cardiogram experience may not be as positive.

Her office was helpful about trying to find another location where I could do the test (besides going to downtown Baltimore). We were not able to find another location due to the limitations of my insurance. So, I will go to Johns Hopkins on November 10 for the fetal echo cardiogram.

The happy news is that we will get to (hopefully) learn the baby's gender on October 31 at 11AM!

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Doctor's Visit

I went to the OB's office for my scheduled appointment today. It was fun to hear the baby's heartbeat again! I also learned that I've gained 20 lbs. Maybe I'm blind, but I don't think I look like I've gained that much. Perhaps I should look in a mirror. ;)

Anyway, back to the appointment. Because I was born with a hole in my heart, the doctor I saw today (not my regular doctor) said I need to get an echo cardiogram done on the baby. I'm not too thrilled with the idea of having to go to Baltimore to get this test done. Besides the trauma of going to Johns Hopkins, I am sad because they said I cannot have a separate ultrasound done. That is particularly disappointing because I was SO looking forward to the special experience of getting to find out the baby's gender. Rod and I were going to take the day off to go to the appointment and then we were going to have lunch and go shopping for pink or blue!

Tomorrow I am going to talk to my primary OB to get her opinion on whether or not this test is necessary. If she feels it is necessary I will beg her to let me have the regular ultrasound at a separate time. I do not want the joy of finding out the baby's sex to be overshadowed by the stress of the echo cardiogram. At this point I'm going to try not to worry about it and just plan to talk to Dr. Ginter tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Monday, October 6, 2008

Hello in there...

I tried desperately to hear or feel movement. I held my breath while pressing my ear close to the mother's rounded mound of a belly. I tried speaking into the belly button, hoping that the sound waves just might awaken the creature within. My efforts went unrewarded. No ripples, no kicks, no bumps. What we have here is a shy little baby. This little baby is turning out to be more and more like her/his mother each day.

Hmmm.... Well I am certain that once it gets out of that dark place, the silence will be broken forever. I was thinking the other day that I have my next 21 years scheduled. Yikes! Diapers, Soccer, PTA, bake sales, and band-aids for the next 7665 days. That all should be kinda fun, right?

Until next time, "Keep your stick on the ice. We're all in this together." -Red Green

Thursday, October 2, 2008

I'm fresh outta witty...

So yesterday I promised you a fun and witty post. The bad news is that I thought about this all night and all day and still haven't thought of anything that fits that definition. Instead, I will bore you with the details of my work life. Does that sound good?

I'm having so much fun making some of my colleagues wonder if I am pregnant or not. I keep seeing people look at me funny, but they're too afraid to ask why my stomach has gotten bigger over the past few weeks. Most of my coworkers know that I'm pregnant, but I don't want to go around announcing it to every single person that I know through work. My job has me working with a variety of people in the community every day. I feel weird walking up to each person and saying, "did you know I'm going to have a baby?" Causing them confusion is much more fun!

So, today I was at a training and sitting next to a colleague. I probably see this guy at least 1-2 times a week. He clearly is wondering about my growing mid-section but has never asked. This man is one of those people who jokes constantly so I am getting quite a kick out of making him guess! Anyway, I was drinking some coffee at the training and another friend/colleague of mine walked by and said, "that better be decaf" (of course it was!). My male coworker quickly turned and looked at me with a curious look on his face. But, he still didn't say anything. I'm interested to see how long I can keep him in the dark!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Sorry for the delay

Rod said he wants to update the blog every Sunday. He didn't have time over the weekend and I think he forgot about it once his busy week started.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that we haven't fallen off the blogging wagon. I will be thinking of something witty and fun to post tomorrow. :)

Friday, September 26, 2008

Irrational Fears

So, you know how most pregnant woman have fears relating to the birth of their baby? Things like:
Will the baby be healthy?
I hope labor isn't too painful.
I know nothing about babies...how am I going to care for a newborn?

