Happy Freakin' Holidays...

So you know what it totally the OPPOSITE of the holiday spirit??

Oh that would be hitting my perfectly little truck while it is innocently parked in front of my house on Thanksgiving night...and then not leaving a note. Right. A hit and run to start the holiday off right. Awesome.

**bumper dented and cracked, light scratched, right panel dented and scratched, wheel well shattered...this doesn't look cheap. Good thing we have insurance, but sure would be nice to have the guy who actually did it pay!**

Lesson Learned

So I learned a valuable lesson yesterday. A lesson I believe is worth sharing with you all, especially if you are pregnant. This pregnancy life lesson began with the fact that I slept in until 10:30 or so. I usually wake up around eight, so this was a pleasant surprise. I got up and somehow checked my email and posted on my blog without getting anything to eat or drink. I then heard that Nick was awake in the bedroom and was watching the Macy's parade. I went back to bed to watch with him. We got up at maybe 11:30 or 12...whenever it was over. I then made my way to the kitchen to make something to eat....but the kitchen was kinda a mess. I started cleaning...and then it happened. I NEARLY PASSED OUT. It hit me all at once. "Oh, I am really hungry...and dizzy...and...oh my..." then I got the tunnel vision and everything went dark. I grabbed on to the counter for a minute for balance, then I made it to the fridge to grab the apple juice bottle and kinda crawled to the couch. I drank the rest of the juice, and started to feel better. but still...STILL. I am a girl that likes to eat, but I can handle skipping a meal. Especially breakfast! Pre-pregnancy I actually never ate breakfast! Apparently not anymore. My body didn't like the no food until noon plan one little bit. And so it just completely gave out on me all together! Pregnancy is making me a big old baby!

So, besides the entire nearly hitting the floor due to hunger, our Thanksgiving was perfect. We made it to Nick's dads house around three, and were there spending time with the family (playing Rock Band, which was very enjoyable) until late in the night. We did lots of talking about Twilight (my SIL is currently reading the series) and looking at Christmas ads. It was relaxing and wonderful family time. We have one more family dinner on Sunday, and I can't wait! Now I am off to do dinner and a movie with my childhood best friend who is in town for the holiday. So excited!

13 Weeks and so Much to be Thankful For

Well Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I truly hope that you are finding time to be with your families or loved ones over the next few days. We did Thanksgiving with my parents yesterday and it was amazing. Delicious food and the best company ever...doesn't get much better! Today we are off to Nick's dad's, then Sunday we are going to Nick's moms. This is the first year we have managed to only do one Thanksgiving per day, and I gotta say, it is moving to the top of my "things to be thankful for" list! It was so relaxing to not have to rush out the door or to have to watch what I eat so I can eat this all again in two hours. We just cooked, then ate, then watched a couple movies (man, where was I for Iron Man, that movie is pretty damn good!). It was a perfect day. We are so blessed with three amazing families and I am so happy we have time this year to dedicate to each one of them!

So, in case you are wondering what is number one on the "things to be thankful for" list it is this sweet baby C (shocking). We are now officially in the second trimester and all sorts of thrilled about it. The baby is now the size of a peach (I think we are going to be in the fruit analogies for a long time...) and is rapidly growing everyday. Lots of very interesting (to me) biology stuff is rolling with the baby, like there are villi in the intestines which have now migrated into the body (they are formed in the umbilical cord) and the baby's voice box is formed, along with the gallbladder which is now producing bile! I assume these little facts don't amaze you like they do me, but I will go ahead and share them anyways! Basically everyday that passes the baby is becoming more and more of a little person!

As for me, I am great! I may have put a pound back on, but I can't tell for sure. My scale keeps giving it to me, then taking it back. I have decided to just let my doctor keep track of my official weight gain, which will have my start weight at my ten week appointment. At that point I had lost the five pounds of the IVF weight, so it seems like a good starting point. I realized at Thanksgiving yesterday that I no longer have the nausea like I might die if I over eat, and can totally gorge myself of whatever I want. Good to know with the holidays here! (also, maybe not the best thing to know...) Apparently my uterus is on a growing spurt and has now filled my pelvis and has moved up into my abdomen. I think that's about it. I am thrilled to be in the second trimester because it is closer to having out baby, and the chances of miscarriages drop down once again. I am so lucky that I feel so great, and honestly am just so, so Thankful!

