Happy Halloween!

Well, I must admit that we will be having the most lame Halloween in our history. We are doing nothing. That amazing party we were going to...well...it's still happening. We just never got around to making or buying costumes. The closer the party got, the more I just wasn't into Halloween this year. So, I let my friend know we were missing it, and we are now officially staying home to hand out candy and maybe watch a scary movie if I don't fall asleep. God, we are exciting.

Anyway, if I KNEW we weren't doing anything I would have saved the old pictures of Halloweens past for today, but now I already used those and I have nothing...sad. Hope everyone has a great Halloween whatever you are doing! (even if you are lame like me and staying on the couch...I wont judge you...somebody has to hand out the candy!)

9 Weeks

You know what rocks about having a birthday eight and a half weeks into your pregnancy? Your family will buy you AWESOME maternity clothes! I now have jeans and cords and a million cute little tops (plus money to go buy MORE stuff that I need!). This couldn't come at a better time because there is no question that here at nine weeks, my waist line is expanding (still no weight gain). Now don't get me wrong, it isn't like I am walking around with a noticeable baby bump or anything, but I can see a difference, and my clothes DEFINITELY can tell there is a change. I made the connection that my after-eating-nausea is mainly due to my pants being tight on my stomach, so I have come to the logical conclusion to just unbutton them. Genius, I know. This means I am putting my belly band to good use! It will let me stay in my regular pants for a while more, which is awesome. Still, it is so nice to not have to panic about buying an entire new wardrobe on my own due to the birthday gifts. Thanks family!

So besides the clothes getting a little tight, all is well. The unbuttoning of the pants and not letting myself get too hungry has totally gotten the nausea under control. Honestly, at nine week in, I am feeling great!

**It cracked me up how many of you mentioned the boob situation in the reunion pictures! I noticed it, but figured it wasn't something that anyone else would see...Guess I was wrong! As a girl who has always been small chested, it is kinda nice...although I didn't tell many people at the reunion that I was pregnant, so I wonder where they think the new boobs came from?? **

Class of 98

So, what is the most important thing to know before walking out the door for your high school reunion?? Guesses? Anybody? Well, let me tell you, it is, in fact, to know the LOCATION of said reunion. Yes, you may THINK you know where it is. You may have had emails saying it is at the Sheridan for a year now. You may be POSITIVE when you direct your husband to drive to the location of the Sheridan and point where he needs to turn in. You may laugh at him when he says, "you said it was at the Sheridan....this is the Double Tree??" and you MAY EVEN SAY, "NICK, they are the same thing!" (*roll eyes to emphasize that EVERYONE knows this*).

The problem is, that when you walk in to the Double Tree and there seems to be no reunion, you may look like a fool. You will look even more like a fool as you wait for the electronic sign to flash all events in the hotel a good five times before accepting defeat. You may look like the BIGGEST FOOL EVER when you have to tell the front desk that you thought they were the Sheridan (I didn't put it like that) and beg for a key to the computers that are clearly for GUESTS ONLY. They will be nice and give you a key, but then roll their eyes at the stupid girl all dressed up for her ten year reunion that is, in fact on the OTHER SIDE OF TOWN.

Of course, to make matters more fun, the reunion had a cocktail hour from 6-7, then a dinner from 7-8. Me, being a genius and everything, didn't want to be the FIRST people there, and figured we would show up around 6:40...making a grand entrance (and having less time if greatest fear comes true and this turns into most awkward night of life). That means that once we actually found the reunion, and then DROVE across town, we were 15 minutes late to dinner. We tossed around the idea of just going home, but damn it we were dressed up, we paid our money and we WERE GOING TO THE DAMN REUNION!

