Fun Websites -- threelollies.com and protectabub.com!

The ChicBlvd Girls shared the site threelollies.com with me. Preggie Pops are naturally flavored and specially formulated lollipops made for pregnant women--to ease morning sickness. I have some samples so I'll have to try them out!

Since the weather's warming up, I was also looking at the stroller sunshade and swimsuits from protectabub.com. Since I live in California, these will come in handy all months out of the year. Use coupon code ChicBaby10 for a discount.

So much for my "Mother's Intuition" :)

We’re having a GIRL!!!!! All my hunches were wrong…so much for my “Mother’s Intuition”! Even though we couldn’t lose with whatever was revealed inside, I was so nervous to open the box containing the answer to our “Big Question”--Is it a Boy or a Girl?

We called our families on speakerphone to share the moment. I’m so glad we didn’t “cheat” and peek beforehand because it was a really neat experience to share with our parents, brother and sisters.

I have to say that I was completely surprised that it was a girl…I had totally convinced myself that it was a boy. But we’re delighted that we will be blessed this August with what will most likely be a blonde-haired, blue-eyed little girl!
A friend recently told me that, “little boys feed a dad’s ego, but little girls melt his heart”. That’s a pretty sweet idea to reflect on as we celebrate the news of our baby girl!

Watch my video to see us opening the package: chicblvd.com/whats_it_gonna_be.html

Ultrasound Day

As I write, an envelope containing the answer to the question of the sex of our baby sits beside me...it's taking all of my will power not to open it. I’m focusing on the elaborate plan we have to tell our family if they're having a grandson/granddaughter/niece/nephew (see previous post for "the plan").
Today we went for the ultrasound to make sure everything is healthy and to ultimately find out if we're having a Jane or a John (until real names have been determined). Even though the technician can't officially tell us if everything is in fact healthy, she hinted "off the record" that from what she saw we can put our minds at ease knowing we have a healthy baby...whew.
It was an absolutely amazing experience. At 7 weeks, when I saw the little peanut's heart beating, I thought that was the ultimate, but after today it really hit me that there's a little person in there that I can't wait to meet.
I loved seeing Justin's reaction to what we saw on the ultrasound screen. Up to this point, besides putting up with my moodiness, constant hunger and seeing my body grow, there hasn't been much of a reality of what's happening. But today I think he was able to see in a new and very powerful way what's going on in this expanding belly of mine.
We had the most fabulous technician! Once we informed her of our plan to tell the family she totally played along. We left with a sealed envelope in which she had carefully inserted the ultrasound picture with an arrow pointing to the “evidence” of the sex of the baby.
During the time she conducted the ultrasound, the baby flipped completely from head down and bottom up to bottom down and head up...I had no idea it was moving around so much in there!
As we left the hospital, all we could do was giggle at each other. We were sooooo tempted to crack that envelope open and take a peek. But, by focusing on being able to share the excitement with our families, we controlled ourselves :)

Bagettes.com - Kid's Art Bag

The ChicBlvd Girls introduced me to the CUTEST idea!! It's the Kid's Art - Custom Cosmetic Bag by bagettes.com!

You email them your childs art and they make it into a customized small cosmetic bag! You can even add a photo on 1 side and the art on the other. Such a great way to display love to your child while showing off their photo at the same time! :-)

The Baby Food Adventure

Justin and I had a fun and "interesting" Sunday afternoon. Our friends at Bohemian Baby sent us loads of samples of their organic baby foods to try out for our little one.
It was a very brave thing to do on our part because traditionally the baby foods I see in the grocery store aisle never look very appetizing. Bohemian Baby has changed my mind.
They delivered our fresh, organic baby food jars in an insulated cooler right to our door! The combinations they put together for meals are so unique and healthy...and on top of that, I recognized every ingredient included in each jar, it's all organic and no preservatives. These products are fresh!
At the conclusion of our "Baby Food Dinner", Justin said his favorites were the Basil Pesto Pasta, Green Bean Soup with Basil Butter, and Pure Golden Pears. My favs were the Sweet Potatoes and Kale, Fresh Fuji Apples, and Strawberry and Coconut Yogurt. I tried combos of fruits and veggies that I’d never had before…and they were delish! Thanks to our Bohemian Baby friends for opening our eyes to healthy, fresh ...and very YUMMY options for our baby’s first tastes of food!