Better

I should really avoid posting when I am annoyed or down. That last post came across as so winy! The weather is much better around here and so is life. The party was actually fun (it is the first time I have seen his work people since finding out we are pregnant. Not even all of them knew!) Work is really going okay. Stressful but okay. I thought today would be worse, but honestly it is rolling along fine. It is my last day of work for the week (awesome) and I am getting that excited feeling of having several extra days off! I always thought people who said that Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday were CRAZY, but now, (although I think they are lying because seriously, who doesn't like Christmas best??) I can sorta see where they are coming from. Tomorrow starts a five day span of time with all of our families and great food. What more could I ask for?? (except for presents...which is what makes Christmas better!)

**I did just seriously burn some pasta (who burns pasta??) while I was catching up on google reader on my lunch, but you can't win them all! Nothing is getting me into a funk today!**

Nasty

Our weather here is just nasty right now. We were getting some snow, which I like, but now it has moved into a cold nasty rain. It makes me feel down just to look outside. On top of that my work life is INSANE right now. We lost a person in the lab, and now are scrambling to work out a new schedule for only two people. Add in the fact that it is the holidays, and we are insanely busy, and you get a very frazzled bio girl. (A very frazzled bio girl who is SO HAPPY to have a job. Really shouldn't complain) Tonight we have a dinner party for Nick's work, and I honestly just want to lay on the couch and skip the entire thing. I am sure the weather is pushing me in that direction. I am so influenced by bad weather. Just puts me in a bad mood.

My Thanksgiving starts on Wednesday, so I am sure that will cheer me up! Until then I just need to keep in mind on the family time, the time off work, and the turkey and the pumpkin pie! Hope you all are having a better start to the week than me. Is it really only Monday??

While Waiting In Line for Twilight...

So I am going to tell you how I felt about the Twilight movie (of course I am...how can I resist talking about Twilight one more time?), but first, let me tell you what happened while I was waiting to get into the theater. So we are in line. We got there early so we were in the line for maybe thirty minutes. Obviously we chatted a little with the people around us. You all would do that, right? Well, we did. They were friendly enough. The woman, who was in her mid to late 30's, was telling us how she went up to Chicago to meet the guy that plays Edward. We were just chatting, and she notices my shirt. I wore this Twilight maternity shirt...yes, I am a huge dork (and the shirt was annoying and not really maternity, but it worked for the movie. Now they have much cuter ones...so sad)...which I didn't really expect many people to notice. We had been talking for a bit when she read my shirt and said, "Are you pregnant?" I tell her I am and she says "Well, you must not be very far along!" I tell her I am 12 weeks but I thought the shirt was cute. THEN she says, "How OLD are you??" with her voice full of this odd judgment that I was possibly pregnant. IT. WAS. WEIRD. I tell her I am 29, and then she goes tells me how young I look and she CANNOT BELIEVE I am 29. (Reminds me of when this same sorta thing happened in South Carolina...) The entire situation made me feel kinda awkward. Plus, then we stayed in line with her for another ten minutes before we were let into the theater. In the theater she sat next to my sister in laws boyfriend and when she talked to him, she would touch his leg. She was kinda an odd duck...but still...

Now I have a couple questions sparked by this odd lady. First, how young do you have to look for it to be SHOCKING that you are pregnant?? Like she didn't seem a little surprised, or just curious. She seemed SHOCKED. Second, do I really look THAT young? I really don't think I look younger than my actual age (and yes, I was inline to see Twilight, but so was she! And there were LOTS of people that were clearly adults!) I think it is odd that this is the second time strangers have been shocked to learn I am pregnant or married in the last year. Third, who thinks it is okay to touch a strangers leg in a movie theater?? Finally, I think it is incredibly rude to ask someone their age in a shocked tone because you see they are pregnant (or married). What if I was super young? Now you have made me feel terrible about it!