So we went. And honestly...I had an amazing time. Dinner was actually just starting so it wasn't a big deal at all that we were late. I saw TONS of people that I forgot how much I love. There were pictures everywhere, and a video of our "Senior Class Live" play, and our senior video, and graduation. They had our Senior Wills out so we could reread what we left people (let me tell you, not only do I not remember half the stuff I left people, I honestly don't remember who 25% of the people I left stuff to even are! Yes, they were important enough to me in high school for me to WILL them something, and now... I am clueless.) We had people fly in from all over the US. We have a girl in our class who is a regular on ER...how awesome is that? She flew in from LA. We have two musicians living in NYC who flew in, lots and lots of people with great careers and amazing families. Everyone looked...the same. A little older, but really the same. We laughed and talked and caught up on the past ten years. We promised to not let ten more year pass and we exchanged phone numbers and emails. I was all wonderful. In case I forget, please remind me when my 20th rolls around how much I loved the 10th!

Now, a couple pictures. I wont post them all because they are basically just me with random people from my high school, but still...

Me and Emily...who talked me into going to the reunion in the first place. Good call!Me and Erin...now in law school down in FL...amazing!The red head, yeah she wrecked my car in high school while we were skipping school and she didn't have a license...she is awesome like that. On the right is one of our musicians who came in from NYC, on the left is a doctor who came in from Columbus...Makes me feel a little guilty for having such a hard time deciding if I should go when ITS IN MY HOME TOWN.Me and Natalie...she flew in from TX...these travelersAnd to prove that I brought him, me and Nick! (in a bad picture of me...) The rest of the night he took pictures of me with other people. He was happy to see at least a couple guys he knew, but when I said I was ready to go, he was pleased...

So that's it. My reunion rocked. I suggest anybody who enjoyed high school to go ahead and go to theirs too. You seriously forget how much you enjoy these people, and how many memories you have with them. It was great to take a night to remember it all.

Ultrasound #2

We had our second ultrasound of baby C* today! The baby looks perfect! He/she is measuring right on track and looked pretty adorable if I do say so myself! Wanna see??

I wish I could send you in a direction here, but I really have no idea what's what. I think the left side of the little bean is the head...I think. Still, pretty cute, right?? As proof of how much bigger the baby is, here is a shot of our first pic from two weeks ago...Sorry this is a little blurry, but baby C is that tiny little dot on the left side of the screen....

So clearly he/she is growing at an alarming (and completely appropriate) rate! With this appointment we have been officially released from Doc's office and will be making our way to a real and true OB! We have our first appointment with them on Nov. 10th, so just another little two week wait.

* I am trying out a few names for this little one since we wont know if the baby is a boy or girl until the actual delivery. Baby C is at the top of the list because...well, I have always kinda called the baby "baby C" for our last name, which isn't a secret but I never type it out on the blog because it is SERIOUSLY unusual and there are about 25 of us in the world. When you google it, you get Nick and his research, his brother and his band, his sister and our sorority, his uncle who is a fire fighter, ect... so I just would rather not have bio-girl be on the top of that list of family sites whenever someone googles our last name! Anyway, the point is that we are trying out Baby C. If I suddenly change to something totally random, just roll with it...

29th Birthday

So today I am 29! We won't talk about next year. Last night Nick and I went to my ten year high school reunion, which was actually awesome. I am so glad I went and will tell you all about it later this week. For today, Nick is in the kitchen making me French Toast, the flowers he bought me are in a vase in the living room (awww...), and we are setting off for a day to drive the back roads to look at all the little Kentucky towns with the leaves changing (we are huge nerds and absolutely love this...it is actually how we spent our honeymoon) and then off to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. I gotta say it seems like a pretty perfect birthday!

Not the Best Plan...

You know what is a terrible idea? Taking both your dog AND your cat to the vet at the same time...alone...in the pouring rain. You know what makes this idea even worse? Thinking you have a cat carrier, then finding out right when you need to leave that you, in fact DO NOT have a cat carrier and there for you must drive across town with your dog in the back and your constantly meowing cat in your LAP. In the rain. You know what is just the worst idea of all time?? Attempting to get the dog out of the car even though you know she HATES the evil vet while holding the cat, in the rain. Your feet will slide out from under you and you will nearly break your neck (and nearly crush your cat). You will then run the cat into the vet alone and make some stranger hold your wet freaked out cat and go back to get your dog. Your dog that will pee on a coat in the back seat due to the HORROR of being at the vet. Fun times all around.

