Southern California... Here I am!

So... I'm in sunny southern Cali and have been here since yesterday afternoon. The drive was uneventful, but entirely too long (in large part because I went through the mountains which is mileage shorter but I don't think it saved me any time)... I spent the night in Camp Verde, AZ, a town south of Flagstaff and north of Phoenix. A fine place, but my goodness was it hot! My car said that in Phoenix it was 99 degrees at 9:15am!

Since being in Long Beach, I have:

1. Had my first (non raw) sushi... it won't be my last!

2. Had my hair cut at the Paul Mitchell School... and was very pleased to learn from the instructor that the stylist who cuts my hair in Alamosa (at our Great Clips equivalent, which I did not tell her) has chosen the "perfect" cut, length and shaping for my hair. SO.... apparently ritzier doesn't mean better.

3. Shopped at Ikea and Babies R Us.

4. Babysat my niece so that my sister and her husband could go see the Harry Potter movie... one of their few "dates" since Raley has arrived.... in fact, that is what I'm doing now. Raley is sleeping... and I'm typing.

Tomorrow... the fabric district! Yeah... I'm excited!

Introducing...

Baby Neilsen!

I like this picture the most... you can see the whole baby in this one. Obviously the feet and legs (as they're labeled) but you can see a little arm above the belly and the light line on the left is the face... isn't it incredible??

This is my second favorite... definite alien face/gummy bear arms sticking out straight at the camera! But the important thing is there are two perfect little arms!

Another one...


And one that shows two distinct parts... which right now are the same size!

These are from our ultrasound this past Wednesday. We found out that the baby is a little bit younger than we thought he/she was... at the appointment he/she was measuring 10 weeks, 5 days, which means we are now at 11 weeks 2 days. The tech saw two legs, two arms, and a nice size body and head. She did say that it was a little early for our nuchal translucency test (which we decided at that point not to reschedule) and that the baby is hanging out REALLY far back in my body, in part because of my tipped/possibly folded uterus. However, she said that neither of those things are a problem and both will right themselves with time.

Hope you enjoyed the introductions...

Cravings

Since learning I was pregnant, I have craved salt... Now anyone who knows me knows that I'm a dessert girl. I love cakes, pies, mousse, cobblers, etc... If it is sugary and fruity or sugary and chocolaty, I am all in! But in the last two months my interest for sweets has gone way down. I still indulge now and again but for the most part I could gladly pass on most of them.

However... I crave salt on an almost hourly basis. Chips, pretzel, pringles... yes, yes and yes! At our 4th of July picnic the hostess made a pickled cucumber salad that was so good I asked her for the recipe... I believe she said it came from a Martha Stewart cookbook (but don't quote me on that)... but at any rate, it is delicious and very easy (my favorite kind of recipes)! So, I thought I'd share it here. It would make a nice addition to any summer picnic and it's lovely because you can make it in advance.

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:
2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/3 water
1 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Combine all of the ingredients (minus the cucumbers) until thorougly mixed and the sugar/salt is dissolved. Pour over cucumbers and refrigerate at least three hours.

See? Easy... and yummy!

Whoosh-Whoosh-Whoosh-Whoosh

Houston... we have a heartbeat. We had our second midwife appointment this morning and it was exclusively for a fetal heart check (since we hadn't heard it last time). Within fifteen to twenty seconds of searching, Jayne had found the heartbeat. It was strong and fast and definitely a baby heartbeat... I'll admit. I got a little teary.

She had a student with her and after finding the heartbeat she passed the doppler over to the student for her to try and find it. She searched for a few minutes and couldn't find one. So Jayne took the doppler back... and after several minutes of trying (during which she said "this is a battle of wills") she finally admitted defeat and asked if we were satisfied. We said that as long as she, the expert, was then we were too. After all, we had most definitely heard it and it was good and strong... But yes, at 11 weeks, our little one is already proving that he/she can and will be obstinant. Without a doubt, it seemed as though he/she was saying, "I am not a performing seal. You heard it once. That is plenty good enough. Now I'll swim over to this other side of the uterus and hide from you." And if that is indeed the case... in not very long, Reid and I are going to have our hands full!

In a completely unrelated note... what before the baby would have been headline news, we bought a new (for us) vehicle! It's a 2008 Dodge Nitro, which is a mid-sized SUV. We were looking for something with lower mileage (our current cars, which we'll still drive from home to work and back, both have over 150,000 on them), that has 4WD (we do live in a mountainous state), higher clearance and lots of storage space... for all that baby/metalworking stuff. And we found it! As soon as I get the pictures downloaded I'll post some. It makes me giggle a little every time I see it 'cause it's so boxy.

Pregnancy Thus Far

So, I've had both books and a friend suggest keeping a pregnancy journal. I've written in it a few times but the truth is, I'm just not a good journaler (think that's a word? Somehow I doubt it). I don't like writing by hand (it takes me too long) and it's always in another room or... no, I don't actually have any other excuses for why I don't do it except I don't enjoy it.