Okay, so anyway, here is my spoiler free opinion on the Twilight movie. I actually really really liked it. It isn't as good as the book (of course) but they stay really true to the story and the characters. If you haven't read the book, I think you should read it first. I really don't know how good the movie would be without all the back story because it seemed to move a little fast. There are a couple of scenes I thought were a little overdone, but all in all I thought the acting was really great. Bella and Edward were both PERFECT which I was surprised by a little. I really didn't think I would like Bella, but Kristen Stweart was amazing. Some of my favorite scenes in the book are cut down, not out, but down, and that made me sad. I know they can't fit everything, but I wished there was more! I wish there were more of the rest of the Cullens too, but I guess you don't really get to know everyone until the later books. Honestly, it was a great start to the series and I can't wait for New Moon to come out. I am sure after the success of this one they will have a much larger budget to work with on it, which they will need for some serious special effects! (this one only had a budget of $35 million, and in the opening weekend brought in over $70...not a bad return!)

You Wanna Hang Out Tonight?

Oh wait...sorry...I have plans...

With the Cullens....

PS. I got the T4 results back and they look perfectly normal! They said I don't need medication and they will just continue to monitor it the rest of the pregnancy!! YAY! Now I can watch Twilight in peace...

12 Weeks including Belly Pics!

Twelve weeks....I was all hype about twelve weeks because I really thought it was the start of the second trimester, but alas apparently that doesn't start until the END of the 12th week. Oh well. One last week in trimester one is a-okay with me! Me and first trimester have been good friends. I will even venture to say that so far, pregnancy has really agreed with me. I am still feeling great. No sickness at all. I am not as tired as I was, but when I go to bed I pass out. I am eating whatever I want, but have no real cravings to speak of, except maybe those salads I am hooked on...I have gained no weight. Actually I have no idea where to put my start weight at. I have lost five pounds since my biggest IVF weight, but I put on a good 5-7 pounds during the two months of hormone injections. So....I am either down five pounds or I am back to basically plus/minus zero. Where did you other IVF girls start counting your pregnancy weight?

So anyway, the sweet little baby is about the size of a lemon...so not much change there I guess. He/she is totally formed with fingernails and teeth and everything. Kinda cool...and that's about it. Just growing in there, turning into a little baby.

As for the Thyroid issue, I talked to the nurse again last night. She told me what someone should have told me on day one of this issue. I have a hypERthyroid. They typically only have to medicate a HypOthyroid. Ohhhhhhh...well....that's good to know! She said she had my T3 results in and they are perfectly normal. They are still waiting on the T4 results, but if they are normal too, then we don't have to do anything. I am already feeling relief, but am still excited to get the T4 results so we are completely in the know about all aspects of the pesky thyroid.

Now...to the belly shots! I didn't post them last week because I have only been taking pic's on the even weeks. Hope you all don't mind a bi-weekly picture plan!

Maybe not noticeable to a stranger, but there is something going on there...And the actual belly. Totally making changes!

Thyroid (non) Update

Well I got a call from BabyDoc's office yesterday at 5:30. They had my blood results in...but apparently there was a lab mix up and they ran the wrong test. Right. They reran the basic Thyroid test which came back just a little worse than the first one from over a week ago, but they didn't run the T3 and T4...which were the test I went in for. They said they could add it on, but because it is so late, they can't do it until today...so we don't get results until tomorrow.

I asked if I my levels are at a point that I should be concerned about miscarriage and she told me that a Thyroid condition is totally treatable with medication and once I get on that there will be no need to worry at all. BUT I AM NOT ON MEDICATION. I know that everything could be fine and I shouldn't panic, but it is just so frustrating!

