To My Mom

I know it’s not Mother’s Day, but I wanted to take a little time to thank my mom for having me!

Mom, I had no idea how much you put your body through for me (physically and mentally).  I wish they taught us this stuff in elementary school (Not the “Where do babies come from” part, but the “Respect your mother. Without her, you wouldn’t be here” part). I bet I wouldn’t have told you “I hate you!” or “I wish you weren't my mom!” I am truly sorry for those, and many more hurtful comments (which I never really meant) and other actions growing up. If I had known about the hormonal changes, the morning sickness, the growing pains & stretching, the swelling of feet and other body parts, the back aches, and ALL the other “wonderful” things that happen during pregnancy, I would have been a perfect little angel growing up!! I appreciate EVERYTHING you’ve done for me, even before I was born!! It’s sad that I have to go through it in order to actually understand it! And I can’t even imagine (but will soon experience) all the other things you (and your body) went through AFTER I was born (the late night feedings & diaper changes, the crying, stinky gas, the vomit, the screaming, the smelly diapers, the messy feedings, spit-ups, etc.).  

Thank you for selflessly carrying me in your tiny belly for nine months. Thank you for giving me a good home and upbringing.  Thank you for praying for me. Thank you for being patient with me (although I’m sure there were times when you wanted to choke or slap me. - Thank you for NOT choking or slapping me.). Thank you for teaching me the importance of family. Thank you for keeping me grounded. Thank you for teaching me about love, faith, the value of a dollar, right from wrong, how to fry food (Yum!), I could go on and on… This is my grand THANK YOU FOR BEING MY MOM! 

Compliments

Compliments

I’m FINALLY getting compliments and I’m LOVING every minute of it! :-) After 5 months of looking and feeling like crap, I’m starting to look pregnant instead of a homeless woman in need of a shower, hairbrush and makeup. Maybe since I’m starting to feel better, I’m starting to actually CARE what I look like. 

Maybe it’s the new clothes I’m wearing. Maybe it’s the haircut I FINALLY went to get. Maybe it’s because my hormones are finally starting to calm down a bit and my face doesn’t look like a page from a children’s connect the dots book. Or maybe it’s because I’m finally starting to look pregnant instead of just looking fat, and it’s boosting my confidence. Or MAYBE, just maybe, everyone read my last blog post and they are worried that I was talking about them, and now they are trying to be nice and compliment me to make me feel better? I don’t really care what it is, as long as this new attitude of mine lasts throughout the rest of this pregnancy! (I can't wait to look back at this blog when I'm nine months pregnant and laugh at myself and realize how naive I was!) 

On another note, we had our anatomy scan on Friday, May 18th at 1pm. I was 20 weeks and 4 days at this appointment. We verified that she's still a girl (I sure was worried that she would be a he!). I made her specifically point out the girl parts and then print a picture for me so I can look at it every time I want to buy something pink!  She's growing so much! She weighed 13oz., her heartbeat was at 137, she's within the normal range for all of the things they check for (which I couldn't tell you all of them - stupid brain of mine!), but I know they check the head circumference, length of the femur and other bones, etc. Her heart looks great and you can actually see the four chambers on the ultrasound - very cool! 

Here's a few photos from the last ultrasound (20 weeks & 4 days):

Baby J's left arm

Profile

Face

Right foot

21 Weeks 

21 Weeks

Pregnancy Advice

Pregnancy Advice & Other Comments

Yes, I am a first-time mom. Yes, I have no idea what I’m doing. Yes, I could use your advice. But, I feel like every time I turn around, someone is giving me advice. “No bumpers in the crib.” “Make sure you buy this brand of diapers because they’re better.” “Don’t forget to rub lotion on your belly.” “Don’t lay on your back.” “You really shouldn’t be eating that.” Oh, the list goes on and on… Don’t get me wrong, I really like getting (good) advice! It shows that you care about the baby and me… But SOMETIMES I’d like to just have a grown-up conversation. I really miss those. You know “Did you see the movie, The Vow?” “Did you hear about Bob and Sue breaking up?” or ANY gossip that’s not related to a baby would be great. I feel like every conversation I have lately is all about babies! I have 20 more weeks of being FREE! (Don’t take that the wrong way; I’m excited to have a baby, but once she’s here, it’s going to be all about her!) Let’s not spoil it by constantly talking about how much weight I’m supposed to be gaining or what types of butt cream is best for the baby.