For the record Ellie is perfect. She just needed her shots. She was just past due, so when I made the appointment for Sam I thought, "well, I am SURE I can handle them both! How hard can it be???" Right.

Sammie had to go to the vet due to him throwing up ALL THE TIME, plus just acting a little weird. They did some blood work and we will get the results tomorrow. He needed a geriatric blood panel, which always makes me sad. I mean, is sixteen and a half that old?? I didn't think so. He's still a spring chicken!

My little sister came to our rescue and met me at the vet with a cat carrier, so the trip home was MUCH less eventful! Now we are just hoping nothing comes back bad with Sammie's blood work.

8 Weeks

Well, the post from yesterday sounds awfully whiney but I am actually doing pretty great! I am fighting the nausea at times, but all and all I still feel good and am so excited to actually be eight weeks pregnant! I am tired a lot, but I am a girl that loves a good nap, so I am okay with that. My clothes are getting tight and that I am having a harder time with, but it is all just part of it. Just a part I wasn't expecting at eight weeks. I am still able to wear my own clothes, but they are tight around my belly which is making me uncomfortable. I haven't actually gained any weight at all, so I guess things are just shifting around....not a bad deal.

Does anybody know it is true that when you do IVF your body starts to have noticeable changes faster than if you don't? It makes since because of all the hormones, but I just wondered if it was actually that girls who have had infertility are more just willing to move right into the "showing" part of the pregnancy. I would have thought the it was just people wanting to show, but now that I am looking at myself it is hard to believe this isn't my body making some early changes!

So what else to say at eight weeks...well, the baby is the size of a grape now! (not a good support for eight week belly discussion) The picture that google sends me each week no longer looks like an alien and is actually starting to look a little baby like! we have another ultrasound on Monday, which I am thrilled about. That should be the last appointment with the fertility doc! Then we will be just like regular pregnant people! So I guess that is it. We are completely thrilled to be eight entire weeks pregnant!

Oh, so THIS is What Nausea Feels Like...

Over the last couple of days I haven't been feeling my best. The first real wave of nausea set in on the day of the UK game. There is no denying it, it was a packed day. I was running from the moment I got up for work at eight to the end of the game at eleven thirty. I was cold and I was starving and I started to feel...terrible. I fought the urge to ask them to stop the car on the way back to Ryan and Arielle's so I could puke, but once we got to our car I had Nick pull over at a gas station. I didn't actually get sick, but I think I would have felt better if I had. We then realized we sorta skipped dinner, so we picked up fast food and I felt a lot better.

I kinda thought it was a one shot deal. I had pushed myself a little to far and my body didn't like it one bit. The problem is that since then my body seems to have decided that is the best way to let me know how it feels! Small twinge of hunger...nausea. Eat some food, any food...nausea. God forbid eat too much food...GOD HELP HE HEART BURN WITH NAUSEA. (I know...I am such an attractive pregnant person. Add in the lovely acne and the fact that I seem to be a little more hairy, and people will not be able to stay away...also, I think I MIGHT tell my blog readers to much...)

Anyway, back to the nausea. The definition of too much food is now new. For instance, last night for our anniversary dinner I ate a couple pieces of a blooming onion, about 3/4 of a salad, 1/4 a steak and 1/2 a potato. I thought I might die. Yet again, I had Nick stop on the way home. And yet again I wasn't actually sick. Just overwhelmed with nausea. I guess I need to learn the difference between painfully nauseous and actually about to puke...I am just afraid if I don't air on the side of caution, then I might REALLY regret that decision later. As will anybody who is around me when I say, "Oh NO. I just thought it was a little nausea..."

Two Years Down, Forever to go

Two year ago today I married the love of my life. It is hard to believe it has already been two years, and at the same time hard to believe it has ONLY been two years! Over the past year I have seen how strong we are as a couple as we grew together rather than apart with the struggles of infertility. Now here we are on our way to being parents, and happier than we have ever been. There is nobody I enjoy spending time with more than Nick. He makes me laugh and gives me comfort. He is an amazing husband and I am so lucky. So, happy anniversary to us!