Besides that my entire work world just turned upside down and I am in complete shock. This has been a rough week. Thank you all so much for the comments and prayers! They mean so much to me. I will hopefully have a real Thyroid update tomorrow!

This Again?

Well remember back when I was all upset about having my Thyroid levels out of whack? How having them out of whack can lead to miscarriages, and the last thing I needed was one more issue? Then right after the positive test Doc checked the levels out and said all was good and there was no need to worry. Well, I totally stopped worrying...basically. I just thought it wouldn't hurt to get them checked again, so when I had my first OB appointment with BabyDoc I asked them to check the thyroid while they run the other blood work. I got a call yesterday that my thyroid is once again high...or low...or whichever way it is that causes hyperthyroid issues. They had me come back in for a complete Thyroid panel (she did not sneeze this time while drawing the blood) and are suppose to call today or tomorrow with results. I have no idea what happens if it is found to be really off. I have no idea what any of it means and I am totally avoiding Doctor Google. All I know is that thyroid issues are directly related to miscarriages, and that freaks me the hell out. I am so glad I asked to have it rechecked. Now I am just waiting to hear what we do about it...

This is Weird, Right??

**This post has a lot of talk of Bra Sizes and odd dressing room attendants. It might not be as exciting as a google search would lead you to believe...just a warning***

So Saturday I was Christmas shopping at an outlet mall with my sisters. While shopping I wanted to get a new bra. I wear this wonderful Playtex bra. I wore Victoria Secret forever, and they just NEVER fit me right. Then one day I wandered in and tried on Playtex and they were a dream come true. The outlet mall has a Playtex outlet store, and since the pregnancy I have been having boob issues (you saw the reunion pictures, which was actually me bra-less, but shows things have been changing around here), so a new bra was high on the list of wants. I go in and right away just ask for a measurement. I have no idea what size I need, but clearly my 32B isn't cutting it.

Now, here is where, in my opinion, this situation gets odd. The lady takes me in the dressing room and I take off my sweater. I have on a little tank top under it so I leave that on. She measure me and says that I need...a 38 A. There is nothing wrong with a 38 A. I was an A for many years. I just...don't see how THESE are a 38 A when I am busting out of my 32 B. She runs out to bring me some 38A's and some 36 B's (which I asked for and she seemed iffy on getting me) and she comes back with both. Neither in the actual style of bra I requested. Then, THEN she says "You don't mind if I just stay in here with you while you try these on, right? I really need a break and sitting down feels wonderful." I stare at her. Thinking these seems like a really rude request. I mean, I am not trying on shirts here, I am trying on BRA'S. That means I am TOPLESS. And my body is changing and although I am a really REALLY open person who never really minds people seeing me, I am not totally comfortable in my own skin, much less trying on Bra's that seem to be to totally be the wrong size!

I stare at her, and she says, "Oh don't worry, I will just turn my head. I REALLY need the rest". And I say fine. I don't know why I didn't want to seem rude when SHE was so incredibly rude to ask such a thing, but I figured I really didn't care, and she is some sort of a professional I guess... I go for the 36B and (shocking) it is way to big around the middle and still really small in the cups. She takes a look and informs me that that wont work, and goes to get me a 34C. Yet again in the wrong style. She comes back and I try it on. It is much to big in the cups. She informs me that there is no bra for me, and that I should just keep what I have and come back in a month.

Once she leaves the dressing room my sisters come in (which is TOTALLY normal. I have no issues trying on bra's with THEM) and I am just so frustrated and confused. I am embarrassed to go out and try more things on because the lady told me that nothing would work, but I don't WANT to leave here without a bra. I go out and get the actual bra I want in a 34B and a 34 C and I see her watching and she seems annoyed. How is this her business?? The 34 B fit fine. I may need a different bra in a few months, but that is few months down the road. Once I was along I was able to make a decision in about five minutes. I just needed to be ALONE (with my sisters...they don't count). And to try on the actual bra size/style I needed. NOT a 38 A.

