Ready for the weekend

We are actually at home this weekend, a rare treat in Ben and Sam land. We have so much to do before the baby comes, but we also want to build in some time to have some fun. Here's what's on our plate this Saturday and Sunday...

1) Find out Ben's blood type.

Either Ben or his brother are A negative. His mom can't remember. But we're hoping it's Ben. Because I'm A negative, and if Ben is A negative I don't have to get the 28 week rhogam shot.

According to the hospital, it's cheaper to give all A negative mothers the shot then test their partners' blood types. But I'd like to avoid any vaccines or medications unless absolutely necessary. So Ben will be giving blood at a local blood drive on Saturday. Part good deed, part selfish fact-finding mission.

2) Organize the kitchen.

We have to find room to put bottles and other baby gear. And since we're knocking a hole in our dining room for a new patio door, I also need to find a place to store all of our wine glasses (since the cabinet they live in now will no longer fit).

3) Make salad for dinner.

We're going to Amy and John's for dinner, and I'm bringing salad. I'm going to attempt to recreate my favorite salad from Cannova's. It has balsamic dressing, red onion, pine nuts, bacon and mozzarella. Yum.

4) Take Stella to the dog park.

Poor dog just needs to run. I've had a crazy week at work and she hasn't gotten the exercise she deserves.

5) Tour Casa de Horton.

Friends Jill and Tyler just bought a new place, so we're bringing over breakfast and taking a peek. It was incredibly darling on the virtual tour. I can't wait to see it in person.

I was so crazed about people seeing our house before it was "finished". But guess what? Four years later and it's still a work in progress. You may have your own vision, but everyone is going to love your place for what it is: your home.

6) Figure out baby storage solutions.

The walls are painted and the furniture is in. But we need to figure out some sort of dresser and shelving solution for the baby's room. You wouldn't believe the stuff we've already collected for this kid.

7) Make pancakes.

Just because. With butter and syrup. Pregnancy craving.

Dear Ben

Wisconsin Reunion

Lindsay and I reunited in Madison this weekend for a writing conference at our alma madder. Unfortunately, the conference was not as great as in year's past, but we had a fantastic time catching up.

Lindsay is part of a contingency of girls I met as a freshman in Slichter Hall. We've scattered throughout the country since we graduated in 2005, and sadly we don't get to see each other much anymore. But the best thing about old friends is that when you get back together, virtually no time has passed. You pick up right where you left off.

Here we are admiring the baby bump. Don't I look like a giant next to her? She's so cute and petite.

It was a very rainy and dreary weekend, but still so beautiful. I heart Madison.

Next time, just Google it

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Weight Gain

I'm up 14 pounds from November, which is actually a little higher than the recommended weight gain for 22 weeks. It appears I will gain more than the 20 or so pounds I was hoping for. Boo.

More salads and green vegetables for me. They're better for baby anyway.

New Obsession

Maybe it's cravings or maybe it's nesting, but I'm obsessed with cooking lately. I want to cook everything. I want to try fancy new recipes. And I'm actually using kitchen gadgets that haven't been touched since my bridal shower four years ago.

My new cooking-related obsession is the Wicked Noodle blog. So fab. I'm planning to try the Nutella Mousse tonight. Swoon.

Check it out under my fav links on the right.

Bump Watch

Here we are at 22 weeks. Getting bigger!

I'm carrying so high that people tell me all the time that I must be having a girl. Um, sorry. No. But nice try.

Poor Ben

Let me just say that Ben deserves major props for being married to pregnant me. I've had a very easy pregnancy so far. But I still can be pretty moody and hormonal.

My major gripe this past week was that I didn't want to eat. Now, I know I have to eat, but nothing sounded good to me. So I'd force myself to eat some protein and vegetables whenever possible. But I was crabby about it. Nothing tasted good.

Until Sunday. When we went to Panera. And Ben's smoked turkey sandwich was the most delicious sandwich I had ever seen in my entire life. I asked nicely for bite, and he was happy to share. But then I ate it. The entire thing. And my salad. And half my soup. Leaving him with virtually nothing. Not exactly the lunch he was looking for.