Here’s the breakdown:

If the advice has anything to do with my weight, my diet or exercise, I will ask my doctor. I trust her, and she knows what’s going on with my body and the baby. 

If the advice has anything to do with a baby product, I will do some research. Also, not all babies react the same way to creams and diapers, so that will probably be something that will have to wait until Baby J comes into this world to find our favorite product.

Honestly, I understand that people give advice because they care, but please limit your advice to ONE per conversation. That will help keep me sane. And yes, I do listen to any and all advice that is given to me.  And I truly appreciate it. 

And don't get me started on the comments: 

• "You're getting big!" - Duh! I'm growing a baby in there. 
• "Shouldn't you be eating veggies instead?" - Fruits & vegetables alone will not ensure a healthy pregnancy. I also need protein in my diet. So a big fat juicy burger should do the trick... Oh, and I have lettuce on that burger, so there's my veggie.
• "That shirt's getting tight on you." - Another "duh" comment. My waist is expanding, but my wallet isn't, so just DEAL WITH IT... Unless you want to buy me a new wardrobe.
• "It's a girl? Are you excited?" - Um, why would someone ask that? What would you say if I had said no. It's a BABY! I'm just elated that I'm going to be a mom! I don't care if it's a boy, girl, or other. I'll love that little baby as much as I love pickles! (Only I won't eat her).
• "You look tired. Just wait until the baby gets here." - First of all, thanks. I really love the honesty. (Sarcasm) Just say it, "Wow. You look like shit." Second, I know a baby likes to eat, cry, sleep, poop, cry, vomit, cry, sleep some more, cry some more... This is not a new thing. Babies have been doing it since the beginning of human kind. You don't have to remind me every chance you get. I get it. I'm tired now because I'm growing a baby, and I'll be tired when she gets here. I've come to deal with it. These bags under my eyes are permanent! I'm doing it all for this little girl, and I couldn't be happier! :-)
• "My cousin's, co-worker's, neighbor's daughter didn't start showing until she was 6 months and you're already showing...(all said with a concerned look on their face)" This is probably the most offensive comment I could receive. Just admit it, you think because I'm "showing" at 4 months, that MUST mean I'm overeating and gaining too much weight. Well, I DON'T CARE ABOUT OTHER PREGNANCIES! Every woman is different and will start showing at different times. Some are luckier than others. I am not one of them.

 Here's a website I found where people have shared the rude comments they've received: http://thestir.cafemom.com/pregnancy/137235/18_rudest_pregnancy_comments_weve 

Ok, I'm done venting! :-) Thanks for listening!

(By the way, if you're reading this thinking I'm talking about you, chances are I'm not. These comments are coming from so many different people that I can't even remember who said what!)

On a side note, I’ve made it to the half way point in the pregnancy! It’s exciting and scary all at the same time! The first half of this pregnancy flew by, and I know the second half will, too! There’s still SO much that needs to be done before she gets here! My to-do list keeps growing!

Another random thought: I keep having these weird feelings that the doctor read the ultrasound wrong and that we’re actually having a boy. Any other moms have that fear when they found out the sex of their baby? We have our anatomy scan on Friday, so hopefully we will get the same verdict as before! (Insert nervous laughter here…) If it's a boy, he'll definitely be pretty in pink!

Photos from our last doctor appointment on April 25, 2012 (17 weeks and two days)

Baby J facing down

Baby J's face

Gender Reveal

Neal and I are extremely excited to announce that we will be having a little girl in the Fall of 2012! From day one, Neal just KNEW we were having a girl; at least he was really hoping for a girl.  I truly had no preference, as I would have been happy with either a boy or a girl (although I had an instinct that it was a girl), but now that I know we're having a girl, I'm over the moon excited! Of course, I'm already a little nervous about how much $$ we're going to be spending on her! She's already so spoiled and she's only the size of a mango! 