SO, that's it. Just an annoying story that I thought I would share, because seriously, Who asks if they can sit in your dressing room to hide from work while you try on bra's?? WHO??

**For the record, this wasn't like a scarring situation. I don't feel violated or anything, it just seems so ODD...and rude**

**Also, shopping was wonderful, but a heads up that Gap outlets no longer carry maternity. It was depressing..**

Never Mind about that "Too Early for Christmas" Stuff...*SHAME*

So remember how on Friday I was all like, "CRAZY NEIGHBORS!! Who puts up Christmas decorations NOW??" Right. I remember that too. The thing is...I went out of town yesterday to do some Christmas shopping...and when I got home...I saw this in my living room*...

I was also woken up to Christmas music being played in the house. Did I ever tell you that Nick LOVES Christmas. LOVES IT. He said he was cleaning out the attic yesterday (damn he is always working on something) and decided to go ahead and get the Christmas decorations down. He put them in the garage...except the tree. He went ahead and put that in the living room. Right. He said we would wait to decorate it until Thanksgiving weekend...but...I don't want to wait NOW. NOW that we have the tree, I want to put lights on it! and ornaments! and light a fire in the fire place! and watch "It's a Wonderful Life" ! AND...have it be CHRISTMAS!

Does it make it any better that when we woke up this morning we had this on our cars...

That's snow people. Once it snows it is all fair in holiday decorating! Okay....we will keep our window closed until Thanksgiving so nobody sees we are the people that put a tree up early...*shame* (then laughs and starts to sing "We wish you a merry Christmas" unpacking the Christmas presents bought yesterday)

* We do not have a stuffed polar bear as our tree topper. That is one of Ellie's Christmas toys. Also, look at Nick in the kitchen...he is celebrating me saying the tree can stay. I do love him so.

The Holiday Season is Here

You wanna know what I saw in my next door neighbors yard this morning? This...

There is even more to it, which I will photograph for you later (this was of course a sneak picture...couldn't let them SEE me photographing this for the blog). There are candy canes that line the sidewalk and reindeer with heads that move (FREAKED my cousin Liz out when she lived here with us). All packed into the smallest front yard imaginable. Their dedication is sorta impressive...

When I realized that our super classy neighbors (who god bless them, really are sweet, they just LOVE the holidays) already had the Christmas decorations up on November 14th I rolled my eyes in disgust. "Can't they wait until after Thanksgiving!" I say...to myself. I am alone in the car. Then I turn the radio to 94.5 to see if they have started the 24-7 Christmas music yet. They have. Another eye roll...followed by a good two hours of driving around singing to the Christmas songs while I ran errands. I do love Christmas music...

11 Weeks

Does it seem like time is just kinda flying to anybody else? I am already 11 weeks pregnant, and we are rolling into the holidays. That time ALWAYS flies. Anyway, 11 weeks. I feel great except for this pesky sinus infection. You all totally freaked me out with the Afrin addiction discussions so you will be pleased to hear I am off of it and using only Sudafed until I feel better. I actually woke up this morning feeling more like myself, so I think we might be nearing the end of this issue.

So the baby, which is always much more interesting that my sinus issues, is now the size of a large lime! I KNOW. That's big, right? Not even just a little lime, but a LARGE lime. My uterus now fills my pelvis, which also seems alarming. The baby has fingers and toes and is now moving all around on his/her own (not that I can feel anything because even a large lime is pretty small). He/she is also now officially a fetus and no longer just an embryo because all organs are formed and all that is left is a whole lot of growing.

As for me, I am great. No morning sickness. No pregnancy related sickness at all. I still have no weight gain, and the little baby bump is about the same size as last week. I am loving a good salad these days...especially one covered in cheese and little crispy sticks and fried chicken...fried chicken helps. Pour on some honey mustard and hot beacon dressing and I am in heaven (and proud because you know, salads are healthy). So that's it! 11 weeks and doing great!