Ben was very sweet, and assured me over and over again that he wanted me to have it. Still I felt a little guilty. I pretty much hijacked his lunch.

But he was probably relieved to have a break in the food complaints. And it felt so good to actually enjoy a meal. I'm seeing a lot of Panara trips in the near future.

Heat Wave

I've never really been crazy about hot weather. Granted, summer is fun. Long days, bright sunshine, swimming, gardening, friends, food, cold drinks. But the hot weather just does not appeal to me. I'm happiest when the temperature is hovering around 65 or 70 degrees.

As we had our first hot weather preview day yesterday (temps reached 80 in Oshkosh), I was reminded of how much I hate the heat. And how I'll be in my third trimester for the three hottest months of the year. Awesome.

Lucky for us, we installed a nice new central air unit last year. And with the pregnancy card tucked firmly in my back pocket, there will be no competition for thermostat control. For once, my comfort trumps Ben's frugality. Now that's pretty cool.

Goodbye, pants

Sigh. It's official. Today is my last day in non-maternity pants.

I've been holding onto my pre-pregnancy clothes for dear life. The belly band, while wildly comfortable, just isn't doing its job anymore. Baby is too big. Pants are too small. It's time to let go.

Weekend Wrap: The car-shopping, emotional-breakdown, new-remodeling-project, dog-eats-a-bird edition

It was a wild weekend.

I had an emotional meltdown after our three hour car shopping extravaganza on Saturday. Part valid frustration, part pregnancy hormones.

It concluded with me crying in the Noodles & Co. parking lot about how everything is changing, and I just want to keep my car, and we don't need another car payment anyway, and Stella will just have to figure out how to fit in back with the baby. Cue Ben looking bewildered and slightly frightened. Luckily I had just eaten, or it would have been epic. I'm even scarier when I'm hungry.

Then we came up with the brilliant idea to knock a hole in the side of our house. Oh perfect. Because we all know that when you think Ben and Sam, you think prompt remodeling project.

The plan: sliding door off the dining room, new deck and fenced-in backyard. Which will require a nice big hole in the side of our house. I can't even imagine what kind of plaster disaster is lurking behind those ancient walls.

But the highlight of the chaos came on Sunday. When Stella caught a morning dove. In her mouth. Still alive.

We all know that I hate birds. They terrify me. Something about their wings and my hair. Or their sharp beaks and beaty little eyes. Or all the diseases they carry. G-R-O-S-S.

So when Stella caught the bird I was conflicted by running to the safety of the house, and getting the bird away from her so she didn't eat it.

Note that prior to capture, this bird was not injured in any way. Stella is quick, and the morning dove was dopey. So she snatched him out of the air and held him in her mouth. Wings flapping. Me screaming.

"STELLA! DROP IT. DROP IT!!"

But she's really proud of her capture, so she's prancing around the yard, occassionally bringing the bird over to show me. And as she gets closer, I run the opposite direction, inadvertently turning it into a game. Pretty soon she's chasing me around the yard with the bird. I'm screaming. And the neighbor lady thinks I'm certifiably insane.

Finally she dropped it and I got her in the house. But all I kept thinking was, "this is the kind of stuff I'm going to have to deal with when I'm a stay-at-home mom." After all, Ben's not always going to be here to deal with the dead birds, actual or metaphorical. I'm going to have to step it up.

Now granted, I still waited for Ben to get home to take care of it. But at least I'm warming to my new responsibility level.

A letter to our son

Dear baby boy,

Your ultrasound was so incredible. I've loved you from day one, but to see you now (20 weeks) opened up an entirely new piece of my heart. You are a part of me more than you will ever know.

The last time we saw you (7 weeks), you were just a little blueberry with a tiny flickering heart beat. Now you're a growing person. Almost a full pound. With perfect little lips and a sweet little nose (which thankfully looks more like daddy's than mine).