Unhealthy fear of stretchmarks and hemorrhoids

I’m sorry, but today’s blog might get a little graphic for those with weak stomachs (probably mostly men because they don’t have to deal with most of these crazy things!)

It seems that over the last few weeks, I've developed an intense fear of "pregnancy ailments" including stretch marks and hemorrhoids. I guess the reality of these very real problems set in once my belly really started to get noticeably bigger.

My poor friends, family, and doctor have been getting drilled with questions about these issues (and a bunch of others!). I found out that 80% of pregnant women get hemorrhoids…I’m really hoping that by some miracle I fall into the 20% of those who are in the clear. But just in case, I’m mentally preparing myself to go to the store and purchase my first installment of Preparation H…YIKES! I’m also eating lots of fiber, trying to get up and walk around a bit while I’m at work, and not over “exerting” myself while visiting the “ladies room”(whatever that means??).

In response to my fear of stretch-marks, my adorable husband has been an angel. Every night, he rubs oil and cocoa butter on my belly to help my skin adjust with the baby. This also gives him a chance to talk to the baby, it’s so cute (the baby can hear at this point, how exciting!). I think this nightly tradition will become even more special as the baby gets bigger and becomes more active. It will also become increasingly beneficial to my skin as by belly goes from a rolling hill to Mt. Everest!

I’ve found a really great book that has given me a dose of humor in all these sometimes uncomfortable pregnancy situations I’ve experienced so far. It’s called “Belly Laughs” by Jenny McCarthy. If you’ve heard of Jenny McCarthy, you can pretty much imagine what her documentation of her journey through pregnancy would be like (pretty crazy). She shares the experience of having her son Evan through this hilarious book that only those who have experienced pregnancy can truly appreciate.

I also went to the Yeah Baby Expo in Long Beach, CA last weekend. It was so much fun! It definitely helped me to get in the baby buying mood. There are so many great products out there to make life easier for moms...and the adorable babies there helped too...

Cute Nursing Covers!

The ChicBlvd Girls told me to check out stylishlyprotected.com--what a CUTE site!

I'll definitely have to get one of these nursing covers after the baby comes. It's that breastfeeding thing that will be so foreign to me!

Anyone who reads this (including me... hehe) can get 5% off the site by entering voucher code ProtectInStyle at checkout, combined with the already 10% off for a total of 15% off.

This site has a lot of other cute useful things--check it out! StylishlyProtected.com

Me and my BELLY :)

I made my appointment today for the...dah...dah...dah.....ULTRASOUND! April 10th is the BIG DAY! Apparently your bladder has to be full to execute an effective ultrasound. You can imagine my surprise when the nurse told me that I have to drink 32 ounces of water in 1 ½ hours before my appointment. Are you kidding me…that is SO much water. And I’m not supposed to go to the bathroom during that time. How can they do this to pregnant women?!?! I’ll try my best, but I didn’t make any promises. I guess it’s a small price to pay for the opportunity to make sure that our baby has 10 fingers and 10 toes and that everything looks healthy!

We won't be finding out the boy/girl news that day because we have very special plan. Since our ongoing desire has been to keep our families in the loop and incorporate them as a big part of this adventure (although it be from a distance...2000 miles), we've decided to hold off on the big surprise and find out at the same time as our parents and siblings if we're having a boy or girl...how can we do that in 2 different time zones you ask?? :) Here's the plan:

We're going to ask the ultrasound technician to write down the sex of the baby, put it in an envelope, and not let us see it. Then we're going to go to the baby section at a local store and get 3 pink and 3 blue "somethings", ask a clerk there to look in the envelope and wrap the appropriate colored items in 3 separate packages (while we go browse for baby gear that we'll soon be purchasing). We'll come back once the packages are wrapped still not knowing what our baby will be. Then the plan is to ship off the boxes...one to my family, one to Justin's family, and keep one for ourselves. Once they've all received their "box of joy" we'll open them all at once while sharing the experience on speaker phone. Not quite the same as "in person" but we still think it will be something to remember.

