Home Sweet Home

Let me introduce you to our new house.....


Super cute huh? James, I and the Raspberry (since I am 7w1d today we have graduated from a bberry to a raspberry)will be happy here for a good long while.

Good day indeed. We close 3/31 and I can't wait. You know what else I can't wait for? Our 8 week doctors appt on Tuesday. I hope to hear the little pitter patter heartbeat even stronger and longer that day. Grow baby grow!

Blueberry Baby

Well, I have taken a little break from my blogging. Largely in part because real life has been so overwhelming. Since I last wrote the following has passed:
1) And the most important thing. On February 16, James and I went for our first doctors visit to see our little Sweet Pea (at the time this what size he was) And yes, I've decided he's a he. The bad news, we were only 6 weeks along, not 7 like originally anticipated. The good news.. WE GOT TO SEE AND HEAR THE HEART BEATTTT!!!! And oh, my, my was it the most amazing sound ever. It was 112 BPM of a miracle as far as I am concerned. James and I gaped at the screen where our little sweet pea flick, flick, flicked. James later told me he was "quite emotional." A very special moment indeed. We are set to go back a week from tomorrow, March 2nd. I can barely wait for it to get here! We have graduated up to the size of a blueberry and I have graduated into a little morning sickness. Actually, last Friday (2/29), A LOT of morning sickness. For the first time since 2nd grade I found myself lunging ever so gracefully for the toilet bowl. No fun little one, but you are worth it. I've been better since, and know now to wake up during the night a few times for a snack to avoid another Yak-ageddon. Other symptoms include bigger ta-tas, horrible lower back pain and major yawns. I find myself asleep in James' lap now most nights, long before our regularly scheduled bed time.
So, I guess the cat is preverbially out of the bag about you blueberry... here is how we have let people on the fun:
Uno: My parents. That was AWESOME. Mom/Sister = utter disbelief, Big D = tears, yes TEARS of joy. Pretty awesome stuff being able to move the grandparents that way already. Just wait till you arrive, first grandbaby on our side ... ohh are you going to be spoiled.
Dos: For a little test run I tried out the news on some of my nearest and dearest. Wonderful support all around. I needed it because
Tres: I dropped out of the running for Editor-in-Cheif of our law review. It was the hardest decision I've ever made. But, family comes first and its a lesson I had to learn early. But (and here is a lesson for you little blueberry) never give up on your dreams! After I told the Board of my rationale they encouraged me to still apply for a positon on the Board. So, I did and while the verdict is still out on where I will stand - stay tuned on March 6th - I have a feeling I'll get a pretty pretegious position (Executive Editor anyone?) and still be able to impact the Law Review I love and be a good mom. Okay, back to telling people.. pretty much after I told the Board half of the law school knows. Shocker. For those of you not farmilar with the land of the law - imagine high school, except with a bunch of super smart people trying to compete to determine whose the smartest. Gag.
Quatro: Dinner with good high school friends. They are hoping to start trying soon so the blueberry may have some friends coming his way soon. Dinner followed by a call to my Chica (best HS friend)in Michigan where she, her hubby, and 3 month old Mr Carter were happy to begin planning a wedding (if bberry is a girl) or a best frienship (if bberry is a boy).
Cinco: WHEW! Almost up to present. Yesterday James told his parents and sister. We were hoping to tell them during their visit to the states, but we thought they might reconsider their timing in order to meet thier FIFTH grandchild! My MIL let out the best giggle/squeal/scream. It was classic. I guess after 4 grandchildren they still get excited about adding one more to the brood.

There are so many people left to tell and so many I want to tell. I want to shout it from the rooftops!! But we are waiting until at least week 8 to really break out the megaphones.

This is getting long, and these pregnant eyes are getting tired. So, I'll just quickly talk about the other little bit going on right now. We are in the final stages of negotating to buy a house! We had originally wanted a fixer but with the new arrival only 33 weeks and 2 days away we figured newer was better and here is where we landed...........