Afrin

Have you all ever used Afrin? It is a sinus medicine that is over the counter and comes as a nasal spray. When we were at the doctor yesterday he said along with my antibiotic, I could take Sudafed, but that he really recommends Afrin...that it seems to work better and is safe for pregnancy. Now, twenty four hours later, I am seriously torn on the question of if Afrin comes from God himself, or the devil. First off, as soon as I got home I popped off the cap and gave each nostril a good squirt. One squirt. And I seriously thought my entire head might explode. I was concerned. It was...tears welling in my eyes kinda painful. I immediately flipped the bottle over to make sure I wasn't taking it wrong (seemed self explanatory to me, but still...could this PAIN be right??) and it said to squirt 2-3 times in each nostril. ARE THEY SERIOUS?? One almost killed me!

I threw the bottle across the room and yelled something along the lines of "no more devil spray for me" and then sat down to eat my (delicious) twice baked pizza (would have been better if I could taste it). Then....then an amazing thing happened. maybe ten minutes after the devil spray was in my nose, I COULD BREATH! No more running nose, no more sneezing, NO MORE DRAINAGE. I still had the nasty cough, but that was it! And so it was decided, AFRIN IS FROM GOD HIMSELF. So I carefully go and pick up the bottle and apologize to it for being so cruel and judging so quickly. I then feel the sleepiness coming on. The sleep I needed for the past two days was finally going to happen! I laid down and drifted off...only to wake up an hour later with what I will refer to as the Devil Afrin's head ache. IT. WAS. AWFUL. And it never went away. I could numb it with Tylenol (regular strength...because you know...pregnant) and that would give me three hours. Then one hour of waiting in misery for it to be time to take more Tylenol. Then back to sleep.

And so my day went. I only got out of bed for dinner, and then I had to take more devil spray. It allowed me to sleep all night except when the head ache woke me for more Tylenol. I am on the fence about this Afrin...one one side it stopped all sinus issues. One the other side, I question whether it did long term damage to my brain. I guess time will tell...

Under the Weather

I'm sick. That bad kinda sick where you want to just sleep but you can't because your entire body hurts from top to bottom. My throat is aching, my ears are ringing, my nose is totally raw but still wont stop running...it is...miserable. And basically your classic sinus infection. We had our appointment today which went amazingly well. Our doc had a hard time finding the heart beat and was about to roll in the ultrasound machine when he started feeling around and said, "Oh! You are really growing! I am looking way to low!" After that he found it really quickly and it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard!

He wrote me a script for some antibiotics and said he would see us in four weeks. FOUR WEEKS. Seems like forever... He then sent me to get some blood work where the girl also seemed a little under the weather and she sneezed right in the middle of drawing my blood...which was just about the most painful thing imaginable seeing how how her arm jerked with the giant needle in my veins. Good times...

Okay, so baby is perfect. The doc said it was a really strong heart beat and everything looked amazing! Mama-to-be will hopefully be better now that I have some medicine. I am going to see if I might be able to get some sleep...

Ewww...

Last night around two thirty in the morning Elie started acting...crazy. We have what I would define as a lazy dog, so her running around in the middle of the night is extremely out of the norm. Nick got up to see what she was after and told me we might have a mouse. The last time we had a mouse I DID NOT handle it well. I actually ended up standing in the office chair screaming my head off, then attempting to LEAP from the office chair to the safety of the hallway, only to find midway into my jump that there was a flaw in my master plan due to the office chair being a SWIVEL chair. It spun out from under me and I came crashing down to the floor....the floor where THE MOUSE WAS. I FLIPPED OUT and Nick had to pull me from the room screaming. This is an embarrassingly true story that a Biologist should really never tell. Still, it points out that I am NOT a fan of any form of wildlife in my home.

It is possible that the sleepiness associated with pregnancy has changed me a touch because when he said this I simply got up, looked at Ellie, decided there was no danger, and went to back to bed. This morning I got up and filled her food bowl and left for work. I got a call from Nick a little later...He was picking up the living room and he thought there was one of Ellie's toys next to her food bowl...until he got close and realized IT WAS A GIANT CHIPMUNK! YES. A GIANT DEAD CHIPMUNK was right next to her food bowl just laying there!!!!

