WOW...there really IS a baby in there!

This week was a big week for us!  We found out we're having a boy!  I've never been more excited, relieved, happy, so many words come to mind about this baby.  This pregnancy has been a nerve-racking process and all of a sudden I have an overwhelming feeling of relief.  I guess working in the industry I do and my natural ability to over worry I've built up a lot of anxiety.  We had a full bio-physical profile ultrasound of this baby where we looked at everything...I mean everything.  It is quite amazing how much we already know about this baby!  We looked at all the extremities, brain, heart, abdomen and all in detail.  We looked at the heart beat, did a mini-ekg, checked out the placenta and the blood flow to and from.  It was amazing to see all this going on inside me and without my direction.  It's truly amazing how life starts and grows all without my conscious help.  The human body has always fascinated me but this is by far it's greatest achievement.  Through all my morning sickness, food poising, a cold, lack of sleep and good nutrition at times it's easy to imagine how the development of this child could go wrong...at least that's the way I think.  But, I guess, these bumps in the road our body's are use to and possibly makes our genes stronger.  In our history of man,  our in utero-babies have survived much worse I know.  Although we don't have the final report about the ultrasound, it made me feel better...just knowing if there is something wrong we should know if not by now at least very soon.  The ultrasound tech was wonderful.  She was a pro!  The little guy of coarse made it difficult for her.  The little guy was hiding behind my belly button with his face pointed up with his hands covering his face.  So we really didn't get to "see" his face very well.  She had to do a lot of the ultrasound from my side.  But when it came to the sex, well that was easy.  He was sitting with his legs wide open for the world to see.  We all looked at the monitor and said, BOY!  It didn't take an ultrasound tech to figure that out!  That was about the clearest shot we got.  The ultrasound took about an hour and we didn't find out the sex until the 59th minute.  So there was a lot of build up...very exciting!  Jane then excused herself for a, "call" and brought back a celebratory balloon that said, "It's a boy"  She had both ready in the car.  We were so touched and excited we had to take a picture!  It was a great day!  Even though, poor Mike, had emergency tooth surgery that morning where they had to pull a wisdom tooth that had fused to his jaw...so incidentally had a bit of his jaw removed.  So if he looks a little 'out of it' in that picture it's because half his face was numb and was a few deep in vicodin.  I was amazed he even made it to the appointment at all.  He's much better now and healing well.  OK enough rambling for today..
xoxo Kim 

It's a BOY!!!

bump @ 17weeks

Prego-brain

Warning to all!  Prego-brain is not just an urban legend but is actually very real and very scary!  Part of my brain has completely shut off.  I'm not kidding.  I probably should not even tell anyone this but really who is honestly reading this anyway.  Probably just a few of my closest friends and family who will probably get a kick out of this.  I have managed to loose my ATM card, my credit card, my drivers license and my work badge.  Now, these were all lost at different times so NO I did not just loose my purse.  These were all on different occasions and in the span of one week!  So how is this even possible you are probably asking yourself.  Well, I guess easy when you have prego-brain.  To make matters worse I lost these things all in the same way...you think I would learn the first 1-2 times.  You see, I wear hospital issued scrubs at work and naturally I can't carry a purse so I carry items in my scrub pockets.  So this is the sequence of events.  The first day, I had my atm card in my pocket to get cash out for lunch but to find the atm machine broken.  So I used my atm card to buy lunch.  At the end of the day I threw my scrubs in the dirty linen along with my atm card.  So the next day, not having an atm card or cash I had to bring my credit card to the deli.  At the end of the day I did the same damn thing.  I threw my scrubs in the dirty linen along with my credit card.  So a couple days go by and I don't loose anything.  Monday comes around and I can't find my work badge.  Now this has many consequences and is highly annoying.  I can't get into the staff parking garage so need to pay to park in the visitor lot (which remember I don't have an atm card, cash or credit card so this is difficult), I can't clock-in-out so my bosses have to manually enter my hours so it's inevitable my paycheck will be missing hours, and the fact that I could get in big trouble for not wearing a badge while giving patient care.  Well, also another consequence.  Wednesday, they were offering the flu shot to hospital employees.  Hospital employees who have their badge at least.  So, I had to take my drivers license with me to get the flu shot.  The good news is that they gave it to me but the bad news is that I threw it in the dirty linen, AGAIN!!!  You would really think that this is all impossible.  I have totally lost my mind!  This is all coming from someone who has never lost a single atm card, credit card, or license in her whole life.  The closest I've ever come to loosing a credit card is leaving it at the bar and forgetting to close out my tab.  But really was that my fault?  Not really, because in that instance I was over-served (as papa Kenney would say).   So really I have never really lost any of these things before!  I ,of coarse, closed the atm card and credit card but the license well you can't exactly do that.  I guess I could change my name but I've grown to like it, so loosing my license could very well have irrevocable damage.  Someone may try to use it for a whole number of things and try to pass as me.  But if they were smart they wouldn't because being me is dicey right now.