We LOVE LOVE HEART AND LOVE IT and hope we will be very happy there for a while! Baby's first home, can't wait to think nursery! Here is one I am currently liking. Is it possible I am being a little ambitious? Ah, no...gotta shoot for the clouds.

Weight: 115
Miles: 2.5 run walk
Beauty of the Day: Good curly hair day! (hormones to blame?)
Baby thought: Your brain is growing this week... grow grow grow!!!

OH BABY!

Well, hello little one!!! I am so exited you are here.

If you haven't guessed yet.... WE ARE PREGNANT!! We got a positive pregnancy test on Thursday, January 28, 2010. After lunching with one of my besties Thursday I left feeling a little discouraged. It took her five months, so I left expecting nothing less.

WELL. I got home that night and just had a "feeling" so, I took a test. At first, dissapointment - nothing. Then, the faintest of faint lines (see the small white picture of the tests). Honestly, I wasn't sure if my mind was playing tricks on me or not. Once I convinced myself there really was a line

1) I freaked out, jumped for joy, and muttered over and over again some variation of ... "NO" "NO WAY" "OMG"

2) I leapt into action! James was due home within 30 minutes and I just knew, being the skeptic that he is, that I would need more than a ghost line to convince him. So, I raced to the nearest drug store (the whole way flicking the car light on and off to determine that yes, in fact aforementioned ghost line DID exist). The cashier gave me a knowing smile when I raced up to the front with a digital pregnancy test (because I knew James wouldn't dispute the words "PREGNANT" versus "NOT PREGNANT") and a large piece of red cardboard. I raced home and took the test. While I was waiting for the results, expecting JAmes at any time, I cut large hearts out of the cardboard and wrote "MOM'S" on one piece and "PREGNANT". I put one on each of the dogs (I thought it was approp because that was how James proposed, ring on red ribbon around one of the doggies). Then... I waited. Imagine me, freaking out, trying to keep the dogs still so the hearts stayed on, all the while checking the digital test which in fact read "PREGNANT" !!!!

Sure enough, James walked through the door about 10 minutes later. It took him a second, but he didn't even have to read what the hearts said on the dogs. He just looked at me and said .... "Your... PREGNANT?!?!" To which I nodded and gave him a huge hug. He was in more disbelief that I was, he told me later I had convinced him we wouldn't get pregnant on the first try (I was trying to manage expectations, you know).

Anyway, it was a special night. With both of us, at random times, just looking at each other in shock and awe. My overwhelming emotion that night and still today is EXCITED!!! I didn't think I could be so happy or want this baby so much.

Its been about 5 days since the test and all is well. Pregs symptoms -nothing other than bloat and a little cramping, maybe more tired than normal. We have our first doctors appointment on February 16th where we will get an ultrasound and hopefully hear the heartbeat. I CAN'T WAIT. I think that will make it more real to me.

For now, its just our little secret.. but we plan to tell my parents on Sunday and James' parents when they come from overseas next month.

I am praying with all I have that our little orange seed (thats about what size he/she is this week) sticks. I know its too soon to rule out a miscarriage. 20% of early pregs end in m/c by 7 weeks. We think we are past the chemical pregnancy phase (where I would have miscarried around 4.5 weeks) but there are still other reasons ... so for now, until I hear that beautiful heartbeat we are on edge and not telling anyone else. Also, trying to make the difficult decision about whether I want to go for Editor in Chief. Now that we are actually going to have a baby this time next year, I am not sure I want to share my time with Law Review. But, then again, I would hate to miss out on an amazing leadership opportunity. We will see.

For now, I'm just EXCITED and loving our little secret bean :) :) :)

Enjoy these pics and send some sticky baby dust my way....







Disclaimer: This last one is a little tacky. I am super anti-preg belly pics on public sites. But since right now this is for my reference alone (and all you strangers too) I suppose its okay. I wanted to document this gross baby bloat bulge. Bye-bye abs but hello beautiful little one -- you are worth it!!

Weight: 112.4
Miles: 3-3.5 (I feel like I should cut back BUT doctors say otherwise since I am conditioned)
Beauty of the Day: Recounting last Thursday, and knowing the little guy or gal is in there growing as I type this.