I am going to go ahead and post the picture slide show I made from our wedding two years ago. I posted it last year, but I have a lot of new readers now, so I thought you might like to see a little bit of our wedding too!!

Sarah and Nick's Wedding from sareshep on Vimeo.

Homecoming

So around here the Kentucky Wildcats are big. Really big. I know some cities have their college teams and they go unnoticed besides the die hard fans, but that is not my city. (maybe because we don't have a pro team? Could be...) The entire place turns blue on Football Saturdays and basically all winter for basketball. We just love it. So this year for Nick's best friend Ryan's birthday (Happy Birthday Ryan!) we all went to the UK homecoming game. Before the game, rather than tail gating on campus, Ryan and Arielle has us over to their new house to grill out. As the pregnant girl who cannot drink and had to work that morning, I cannot tell you how much better I liked this plan in comparison to sitting around the car for six hours in the cold. Don't get me wrong, I am sure I would have enjoyed whatever they wanted to do, but when I heard there was a house and a couch and a TV involved, I was really pleased!


Once we got down to campus we realized that it was kinda cold outside. We thought we were ready, but I really don't think we were. The wind...it was PAINFUL. It didn't help that the team gave us little to cheer for the majority of the game. I am extremely anti leaving games early (my dad taught me there is always a world of time!! Don't be the person to leave early!!) but with five minutes left and down by two scores, when we threw an interception I wasn't fighting the group when they stood up to go. Over half the stadium had cleared...we stuck it out the best we could...

THEN, as we started making out way down the stairs (there were lots of them...) UK recovered a fumble! I KNOW. (Did I ever tell you that I LOVE football?? LOVE IT. So, just hang with me on the football talk and then I will show you a couple pictures!) So, we stop and scoot back into some random empty seats to see if we can do anything with four minutes left. down by TWO scores. You know what happened?? WE WON. Yep. After three quarters and ten minutes of terrible football, we put together two amazing drives and scored TWICE to win the homecoming game. IT. WAS. AWESOME. And that is why, no matter how cold you are, and no matter how bad your team has been playing, you should always stay because there is a WORLD OF TIME LEFT!

Okay, some pictures since most of you don't care about UK football in the slightestRyan and Arielle in their new back yard with their sweet little dog RipkinMe and Nick before we played some catch. I was pretty impressed with my own athletic abilityMe and Arielle getting ready to leave for the gameThe guys...Ryan and Arielle at the game...
And one more of me and Nick. See how we have a nice birds eye view of the field? (nice way of saying our seats were kinda high, but we liked them!)

So that's it. We had a great time grilling out and considering the end, I would say the game turned out pretty wonderful too. Plus, at some point Nick and I walked down and found that they were selling Philly Cheese steak sandwiches....yummmmm...it was worth going to the game just for that!

Giant Sigh

Nick's car won't start. It's true. The '93 Buick Roadmaster is having issues. Who ever would have ever thought. (Go ahead and laugh at the Roadmaster, but seriously, it's a smooth ride!) Nick is going to try to fix it this weekend, but he thinks it is the starter, and in a Buick apparently the starter is hard to get to. We may have to use a mechanic...and that will cost money. Money that we just don't have. Between taking on the new bill for the IVF, and the rising costs of ALL of our living expenses, things have just gotten tight. I know we can make it work. We make enough money, it's just getting used to the changes. Each time that it feels like we can handle it, that we can adjust, we get hit with something else. It's just when your house payment, home owners insurance, gas bill, electric bill, water bill and cable bill all go up over a couple month period, it stings. Add in the stress of wondering where the money will come from for the babies insurance and childcare (and you know, STUFF. Lord knows babies need stuff), and you get two kinda stressed out soon to be parents. I know with the financial crisis the US is in, our issues are small, but they sure are real. And it sucks.

7 Weeks

Well, just like that I am seven weeks pregnant! I honestly feel very normal. Honestly. The upset stomach I talked about last week is really just that my stomach hurts when I get really hungry. I have solved this by eating small snacks between meals. The only thing I have really noticed about my appetite is that I don't seem to be wanting sweets at all. That's right. I have been a die hard sweet fan since birth, but lately I could take them or leave them. It isn't like they seem terrible to me, just not worth my time. If I am craving something sweet, I really want something like peaches. I am not sure if this is a real pregnancy change or if it is more that I am aware that everything I eat goes to the baby, and so I am wanting to eat healthier than I ever have before. We will see how long it lasts...