We debated for a bit how I missed seeing it this morning (nick assured me that due to its size, it really did look like a stuffed animal) and how in the hell it got into the house (still no clue). Nick then went to dispose of the poor thing. (thank GOD I work today) He used some Tupperware (which I told him to throw away IMMEDIATELY!) to scoop it up and throw it away. He was walking around back when HE SAW IT TAKE A BREATH!! YES. It was ALIVE!!! He put it in the back year to see if it was about to die or just in shock. He then called me back and said it's little legs are starting to move....I think the little guy might make it! Good for him, as long as he NEVER comes back in my house again!! EEEK.

**Nick is now convinced he has healing powers due to this case and another involving a bird in the back yard that had fallen from a tree he cut down and looked all sorts of mangled and dead. He was overcome with guilt and about to bury it when all of a sudden, it jumped up like nothing had happened, shook out its feathers and flew away. He is calling himself the Animal Healer now...

10 Weeks (Bith Belly Pic's!)

Ten weeks pregnant. That's double digits. Not sure if your parents made as big of a deal as mine did about turning TEN, but the entire switch to double digits was a big deal in our house. Maybe that is part of the reason ten weeks sounds so exciting to me! That and the fact that it means we are 25% of the way done with the pregnancy with no complications. Also there is the fact that once you hit ten weeks the percent of miscarriage drops all the way down to 3%. THREE PERCENT!

The very factual and scientific place where I get my pregnancy information has told me (and been backed up by my trusty pregnancy journal) that week nine is commonly the peak in peoples morning sickness and that it could be starting to fade around now. This is the point where I wisper that I still have not had a drop of morning sickness and have honestly felt amazing the entire ten weeks (besides the eating associated nausea that was completley solved with constant grazing and unbuttoning of my pants). I know I am a lucky lucky gal and am really hoping the luck holds out and I am one of those freaks who skip the sickness all together!

So what else...the baby is the size of a medium shrimp these days...which I find an odd comparison but it is what the trusty journal gave me. He/she apparently also looks a lot like a (really tiny) baby at this point. Amazing! I am incredibally emotional and have found myself tearing up over songs on the radio (damn country music), tv shows (oh Brothers and Sisters..>I love you, but you are EVIL with the emotions!) and hell, even tv commercials, of course the election, holiday plans, emails...it has been a roller costar, but Nick has been good with me and I really think I am taking it in stride.


Now, here are some new belly shots! I realize that I am only ten weeks and that this is mostly bloating, and maybe you all can't see it, but I can tell there is a change. I am sure the change will be obvious to everyone soon enough! (here is the link to the last pics I posted so you can compare!) (also, for the record, still no weight gain)
Not so noticeable in my t-shirt
but in this one I think I can see that things they are a changing!

Maybe I should learn to do this someday...

So I was out on the road for work this morning. I was driving around contemplating the important aspects of Baby C's future (deciding if gravy and biscuits from McDonald's will give me heart burn) and paying close attention to the road (talking on my cell to Charing) as I was getting onto the interstate. The little pickup truck I was driving began to shake. I thought to myself, "DAMN TRUCK! Why didn't they leave me the van to drive??" As I keep driving the truck shakes more and more. I am screaming at Charing, thinking this is going to be a REALLY annoying hour drive, when I take a look out my rear view mirror and see...large chunks of black stuff flying out from under the truck. I think to myself, "that can't be good...." and get off the phone to pull over. What do I see when I get out??

That is one hell of a flat tire...see the way it is totally shredded?? Like some idiot DROVE on it when it was TOTALLY flat because she has NO IDEA what a flat tire feels like...yeah. (all pictures taken with my cell phone, but they came out pretty good!) So what did I do? I called work. There was no way in hell I was going to be able to change this thing on my own.

So, Justin came to my rescue. He drove to meet me and got to work...