But my blog has, in many ways, become like a journal for me. I look back from time to time at posts and see where I was an what I was doing at those points. All of that to say, from time to time I might start posting this type of post... a post that is really more for me to remember than it is to entertain my readers... though feel free to read it. Those of you who have gone through pregnancy, I'm sure you can relate. Those who haven't, I'm sure you can at least sympathize as I assume you were born and thus carried in a pregnancy. And if it gets too personal... sorry, it's my blog. :)

Anyway, there are things that no one ever told me about pregnancy. Or if they did I just didn't listen or it didn't register. Some of them include:

1. Your breast grow fast and way out of proportion with the rest of you growing! I think these humongous developments are unexpected in their quick (and seems hasty) arrival. I have already firmly moved into the next largest cup size (see Dad... I told you it might get too personal). And a few nights last week I actually had to sleep in a sports bras because they hurt so much if I didn't. My mother loves to tell me that she had to wear a bras 24/7 her last two months of pregnancy with me. What can I say? Karma is nasty.

2. No one told me that long before feeling the baby move, I would feel him/her moving in and setting up house keeping. I read that my uterus will grow (to something like 40 times its regular size!) and that it has in fact, at almost eleven weeks now, doubled in size. What you don't read is that you can actually feel it growing. At times it is amazingly similar to the growing pains I experienced in my pre-teen years, in my legs and arms especially. It feels like it is being stretched from the inside out. Totally bizarre and unexpected. The moment he/she decides to hang up posters, however, we'll have to talk.

3. Morning sickness for me has been all-day come-and-go sickness. I believe that is actually the case for many women, but the title is just too long. I have, knock on wood, not yet thrown up. I place credit for this almost solely on the fact that it is summer vacation for me and I'm self medicating my nauseau with sleep. There was one day a week or two ago when I think I was awake for all of eight hours. I can't throw up (hopefully) if I'm asleep! That being said, again knock on wood, the last three days have not been nearly as bad.

4. Something I knew but frequently took for granted... I have one of the best husbands ever. Last night, he was playing a game on his computer in the study. I was sitting in the living room, playing a game on my laptop (such quality "family" time, I know). He yelled to me, "How you doing?" as he is prone to do several times a day (ask me how I'm feeling that is, not yell at me). I yelled to him that I was feeling a little queasy and maybe some chips would help... and some water. And wouldn't you know it? Not a minute later, there was a bowl of corn chips and a glass of water in my hands. He told me that he read in "The Pregnancy Bible" that he was supposed to be supportive so that I would not resent that I was having to go through all of the physical stuff while he didn't have to... I would highly recommend this book to anyone! :)

And... I think that's it for now. We have our next midwife appointment on Tuesday. So, I'll most likely update after that.

First Midwife Appointment

Reid and I attended our first midwife appointmet this past Tuesday, June 30. We spent almost forty five minutes with the nurse and almost an hour with Jane, our nurse midwife. She works in the hospital, in an office with three OBs. And I like her very much.

The nurse took all of our family history/information. She also took my vitals. She actually took my blood pressure twice. The first time was at the beginning of our time together and it was high. She asked me if I was nervous to which I believe I responded not so politely with "Are you kidding?" So she switched gears, asked us all of her questions and then took it again and it was fine. Yeah... I was nervous.

Then we met with Jane. She first talked to us, answering many questions about herself and the practice. Then she tried to listen for a heartbeat, but at exactly nine weeks decided it was just too early to hear it on the doppler. After that was good old pelvic exam time and apparently (gentlemen you probably want to stop reading) my cervix is tipped far forward and my uterus back, which is probably another reason why she couldn't yet hear the heartbeat ('cause it's too far back in my body and too little stashed under the pelvic bone like he or she still is). Then she finally drew blood (lots of blood 'cause there are all sorts of important tests apparently). Oh... and I forgot that before I started with the nurse I peed into a cup... I guess if they didn't call me with the results, then they probably confirmed I'm pregnant, hunh? :)

At the end of our appointment we scheduled another for exactly two weeks from the day (so now just a week and two days away) to check for the fetal heartbeat. We should be able to hear it at eleven weeks.

Oh... and since I'm apparently almost 10 weeks along, our estimated due date is February 3... a nice winter baby!

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July my fellow Americans! Make sure to do something fun and something patriotic today. Shake a veteran's hand. Eat a burger and some potato salad. Watch some fireworks.

Reid and I woke up this morning and talked about what a great idea it would be to name all of our future dogs after presidents, going in chronological order ("here Washington! Come Jefferson!")... but of course I'd feel bad for the dog who got to be Taft... And I wouldn't know whether to call the dog Grover or Cleveland when we got to him, because they're both such great dog names! Reid thought that perhaps we should have two dogs and name one Grover and the other Cleveland. Then we could stand outside and call "Come Grover! Cleveland!" Deep thoughts... deep thoughts in the Neilsen household on this sunny and beautiful 4th of July.

Anyway, whatever you choose to do today (reminiscing about American presidents or not) enjoy yourselves! And be safe.

Honey... I've Got Some News...