The baby's calling the shots.

I'll first start this blog with what is foremost in my mind then go into all the exciting things that happened this past week.  A very tough decision was made this week and one that leaves me working part-time.  As everyone knows this pregnancy has not been easy and continues to drain every ounce of life from me.  As one of my co-workers said the other day, "This is gonna be one damn good-looking baby because it's taken all you have."  We have come to the realization that working full time is not in the cards I was dealt.  It's hard admitting defeat especially for me whose someone that refuses to accept defeat.  My life has proven thus far that I can do anything I put my mind to.  I guess there is a life lesson here.  When it comes to this baby my wishes are now second and this baby is now calling the shots...and I'm quite sure this is only the beginning of that.   I know this is best for both the baby's health and mine but getting there in my mind will take awhile.

  OK on a more fun note!  We started getting the baby room ready!  We decided to use the yellow room which is painted a bright yellow and thus far has served as our main guest room.  Yellow being a gender neutral color it will serve for a boy or a girl...at least until there old enough to tell me differently ;)  Mama Jane and I shopped many places looking for baby furniture and found the best overall value at Target.  Mama Jane and papa Joe surprised us and bought the furniture!  The furniture is a beautiful dark cherry color that looks amazing next to the bright yellow.  Jane and Joe, thank you sooo much!  Mike even found a glider in superb condition on craigslist that matches perfectly too.  Just when I thought we couldn't get any more spoiled, we were.  My Aunt Colleen and Uncle Al sent us a Herman Miller rocking chair.  The coolest rocking chair ever made!  This will sit in our living room next to the pack-play and looks awesome there.  This will work out great to have a rocker on the main level.  Colleen and Al, thank you sooo much!  Love to all, Kim

Zoo pic

Hi!  I have so much to blog about but no time to blog.  Will post this picture for now and hope to write later this week.  My friend, Heather, visited this weekend and we went to the zoo. 

The Bump

Well, I officially have a bump!  I no longer look like I've just gained a few but that I'm preggers.  I knew the turning point when I saw a colleague that I haven't seen in 3 years and she immediately said, "Congratulations," and touched my belly.  Phheww, past that awkward stage.  I also feel much much better!  I was able to work a full schedule this past week...I was totally exhausted but I did it.  I had a little rough patch the past couple days but I think I just needed some extra sleep and now I feel great!  Officially having a bump means that I'm officially in maternity clothes....awwwww!  To be honest, I was scared of maternity clothes.  That whole elastic business that pulls up to your boobs is just weird.  Maternity clothes shopping was not something I was looking forward to but mama Jane made it fun and not feel so weird.  Mama Jane and I took a trip to Tysons, Tysons II to be exact.  Who wouldn't want to go shopping in Tysons and have a little lunch at Maggianos??  Wasn't too hard to convince of that.  So we ventured into Pea in the Pod.  Not having a clue of what to look for, what size or what's my style a lovely sales associate helped us.  She was great!  She picked out about 20 pairs of jeans, 20 pairs of pants and a 100 tops to try on.  The dressing room was full.  The funniest part of all is that she strapped me on a belly!  It's this foam belly that straps on like a belt and mimics being 6 months preggers.  Now, I thought this is really dumb.  But no, she knew what she was doing!  I absolutely needed it to tell how the clothes will fit down the road.  We later kicked ourselves for not taking pictures.  I was thrilled to find a few really great pieces that mama Jane treated me too!  I was very thankful because, wow, their clothes are expensive!  Thanks so much Jane!  We then ventured to Macy's where I found a couple more things...they have a great maternity section.  I was set at that point and had plenty of silly wide elastic-band pants that could stretch over my head. 
   Later,  I will post my first belly picture.  Will try to post belly pictures every few weeks...So everyone can see how this dude or dudette is making itself at home.  We'll know the sex Oct 28th, hopefully.  As long as he/she cooperates with the ultrasound.  I hope all is well with all of YOU!     xoxo, kim