Today I am in MY OWN JEANS! That is big. I have worn some of my own pants since the IVF, but not something as unforgiving as jeans. They seem to be fine now, but I am taking my amazing little belly band thing to work just in case they get to tight and I need to undo the button! At my ultrasound Doc told me that my ovaries were "almost" back to normal size. This surprised me. I had just assumed they went back to normal long ago, but he said when they get as large as mine did, it takes several weeks. I am thinking they might have had something to do with my inability to wear my own jeans up until now!

Besides those random things, all is amazing! I am sleeping a lot more than I ever have before, but when I wake up in the mornings I feel great. We have another ultrasound on the 27th, and I cannot wait to see our sweet little baby again! It just seems amazing that I am already seven weeks along...

Must get to Work on a Costume...

Did you know it is October 15th?? THE FIFTEENTH! That is half of October that is just DONE. Amazing. Anyway, the second half of October is filled with three of my favorite things....mine and Nick's anniversary, my birthday and HALLOWEEN. Nick and I love Halloween...LOVE IT. This is the reason it freaks me out just a little that the date is only 16 days away and we have NOTHING for our costumes. So rather than panic, I will just waste time by showing you some of our past costumes! (although I cannot find the BEST costume. Nick went as Edward Scissor Hands one year...IT.WAS.AWESOME. I will someday find a pic and post it to show his amazing transformation) Anyway...to the pics I did have on the computer

This is our first Halloween together back in 99...look at how young we look (and how tiny my arms are)!Some random year. It took us a long time to start dressing in couple costumes.This is only half on Nicks costume, and is actually his back...he had an additional costume on the front side...as for me, my mom made my outfit, and made it scandalously shortThis was our first couple costume, and it is one of my favorites. These were totally made from scratch (like anybody would sell these) and Nick is wearing women's underwear. He will do anything for a good costume.Last year we were Tetris. That shape would also be good for a pregnant girl!

So you see, we need to get to work. We have an idea. An Awesome idea. But these costumes aren't going to make themselves! Maybe we will get started tonight...

Ultrasound

One sweet little bean of a baby.

One perfect little heartbeat.

This is all really real.

Excited doesn't even begin to cover it.

One More Day!

Tomorrow we have our ultrasound! Our very first look at our sweet little baby. I am so excited to see the little coffee bean (that is how big he is right now according to my pregnancy journal)...but at the same time I am completely terrified that they will find something wrong. I am still really lacking symptoms and just have that "this is to good to be true" feeling. It feels like it has been FOREVER since our blood test, and I just need to see that things are as they should be to truly believe it. I know that there is no reason for there to be a problem, but between the infertility making me feel like this would never happen and from the days of me working in an OB/GYN ultrasound office, I know all to well that things go wrong. I am not focusing on the negative, but as the time gets closer I just get nervous. Hopefully tomorrow at 10:45 we will be able to put all those worries behind us and just completely enjoy being pregnant!

There is, of course, still the question of twins. We honestly wrote off the idea of twins back on the day of the blood test when the IVF nurse said "your beta looks like a strong positive for one, but not high enough to make us think it is two". Somehow Nick and I took this opinion as solid fact. The idea of twins has only recently snuck back into our minds as a possibility. Honestly I would be shocked (SHOCKED) if it were twins. I just feel like I would know. I know, that is stupid seeing as how I feel so normal I really don't think I would "know" I was pregnant at this point if it wasn't for the positive test. Still...we aren't expecting it, but we are definitely aware that there is a chance. And we will know the answer tomorrow! I will try to post on lunch and let you all know how the ultrasound goes. If I can't, I will get a post up as soon as I get home from work! So excited...

Not to Sound Like I am 14, but OMG a NEW TWILIGHT PREVIEW!!