Well, for some reason I'm not worried about any of those things. My two biggest worries are: 1) that my water will break at work (how embarrassing) and 2) that a psycho woman is going to trick me into letting her into my home where she will cut the baby out of me. Gross, huh? Remember those horrible news stories a few years ago where people actually did this? The woman would pretend that she was pregnant when she really wasn't. Then she would find a pregnant woman, knock her out, then cut her open and take the baby. What a horrible thing to think about, I know! But, now you have a little glimpse into my strange little mind.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

We need a DVR!

Today is an exciting day for me because it is the season 5 premiere of The Office! It suddenly hit me today that Baby Kerbs is going to make his/her debut before the season is over. This means that when March rolls around we will definitely need to invest in a DVR or TiVo. I already love this baby a lot, but I can't allow it to mess with my TV watching schedule. :)

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

I've been tagged! (Not baby related)

THE FIVE TAG
10 years ago I:
1. I was 17 years old.
2. Just starting college at HCC.
3. Had an old Toyota Camry.
4. Ate at Sheetz almost daily.
5. Had been dating Rod for 4 years!

5 things on today's "to do" list:
1. Work until 4:30.
2. Go the gym (we'll see about this one).
3. Vacuum the livingroom.
4. Clean the carpets.
5. Maybe scrapbook a little this evening.

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. Utz party mix
2. Chocolate candy (M&Ms, Heath Bar, etc.)
3. Coffee ice cream
4. Frozen coffee drinks
5. Fruit

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. Buy a bigger house.
2. Hire a housekeeper
3. Help family members.
4. Work part-time
5. Let Rod work part-time

5 places I have lived:
1. Frederick, MD
2. Boonsboro, MD
3. McDonald, TN
4. Hagerstown, MD
5.

5 jobs I have had:
1. House cleaner
2. Greenhouse worker
3. Secretary
4. Case manager for Big Brothers Big Sisters
5. Director of Child and Adolescent Services at WCMHA

I am tagging: Phoebe, Angela, Cherrie, Becky, and Ariana!!!!

Rules: Each player answers the question themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person that tagged you know when you've answered the questions on your blog.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Maternity Spending Spree


I was hoping that things would eventually get out of hand. See Brooke is not the big spender in this household. I usually hold that title, uncontested. I have accidentally purchased a pro racquetball racquet ("geek" I know that is what you are thinking). And with the help of EBay, I have picked up the occasional symphony level clarinet. So when I saw my wife coming home with some bags from target I became quite excited. Was it possible that this pregnancy thing had caused her to lose her usual fiscal conservatism? Maybe there was a great sale and she needed one of everything in every color, with matching shoes to boot. Instead, she informed me that I needed to go back to work on Monday to cover the costs of her excursion. What had she bought? Oh just $80 worth of maternity clothes. Eighty dollars!!!, I can spend that in tax alone on a priceless first edition of Bobby Fisher and the King's Pawn Gambit. I hope that she realizes that she is worth much more than $80. Shock me sweetheart, go drop a G on something and then you can tell me to get back to work. :)

Weekend Fun!

I told you last week about some of my plans for the weekend, so I thought I would share a few pictures today.

Jeremy, Lindsey, and I had so much fun at the fair on Thursday. He got to see chickens, ducks, rabbits, pigs (and their tiny piglets), cows, goats, sheep, horses, miniature donkeys, emus, ox, alpacas, turkeys, and peacocks. He really seemed to enjoy looking at each of the animals. At the end he asked if he could go on a ride, so he rode this motorcycle thing that went around in circles. Jeremy was so grateful and kept thanking me for taking him to the fair. He is such a sweetie!

Here is a picture of Jeremy and Lindsey looking at the rabbits.


Saturday, Rod and I drove to Lancaster for the Sight and Sound Theater's presentation of "In the Beginning". It was pretty good. The traffic around Lancaster was ridiculous, though.

Sunday, I took our little brother through Big Brothers Big Sisters to the pumpkin cannon. He enjoyed shooting pumpkins, corn, and apples at the targets.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Babymoon

babymoon (noun) : a short vacation for a couple before the birth of their child.