(This post is a continuation of the one posted yesterday, The Day My Life Changed)

So, here is how I always imagined telling Reid.



I would take a test one morning after he went to work. I would see the pregnant sign, be so excited but resist the urge to instantly call him. Instead, I would plan a fantastic dinner, program our computer to find all of the cute daddy-to-be songs I could find online, gussy myself up so that I looked and smelled good and possibly even buy a card to announce the news in a sweet way... hell, I was even imagining a printed out banner that said something sweet and cute like "You're daddy, ready or not!" or "We're a family!"... Isn't that sweet?? Yeah, this is how it happened.



I stumbled out of the bathroom, wearing one of his long sleeve shirts that I had slept in and my oh-so-attractive polar fleece pink pants (with polka dots I might add), sweating more than a little bit and my hair going in every possible direction. I was clutching the stick like my life depended on it. I plopped down next to my sweet sleeping husband (remember it's 6:10am on a Saturday) and said loudly at him, "Reid wake up. Put on your glasses and look at this." Then I shove the stick at him like it might explode. He looks at me with blurry eyes, grabs his glasses, looks at the stick, does the classic double-take eye boggle (you know where his eyes got really big) and he uttered the prophetic "Oh my!" to which I replied the equally prophetic "yeah."



Our conversation started slowly but as the shock wore off (and the fear that we were two to three months ahead of schedule started to dissipate) we started really talking and it was great... I love having a husband who is as excited about being a father as Reid is. And the best part was that I was going to see all of our parents (and Reid's sister) in a tiny bit more than 24 hours.



We plotted a little how I would tell them. And I can tell you that keeping the secret from my folks for the fourteen hours between when they picked me up and when I told them the next day was HARD (and we were asleep for all but about six of those hours) but I did it. When Reid's parents got to our house, I called Reid, put him on speaker phone (I so wish that he could have been there to see his parents' reactions) and then showed them the picture that Reid and I had taken of the positive test. They were all very pleased (especially my mother-in-law as this will be their first grandbaby)... I'm still in shock quite frankly (at least at the writing of this post maybe not by the publishing of it). But I wouldn't trade the supportive family and friends that we have for the world!

The Day My Life Changed

So I couldn't post this entry when I initially wrote it (in Indiana) because I had not told my boss or my co-workers or anyone else in Alamosa (a few of whom read this blog... hi Lucy!)... but now I'm back and have met with all of those important people... This post is more personal than most I've written but I have a feeling there will be more like this in the future...



Prior to getting pregnant I had some irregular cycles. One month it was 28, the next 34. So I didn't think much when I passed thirty... but by 34 I just felt like maybe something was up. So I went to the store (it was Tuesday) bought a two pack of test, took one when I got home, looked at it and said... inconclusive. There was definitely the one line but I couldn't tell if I could see the other line or if it was the outline of the line that would be dark if it was positive... So I of course did what any rational person would do. I took the other one in the box. Again inconclusive... I called Reid into the bathroom to consult. His professional opinion? "I don't know. I doubt you're pregnant." Note to self, in matters of my own body, don't consult with Reid.



But there was nothing I could do but wait. I started having some light cramps and thought "aha! Any day now!" I thought that until Saturday morning. I was driving to Denver later Saturday morning to get on a plane to fly to Indiana to help my mother and father pack/get ready to put their house on the market (it seems to be a theme of my summers as last summer I was in DC with Sarah and Dan doing the same). Because I still had not started my period Friday afternoon I bought a five pack of digital tests (the ones that give you no way to come to an inconclusive reading because of their handy "pregnant"/"not pregnant" reading). I was sure that I was going to start my period but thought I'd need the test later this summer so why not buy the big pack (with my family planning I am economical... the test are cheaper the more you buy after all).



Cut to Saturday morning... I wake up at 6am and really have to pee. So, I figure I'll sneak to the bathroom, use the first morning pee (which is the best according to the box), see a negative and be back in bed by 6:15. I do the first part, but before I'm done in the bathroom I look down and the stick says clear as day "Pregnant." Now, the paper said that it could take up to three minutes to show results but some people see results in as little as a minute. It had not been 35 seconds, I swear. But here is a little insight into how Jenna's brain works (I'd like to say it worked this way because it was six in the morning, but no it always works this way)... I thought to myself, maybe the test ALWAYS pops up with pregnant first and then the "NOT" shows up after the one to three minutes (a friend of mine pointed out to me that this would be a really bad design model, to which I whole-hearedly agreed). But I went back to the bedroom, and watched three full minutes tick by on our bedroom alarm clock. Then I went back into the the bathroom, looked at the stick and still saw...



PREGNANT...



Next, how I told Reid (and just to build the suspense, it is not how I had always dreamed it would be).

If a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...

What is a picture of a word worth?

Sorry if my blog posts have been few and far between lately, but Reid and I have had a lot on our minds lately... namely this...

(this picture is not the one I took of our stick, namely because my laptop and my camera are no longer friends and I couldn't find the cord to attach the camera to the other computer... so, thank you google image search... but I promise, ours had the same word)...