I stood back and pretended to be checking the time when I was really taking more pictures on my cell. I mean, I KNEW I was annoying when I am the poor girl from the lab who can't change a tire, but I would be down right OBNOXIOUS if I said, "Lay there in the dirt and let me take your picture for my blog!!" Instead I said things like, "Wow...that looks hard", or "how did you know how to do that??" OR..."you look really sweaty...good thing it isn't the middle of summer, hua??" I am sure those things weren't annoying at all...

For the record, even if I could change a tire, there is NO WAY I would lay on the dirty side of the road! I have on my favorite red t-shirt that I have had for like ten years and is perfectly worn in (okay...I bought it at j. crew last Christmas, but it is PERFECT, and there is NO WAY I would risk it for a tire...)

After a little while the KY safety patrol stopped to help out...this picture was also taken on the sly. I find it odd that it is this guys job to drive up and down the interstate and help stranded drivers...but the two of them got the tire changed and I was back on the road in no time! See the way the rubber kinda curled but on the sides and there are big pieces of metal in it?? I think it is kinda pretty...when I got back to the lab the GM asked if we would be able to patch it....Ahhhh hahahaha...no.

It took two hours, but...

I love that the lines are so long. I love that people care so much about voting in this historic election. No matter which side you are on, I hope you get out there and vote!

Money Crunch

So I mentioned on here before how I am a little stressed about money. Last week Nick and I sat down to rework the budget. Most of our bills had increased, and with the new IVF bill on our plate we realized this wasn't something we could just roll with and make little adjustments. We realized that over the last two months we have had to find....wait for it...an extra four hundred dollars in our budget. Yes. Four hundred dollars. A month.

So we started cutting. First thing that had to go were the "let's eat out because I don't feel like cooking" meals. We just can't do it. We did leave a cheap meal out and a nice meal out every pay period, but that's it. The rest we need to eat at home. We still each have our spending money for lunches out if we want them, but that is up to us. We had to reduce the amount we put in savings, readjust the amounts that go into the Christmas and gift accounts, and a few other little things...but the big one, the big money saver, had to come from the grocery store.

We currently spend about $250 every time we go to the store. Then go back and spend another $50 or so over the two week period. This $600 a month needed to be cut down...to $400. This seems like a reasonable amount for a family of two, but at the same time seems IMPOSSIBLE. Still, we were going to try. We made a menu and a list of what we actually needed. I actually clipped coupons! So yesterday we went to the store. And we were worried...worried it was not possible to honestly buy what we needed and keep it at $150. We still bought extras. Ice cream, chips, 100 calorie packs. Things that weren't on the list, but that I knew we wanted and would eat. We got cleaning things we needed and cat litter...it was a regular trip to the grocery. Just a trip with a plan. And the grand total...$149.17. I am really starting to think this might actually be possible!

Lazy Weekend

I have had one of those awesome weekends were we haven't done much of anything at all. Friday night we had dinner with my sisters and handed out candy, then I went to Old Navy and the Gap to spend some of my birthday money. God bless them and their maternity sections! They have such normal looking clothes that just happen to give me a little (lot) of stretch to grow into! I got the deal of a lifetime on a pair of jeans from the Gap that were originally $68 and were marked down to $30, but then for some unknown reason they were MISMARKED down again to...$15. Yes, I got this most lovely pair of Gap secret panel jeans for FIFTEEN DOLLARS. I was excited...

Yesterday my sisters came over and Missy helped Nick in the yard while Boo helped me clean out my closet and switch out some clothes. (how did I talk my sisters into such a day?? That doesn't sound like fun for them at all....) After that Nick and I made dinner and just laid around watching The Fifth Element (nerds) some show about the Presidents (even bigger nerds)...a rockin' Saturday night.

Today we are going to the grocery store (with a list!!! and coupons!!! I will let you know what we save...) and then I am heading to my parents for dinner. So...like I said in the title (and supported by the boring post) we have had a perfect lazy weekend. Hope you all are relaxing too!