I bet you all thought I had let my love for Twilight die. How could you have such little faith in my love of Edward Cullen?? Come on now. It's just once I read them all (*cough*...twice) I let it move more into the back of my mind. Of course, now that a new high-def preview has been released for the first movie...there is no controlling the love.
Twilight HD Exclusive Trailer


It clearly can never be as good as the book, but I am so excited for Thanksgiving weekend! (I am sure the family time will be nice too...)

**Emily, I know you are on bed rest. Buy these books! They will make those two weeks fly by!!**

6 Weeks

And just like that I am six weeks pregnant. Amazing, right? It is to me. That is like, half way done with the first trimester. Now I know what you all are saying, I didn't actually know I was pregnant until I was four weeks, so it isn't really like I was pregnant the entire time, but I disagree. The IVF made me hyper-aware of EVERY SINGLE DAY of the last six weeks, and so I am claiming them all as time vested. Four weeks of obsessing over if I would be pregnant, and then two weeks trying to convince myself that this is all real.

I have been thinking (obsessively) about the possibility of symptoms. I am pretty sure I don't really have any. I mean, I am TIRED. But I have been tired before I was "pregnant" so I can't really say for sure that it is only pregnancy induced. It could be the fall coming on. I always like naps in the fall. Then I thought about telling you all about how yesterday my stomach was...off. Like queasy. Uncomfortable. Kinda like I was going to be sick. Now, I WASN'T sick. No, it all passed. Mainly it passed when I went home and ate half a jar of bread and butter pickles. It is the second jar I have finished...this week, but THAT isn't weird. I mean, I have always really loved me some bread and butter pickles. Sure, I don't usually sit around and eat them, especially not to settle my stomach, but it sounded like it would work, and it did! (then a little while later my stomach was REALLY queasy, but I mean, COME ON, I ate half a jar of pickles, what did I expect?? I cannot even begin to call THAT a pregnancy symptom). So, that's it. No symptoms at all. Just six weeks pregnant and PERFECTLY NORMAL.

Funny how as I struggled with infertility I searched for ANY sign I might possibly be pregnant, and now that I am I am so quick to shoot down all signs. Explain them away. I think it is fear. Fear of losing all of this, because i have never been so happy about something before in my entire life. Hello week six. I am so happy to meet you!

Reunion

My ten year high school reunion is two weeks from Saturday. I have known the date for over a year and I still haven't truly committed to going. I don't really know what I am waiting for, but I am definitely stalling. At first I told myself I wanted to know if I was going to be pregnant or not. I didn't want to go and be HUGE pregnant. It just didn't sound fun. Then as each step of infertility went on and we still weren't pregnant, I wasn't sure I wanted to go if I WASN'T pregnant either. I am not sure exactly what I wanted, but seems like I got it. I am pregnant, but not so big and miserable that I don't want that to be how people remember me for the next ten years. But still, I stall...

I know a lot of people walk out of high school and say, "Thank GOD it's over! I will NEVER go back!", but that honestly wasn't me. I loved high school. I was really active in school and had lots of amazing friends. If you asked me on graduation day if I would ever consider skipping the reunion I would have laughed in your face. At that time, this was the best time of my life! I would NEVER miss seeing these people again. The thing is, over the next ten years I realized that it was only the best time of my life...so far. Things honestly just got better. I went to college and made new friends. Not necessarily better friends, but friends that are more like the adult I was becoming. I got an amazing job and an amazing husband. I love my life now, and never really think about or miss the school days. I stayed close to some high school friends for a few years, but honestly now I am only close to one. My best friend growing up, Nancy, isn't able to come to the reunion because she is in a wedding. It was a blow. If she was going, there would be no doubt. But she isn't ...and I have to decide if I want to go alone. (well, of course Nick would be going, but that's different. We didn't go to the same school)

When I was at the wedding this past weekend I saw one of my closest friends from high school. She is collecting the money for the reunion (did I tell you it was kinda expensive? Well it is. But dinner is included...) She pointed out I hadn't RSVPed yet, and asked how I could not go when I was an officer of the Senior Class....good point. Why am I fighting this?? It honestly doesn't sound bad to go. I won't be able to drink, but that's fine. I will see old friends. I am sure I will enjoy it. And yet I haven't sent the money. I am flighty and avoid the question on Facebook and Myspace. I just don't know! It happens to fall on the weekend we would celebrate both my birthday and our anniversary. Maybe that is holding me back. Do I want to spend MY weekend with old friends or with the friends I choose to be with now? Both sound good...but this is the one chance to see the old friends...at least for the next ten years.