How we found out: I had a doctor's appointment to check the length of my cervix. Since I was 17 weeks and 2 days, I asked the tech if she would be able to check. She said "Sure! I don't see why we couldn't find out today!" We didn't want our moms to be in the room when we found out, so we kicked them out of the room. What we told them was, "Can you step out while we check the cervix?" so they had no idea we were going to look for boy or girl "parts." As soon as she started looking, I almost immediately saw three lines (From research I had done, I found out that if you see three lines or a "hamburger" it's a girl, but if you see a penis (duh!), it's a boy). So I said, "I think I see it! It looks like a girl!" Her response was, "I think you're right!" Now, I'm no doctor, so I really didn't trust what I saw, and to hear her say I THINK you're right... well, I still didn't believe her! So I said, "I won't go out buying lots of pink, but are you fairly certain it's a girl?" She smiled and said, "It's a girl." My response, "So you're what, like 95% sure?" She just smiled and said yes. I was expecting to hear, "Well, I think it's a girl, but I can't be certain, so we'll have to wait three weeks until your anatomy scan." SO GLAD SHE DIDN'T SAY THAT!! It was emotional, and of course I cried (happy tears), but I knew we didn't want the moms to know that we knew, so I had to gather myself when they came into the room. It was kind of hard not to tell them, but they didn't have a clue that we knew. Luckily, their attention was on the baby. We got to watch her "eat." She was making sucking motions with her mouth; such a cool thing to see, and it was so cute! But after a while, I could see Neal's mom looking at Neal, and then looking at me, and then looking back at Neal. Of course Neal and I started laughing and she bursted out "YOU KNOW, don't you?!?" We held our ground and didn't tell them! So, after we finished the ultrasound, the doctor came in, knowing we didn't want to tell the moms anything, so I said (still not 100% satisfied with the tech's certainty of the sex), "Just let me know if you agree with what the tech saw." He smiled really big and said yes! So, I saw it, the tech saw it, AND the doctor saw it, so I think we're pretty sure it's a girl!

SO, since I have a really bad memory, I always like to capture big moments on camera.  Below you will find links to how we made the big announcement! I wish we could have captured EVERYONE's reaction! I find so much joy in watching other people's emotions (the happy emotions!).

The Grandmas (April 25th): They went to the ultrasound with us, but they weren't in the room when we found out. On our way out of the hospital, we stopped at the gift shop and bought pink teddy bears for them. Watch the video here: http://youtu.be/bocWcVoWzb8 

The Grandpa (April 25th):: When my mom got home from the appointment, she had my dad unwrap the same pink teddy bear. Watch the video here: http://youtu.be/5QlmGiBGKPM 

Sandy's Aunt & Godmother (May 4th): I wrapped a pink ribbon around my waist that said, "It's a girl!" Watch the video here: http://youtu.be/J6YIefCf_Sg 

For the rest of Sandy's family, we set up the baby room with LOTS of pink and asked them if they wanted to see the baby's crib. Here's what they walked into:

Sandy's sister (May 5th):: She came over to our house early, so we were able to reveal the room to her first. Watch the video here: http://youtu.be/MIgajJj8CXk

Sandy's Family (May 5th):: This was difficult getting everyone on camera, but here's what we were able to capture. Watch the video here: http://youtu.be/SRJGhzsSkYM 

Pros & Cons of Pregnancy

Journal entry from April 3^rd - Pros & Cons of Pregnancy – (14 weeks pregnant)

Pros:     

• I don’t have to suck in my gut
• I get to eat what I want without dieting
• My husband has been extra nice: massaging me, worrying more about my health, etc.
• I get to go shopping for baby items, maternity clothes, etc.
• Everyone seems to be a lot nicer to me
• I’m growing a baby inside of me… Such a miracle! (And this makes up for ANY con on my list!)