We saw your heart beating. Much stronger than before. With four fully formed chambers and blood flowing smoothly throughout. We saw amniotic fluid in your stomach and your bladder, which means your kidneys are working as they should. You really are a miracle.

You stretched your arms and kicked your legs. The ultrasound technician said you're very long already. Daddy would love you to be tall. Just sayin'.

When daddy first saw you on the screen he said, "It looks like a boy!" We didn't know for sure until 40 minutes later, when you flipped upside down, turning your bottom toward the camera. But there it was, unmistakable "boy stuff". A little boy. A son. We were elated.

I think you're the most beautiful baby I've ever seen. I can't wait to hold you and kiss you. I can't wait to snuggle you up against me, and comfort you when you cry. I love you so much. See you in a few short months.

Love,

Mama

The moment you've all been waiting for

Mother knows best. It's a boy!

He's perfectly healthy and wonderful in every way. He's even growing ahead of schedule, which means I have a better chance of delivering a week or two early. That would thrill me beyond belief.

This is a shot of his bottom. It's a little hard to see on the scanned photo, but that's definately "boy stuff" (as the ultrasound tech put it).

Ben would like to point out that he's clearly flexing here. Even in utero he's all Zinth.

What the wives say

There are dozens of old wives tales predicting whether you're having a boy or a girl. So what do they have to say about our baby?

Are you carrying high or low?
Hmmmm... this is a little tricky since I'm still not showing much. But I think I feel movement higher in my belly. Verdict: Girl

How fast is the heart beat?
At our last appointment, it was about 150 beats per minute. Verdict: Girl

Are you craving salty or sweet?
Although my sweet tooth has returned (finally!), I crave mostly salt. Verdict: Boy

What does the Chinese calendar say?
Mother's age (26) and month (November) at conception. Verdict: Girl

What does the Mayan calendar say?
Mother's age (26) and year (2009) at conception. Verdict: Boy

How's your skin?
Disgusting. I didn't even break out like this when I was a teenager. Verdict: Girl

How does your ring swing?
Tie a string around your wedding ring and hold it in front of your belly. Mine swings in a circle. Verdict: Boy

Any morning sickness?
Absolutely none for me. Verdict: Boy

Well there you have it. Four for girl and four for boy. Guess we'll need modern medicine to figure this one out.

Oh boy (or girl)

We're half way through the pregnancy this week! And even more exciting, we get to see baby in all his 3D glory tomorrow.

Ben and I are still in our seperate corners regarding the sex. I say boy, he says girl. However, we have agreed that we want to know before the birth. Hopefully baby will be well positioned for a good look.

Fair warning: If they aren't reasonably sure, we're not sharing. You'll just have to wait until August.

Holy crap, there is a baby in there!

Ben is now able to feel baby's movements inside my belly! It was an incredible milestone. It makes the pregnancy feel so much more like a shared experience.

Baby moves mostly at night, after I've laid down. So we'll sit there with Ben's hand on my stomach waiting for a particularily good somersault. It feels sort of like a little pop or hiccup inside my belly.

Ben felt some light movement earlier this week, but on Friday he got a big one. His face was priceless... wide eyes, big smile. He didn't say it, but it seemed to me that he was thinking, "holy crap, there is a baby in there!"

Bump Watch

I think I look pretty round here (20 weeks), but I've heard from several people that if they didn't know me, they wouldn't guess that I'm pregnant.

I'm also thoroughly in love with this sweater. One of the few cute maternity pieces I've been able to find.

Long weekend

My three day weekend begins in about an hour. On my to-do list:

1. Read two books
2. Start planning my garden (my only serious summer project other than growing a baby)
3. Grab breakfast at Pilora's (hello, french toast!)
4. Pick up my sweet new vacuum (dog hair is no match for this beast)
5. Take Stella for a long walk
6. Organize my kitchen cabinets (at this point, there's no room for bottles and other baby paraphernalia)
7. Remove all non-baby items from the nursery closet
8. Make Ben an incredible dinner
9. Watch The Blindside

Not necessarily in that order. Happy Easter everyone!