I know this is rambling. I thought if I wrote about it, then it might all become clear. It hasn't. Did you all go to your high school reunion? Did you walk in alone, seeing friends you grew apart from years ago? Were you glad you went? I really think I will go. I just feel like I will regret it if I don't. What do you all think?

PS. If I go, pretend like you have NEVER seen that black and brown dress I wore to the wedding last weekend. It will be our little secret...

Mandy's Wedding

I actually had an amazingly busy weekend! Saturday I got up and went out to breakfast with all my girls, then went out to Keeneland to hang out...or at least I went out to the Keeneland parking lot for tailgating. Around the time everyone headed in for the races it was time for me to go home and get ready for a wedding (which is the actual point of this post...you know how I love to take picture at weddings!). Then Sunday we went to Candice's to hang out with the family, then went to Danville to spent time with my parents. I guess I am lucky I am still not having any pregnancy symptoms or this weekend would have been really rough! (Although, I really do wish my body would start telling me I am pregnant already! That ultrasound cannot come soon enough...)

Anyway, the picture post is dedicated to my sweet little (loyal Bio Girl reader) Mandy. Our families have been close since we were children and it was so great to be there for her big day! Here are the adorable bride and groom!I know I may be partial (I did get married in October as well) but I love a fall wedding! Here are me and Nick sitting outside in the perfect fall weather! They could not have asked for a better day for a wedding!You know how it is when you go to a wedding and you know everyone there? That was this wedding. here is a group of girls my sisters and I hung out with growing up.Mandy with my little sister Missy. Missy came in for the wedding, but is officially moving back to KY! We have missed her so much!This picture would be really great if the photographers shoulder wasn't in it... Have I ever told you all that I stand RIGHT BEHIND the photographer at weddings? Apparently they have a good eye for pictures...There was dancing...first Mandy and TobyThen Mandy and her dad

There was a bouquet toss that resulted in a bridesmaids dress being pulled down. There was boob that popped out...it was hilariousMissy and Becky seemed to be responsible for the boob incident...Becky doesn't look like she feels bad at all...

Me and Whitney chillin at the barBoo and Chris just hanging outAnother random girl shot...this time in the bathroomSisters

And we will end with a picture of the bride with her sweet mama!

Mandy, everything was beautiful! Thanks for having us be with you on your big day! Love you tons and tons!

5 Week Belly Shots!

I don't have time to do the wedding post today, so instead, you get the first belly pictures! Yes, it is a little early for belly posts, but I thought I would go ahead and give you a starting point picture. I wont post the belly shots again until there is some form of a change...it actually took me this long to be willing to take the initial picture because I have felt so big lately (which is supported by my inability to wear my own pants!). Saturday was the first day I have worn something that is my own, so I thought it was now or never!Shirt down...and then actual (non-)belly!

Dirty Thirty

I am pretty proud of myself for keeping my promise and posting these pictures today! There is a slight chance I am only doing it because I know we have a wedding this weekend (can't wait Mandy!!) and I will want to post those pics on Sunday...so gotta get this event out of the way! I know you all said in the comments you want love the pregnancy talk (I am glad, because I really don't think I could stop it anyway) but I don't have much to add for today in that regard, so I will just roll into the party pics! I will add that you did talk me out of wishing for nausea, but I must say I don't actually WANT to be sick. I just wish there was something that could convince me that this is all real. Nausea seems like it would work. Still, I hope I am lucky enough to not be sick, and that once I go for the ultrasound I will be able to accept that this truly is happening!

So anyway, Dirty Thirty. My friend Tarp's boyfriend Jim had him a birthday bash last weekend. Theme was obviously Dirty Thirty. Some people at this party went all out with the "dirty", but we kept it pretty clean. We weren't even sure how a guy pulls off dirty, but Tarp was able to show us!