Have you heard this term before? Rod and I are not planning to go away on a vacation, but we are planning a couple of short trips before the baby comes. The first is tomorrow! We are going to the Sight & Sound Theater in Lancaster, PA to see the show called "In the Beginning". You can read more about it here: http://www.sight-sound.com/WebSiteSS/getshowdetails.do?eventCD=ITB.

If you happened to catch Jon & Kate Plus 8 this week, you would have seen them dragging 8 children around the theater. Watching that chaos inspired us to go see the show before we have children. :)

14 weeks - only 182 days to go!

A couple of things to say today.

1) I'm feeling better!

2) I am thankful for my friends and family. :) So many people have called or emailed me to offer their "get well wishes". I really appreciate knowing that people care about me.

3) I have the best husband in the world! After working 11 hours on Tuesday and almost as many yesterday, he still came home and took care of me. Here is a picture of me and my sweetie. It was taken in June, 2008.

4) Tonight I am taking my 4 y.o. nephew to the fair. Although my energy is still low, I can't pass up an opportunity to go to the Great Frederick Fair. More importantly than that, I can't pass up an opportunity to spend time with my favorite 4 y.o. nephew!

5) Even though I didn't get a picture of Baby Kerbs when I was at the doctor's last week, I thought I would share an example of what I got to see on the screen. This is NOT Baby Kerbs, just a random 13-week sonogram. However, it looks almost identical to what I got to see last week.




Have a great Thursday, everyone!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Still Sick

Last evening I could tell my fever was starting to go up again. I took my tenperature and found that I had a fever of 101.1. I looked it up online to see how high it could go without being harmful to the baby. Several sites said 101 or 103. Then I looked again at the paper my doctor gave me and it said to NEVER let my fever get above 100.4!

Of course, that freaked me out and had me thinking that I was slowly baking my baby to death. :( Once I got my brain to work again, I took some Tylenol and put a cold cloth on my forehead. Within about 30 minutes, I was able to bring my fever down to 99.7.

So, I spent pretty much the entire night trying to keep my fever below a dangerous level while not overdosing on Tylenol. Thankfully, my fever broke around 5AM and I'm starting to feel much better. Now that I'm in a clearer state of mind, I'm thinking that I PROBABLY did not bake my baby. :)

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

One of the down sides of being pregnant...

...is that you can't take medication.

Today I am hosting an information luncheon at work. I am responsible for setting up and tearing down the tables/chairs, handing out information, making sure everything goes well with the caterer, and doing a 20 minute presentation. We are expecting at least 50 people.

Wouldn't you know it, that yesterday afternoon I started feeling like I was getting sick. I did everything I could to avoid it (vitamins, vegetable juice [Rod swears by this], and tried to get lots of sleep). During the night I developed a fever which has not gone away yet and it is 8:15AM.

Normally in a situation like this, I would dope up on some good cold meds to make it through my presentation. But, all I am allowed to take is Tylenol and it surely isn't helping. So, I am going to go set up (since most of the stuff is in my car) and then beg someone else to do my presentation for me because a group of people will definitely not be able to understand my presentation between all the sneezing and coughing. After I suffer through that I will be back home and in bed for the rest of the day!

Monday, September 15, 2008

Nutter Butter

Did you know that Coldstone Creamery now has Nutter Butter flavored ice cream? I almost tried it last night, but my old standby "Coffee Lovers Only" reeled me in once again.

Anyway, I was reading today that our baby is now the size of a Nutter Butter cookie and it reminded me of the new ice cream flavor. So I thought I should blog about it. Interesting, huh? :)


Sunday, September 14, 2008

The Chocolate Milk

=======================================================
Well MWW is over the chocolate milk phase. It is unfortunate that she has not, as of yet, entered the holy grail of cravings; the pizza phase. How I long for the heartburn to go away so that she can once again enjoy the myriad of flavors locked within a pinnapple and chicken bar-b-que pizza from Ledo's. On the brighter side, she is really enjoying sleeping in on Sunday's. And I encourage her to take regular naps. This has caused a significant drop in my practice on the trumpet, trombone, saxophone, et al. But no worries :) Once the baby is actually here, noise will once again rule the world!