              

Cons:    

• Morning sickness
• Exhaustion… Sometimes I get tired just talking!
• Clumsy. I was clumsy before I was pregnant, but now I’m walking into walls on a constant basis
•  Forgetfulness. I will be in mid-conversation when I have no idea what I was saying. and I forget simple words.
• I have to be careful what I eat (no sushi, certain cheeses, and the worst: my steaks must be well-done)
• I still have to force myself to eat
• No alcohol
• I can’t color my hair (well, I think I can, but I don’t want those chemicals on me!) – It wouldn’t be a big deal, except that my grey hairs are showing through!
• Prenatal vitamins (make me nauseous!)
• Weight gain (although I haven’t gained any as of my 14 week visit – I actually lost a pound)
• The fear of something bad happening to the baby
• I question EVERYTHING I do, eat, smell, etc… “Is this bad for the baby??”
• ACNE! I have more pimples than an entire high school chess team. Seriously!
• Right now, I just look fat!
• None of my pants are fitting me, even my “fat” pants are too snug to button up.
• Those that know I’m pregnant tend to look at my belly before acknowledging me!
• The constant questions: “How are you feeling?” “Is it a boy or girl?” “What are you going to name it?”

Things I’m grateful for during this pregnancy:

• Pickles! – self explanatory
• Chinese food delivery – for those nights when I just don’t feel like cooking
• Technology (ultrasound) – for the peace of mind that the baby is doing well
• My friend, Rebecca and my sister in law, Virginia – Because they’ve saved me a bunch of money by letting me borrow their maternity clothes
• My health – my body is giving my baby a safe home
• Prenatal vitamins - (while they make me nauseous, they also give the baby the vital nutrients I may not be able to give him/her every day)
• That there’s only one baby in there – I admire and respect my friend, Amber, for her ability to carry quadruplets (yes, four babies at one time – she’s my hero!), and I have no idea how I’d be able to do something like that. I’m having a hard enough time with only one bun in the oven!
• My job – They’ve been flexible with my doctor’s appointments
• My doctor – Clearly I like and respect my doctor; I’m willing to drive 50 minutes to see her!
• My husband – he’s been great so far: giving back massages, dealing with my mood swings, etc. He’s even packed on a few “sympathy” pounds to make me feel better… He’s looking a little more pregnant than me right now – it’s really cute!
• My family – Their excitement makes me happy! This baby will have so many people that love him/her and that is such a blessing!! See my blog from March (http://johnsonblogsquad.blogspot.com/2012/01/telling-grandparents.html) to see their excitement!
• My nephew, William – I’ve been watching him grow, and I realized at the same time next year my child will be that age, and everything becomes so real! (William was born October 17, 2011 and my due date is October 2, 2012, so they will be exactly a year apart!!!) That’s another thing I’m grateful for: My baby will be close in age to its cousin – how awesome is it that they get to grow up together!?!?
• Prayer – The power of prayer has really helped, not only prayer that I have a healthy pregnancy and baby, but also prayer when I have one of my mood swings “Dear Lord, grant me the strength to NOT hit my husband for laughing at me because I ran into the wall.”
• That I’m technically considered “high-risk” and have to see a specialist – while it sounds like I shouldn’t be grateful to have a high-risk pregnancy, I’m grateful because I get to see a specialist (more often than just regular visits) that keeps a close eye on my health and my baby, which really puts my mind at ease… so far everything is going great! And I get more ultrasound pictures than a normal pregnancy!! Disclaimer: This part may be a little TMI for some (mostly guys)… (To anyone curious as to why I’m considered high-risk, they are concerned about my cervix from a past surgery, so they are keeping a close eye on it to make sure it does its job!) I’ve had two appointments now, and at the first appointment the technician said I had “enough cervix for everyone in the waiting room” and the doctor said “if every woman had a cervix like yours, I’d be out of a job”. And at my second appointment the technician said “You have enough cervix to stretch from here to Dallas.” Trust me, this is all GOOD news! LOL! (If you want to know what a cervix is and its importance, Google it!)

Photo taken April 12, 2012 (Approximately 15 weeks)

Baby J is approx. the size of a navel orange. Average size: 4 inches, 2.5 oz.