So I edited the picture so you can't TOTALLY see his shirt (I am not sure why I felt this was necessary. I know I cuss on here, but it seemed a little in-your-face to just post the shirt for everyone to see...also, he ordered it online if you are curious...not sure who else would want such a shirt to wear around town, but you never know)

So what does a birthday boy pair with such a tank top you might be asking?

Yes...assless chaps (are their any other kind? everyone kept calling them "assless" so I just went with it...) Thank GOD he decided to wear underwear. Here is Tarp's boyfriend Jim with Kim. He just had on jeans. There were some other serious outfits, but alas I don't have them pictured...here is me and Nick. Don't worry, I got my hair done today so those terrible roots have been taken care of...Charing, Scott, Boo and KimCandice and Davis. Her outfit was adorable, but I clearly didn't capture it in the pictureRyan and ArielleCharing and Scott

And finally this random shot Tarp took while standing on a chair of me, Nick, Whitney, Becky and Boo. I mad fun of him when he took it, but I kinda like it!

It was a pretty great birthday party all around. I wish they had cut the cake...it is just mean to tempt the pregnant girl who can't drink with a delicious cake and then forget to cut it...I guess everyone else was drinking to much, but I didn't forget...

5 Weeks

I swear I will someday talk about something besides being pregnant on here...like tomorrow! When I promise (fingers crossed just in case) to post the pictures of the Dirty Thirty party! Still, for today it seems like at least one more nothing-but-pregnancy post is appropriate seeing as how I am officially five weeks pregnant today. Five weeks sounds so much better than four (and six will sound better than five). Everyday that passes it makes this seem more real, and at the same time so much more fake. I am fighting the urge to call Doc and ask for another blood test. I want to be reassured that my numbers are going up. That I am STILL pregnant. I know this is the infertility talking. Doubting everything I know. Still, this two and a half week wait to the ultrasound feels like an eternity!

So I am fighting the urge to call for now. Believing Doc knows best and that if I needed multiple blood tests, I would be getting them. As crazy as if sounds, I would love a good wave of nausea right around now. Just to prove that things are happening. As it stands, I feel pretty normal. Just a slightly more tired, bigger boobed version of Sarah. I know it is early, and the signs will come. For now, I love that I am officially five weeks along!

A Little Unexpected

Well, I was laying on the couch last night, about to get rolling with some dinner, when I sneezed. Big news, I know. The thing is, when I sneezed, I had an INSANE pain on my right side near my ovary. Like TERRIBLE. Like pull your legs up and cry out kinda of pain. Nick jumped up, ran over to me, and about twenty five seconds later it was gone. Totally normal. He asked if I thought something was wrong with the baby, and I told him I didn't really think so. It didn't feel like period cramping, it felt much more like when a cyst burst. A sharp pain, that then went away.

The rest of the night was uneventful. I was perfectly normal with no more cramping, but I kept my mind on the sharp pain. I called Doc first think this morning and the nurse agreed with me. The pain has nothing to do with the baby. It was either, a.) a cyst bursting. Apparently during pregnancy your ovaries get larger. If you have cysts, they can burst during this time and cause a great deal of pain. There is no danger to the baby. Or b.) the adhesion's from the endometriosis breaking apart. when the uterus starts to stretch during pregnancy, it will break all those adhesion's. I had heard of that. That people with stage four endo can have a painful pregnancy because of this...I just kinda forgot.

Either way the nurse said not to worry. That there was really nothing they could do for the pain, but it has no effect on the pregnancy. I really feel fine now. It was all really fast. That leads me to believe it was an adhesion breaking and not a cyst. The other cysts I have had burst lingered a lot longer. Honestly it scared me more than anything. I was terrified something was wrong with the baby. It was the beginning of a miscarriage. As time went on and I felt fine, I kinda calmed down, but still, I am worried. I guess there is nothing to do but hope we are right and wait for my ultrasound on the 13th. I guess I also need to be aware of where I am when I sneeze from now on!