I went out last night to try to find some pants that will sustain my changing body:) I didn't have much success...although I did find some adorable stretchy shirts that fit my ever growing belly. It's becoming noticeable…probably more so to me than anyone else, but I’m getting bigger none-the-less...and it’s SO exciting.

I think I felt a little baby flutter last week. It felt like a tickle from inside my stomach! From what I’ve been reading, this is about the time I should be starting to feel movement. It’s so amazing!

I feel absolutely great this week. A little tired sometimes, but overall I have tons of energy. I'm finally starting to get some regular exercise again! This is great news since I have and EXTREME sweet tooth lately! I can't get enough chocolate or anything in the "dessert" category :)

Officially in the 2nd trimester...and GROWING

3/12/06
As I begin my 16th week of pregnancy, I’m looking back on all the changes that have happened just in the last 2 weeks. It seems that my belly is growing more every day! I've had to retire several pairs of pants that I probably won't be seeing for awhile. I feel so much better than I did during my first trimester-more energy and less nausea to be specific. I've heard that most women feel GREAT in the 2nd trimester, and so far for me it's been true.

During the first trimester, we told our parents and siblings in week 8 about our new addition, which was such a sweet experience (first grandchild on BOTH sides of our family!). Since everything looked healthy with the baby, we started spreading the news to family and friends at week 12.

Although everything was healthy, as we came out of the first trimester, a sense of relief came with us since our doctor said that the chances of completing a healthy pregnancy are much higher after getting through that window. I think that has allowed us to get more excited about picking a name, picking out furniture, and thinking about the reality of “being a mom and dad”.

Name choice has become much harder than I thought it would be. I guess it’s easier to throw out crazy names you like before you actually get pregnant because you know you don’t have to commit to any of them. But once you know you have the HUGE responsibility of actually naming a person…for the REST OF HIS/HER LIFE (no pressure,right??)…the stakes become much higher. Justin seems to be more traditional with his name choices. I, on the other hand, prefer more unique (yes some might call them odd) names. We’ve talked about a few, but haven’t decided if we’re going to announce the name before the baby’s born yet or not. We’ll keep you updated!

My mind is spinning with all the baby knowledge I’ve been learning over the last few weeks….I never knew or cared about Peg Perego, Graco, or Britax. All my “mommy friends” have been giving me great advice, including my own personal “Consumer Reports” on all kinds of baby items. It’s a little overwhelming, but I know their input will be very helpful as we seriously start shopping.

I’m like a sponge right now, so don’t forget, if you have any advice that you’d like to share-especially anything that might be helpful as I’m kicking off my 2nd trimester-you can email it to Katie@chicblvd.com.

Well…I’m up WAY too late for a pregnant lady…more to come soon. Thanks again for sharing this awesome experience with us!

I can't believe it!

Hi! I'm Katie. I just found out that I'm going to be a MOM! The girls at Chic Blvd have invited me to share this CRAZY and EXCITING story with you and take you along on this journey.

In August 2005, my husband Justin and I moved across the country from Illinois where we left behind our dear family and friends to start a new adventure of our own in California. MUCH to our surprise, part of that adventure in the NEAR future would include a little addition to our family! We're SO excited and a little nervous too.

It was on January 7th (after thinking I had the flu for a week) that I decided to take "the test" to rule out the possibility of being pregnant. I took it discreetly, not wanting to scare Justin with a "false alarm". But false alarm, it was not!

"Mom-in-Training Side note”: For those mom's-to-be who don't know this (like me) there is virtually NEVER the possibility of having a "false positive" with a pregnancy test...if you see 2 lines, you almost certainly have a munchkin on the way :)

The next week I went to the Doctor to verify that this was actually happening! This day, which was my BIRTHDAY!, it was confirmed that we were "EXPECTING",...but we definitely were not "expecting" to be "expecting":) I received the best birthday present EVER...I was able to see our baby's heartbeat for the first-time...it was AMAZING. The Doctor confirmed from the ultrasound that the baby was 7 weeks along. It moved me to tears to see this little being, the size of a peanut, which will soon change our lives.

Well girls...I'm going to have to stop the story there for now. My hubby and I are headed out for this Friday evening. We're going to take advantage of getting out for a night without finding a babysitter :)

Thank you Chic Blvd for inviting me to share this new path we're traveling!