Mommy and Daddy are Boring

Hey guys, Dexter here. I just needed to get a few things off my chest. I have NO idea what is going on with Mommy and now Daddy is acting weird, too.

I'm so cute, how could you NOT want to play with me?

I enjoy playing with Mommy on the floor and biting her. Then she throws my toys and we tug back and forth and wrestle for a bit. Now all of a sudden Mommy doesn't want to do that anymore. She wants to lay on the couch with her (and Daddy's?) hands on her belly. They sit there with their hands on Mommy's belly, then look at each other and giggle.

Here I am sniffing Mommy's belly to see what all the hoopla is about.
Daddy is holding my paws back because now I'm not allowed to walk all over Mommy anymore.
Hrrrmph!

Now whenever I try to get Mommy to play, I give a few good nips on the hands before she yells for Daddy. Then Daddy will come and scoop me up and put me on the other side of "the gate." There are now four gates in my house! My house has become a prison!!!

My life is so boring. I think I'll take a nap on Daddy's lap.

There is a big gate that keeps me away from Daddy's computer, a gate that keeps me out of my favorite place to poop inside the house (the dining room), a gate that keeps me from the TV room, and a gate that keeps me away from ALL of the rooms upstairs. What the heck?

I am so bored now, all I want to do is take naps.

Daddy and I both fell asleep on the couch while Mommy was watching something called "Honey Boo Boo?"

I finally decided to cozy up to Mommy and see if I could get close to her belly without Daddy's iron-clad grip on me. I sniffed Mommy for awhile and decided to lay down on her with my bone to get better accquainted. I normally do not do this with Mommy. Daddy is my favorite and normally I want to be wherever he is, but I gave Mommy a chance. While I was laying on her belly, I'm pretty sure something moved in there. Maybe she ate too much pizza?

WHAT was that? A gurgle? An alien? Is Mommy's stomach exploding?

I think I will leave all the belly touching to Mommy and Daddy! Maybe I will figure out what is going on soon. They better not be getting another pug. I do NOT want them to pay attention to something other than me!

23 Weeks

23 weeks! Only 17 weeks to go!

Bebs: Time to turn on the radio and sway to the music! With her sense of movement well developed by now, Bebs can apparently feel me dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), we may be able to see her squirm underneath my clothes. (No luck with that yet!) Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that baby's ears are picking up on are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as Dexter barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb!

What's going on in there?

Favorite maternity outfit for the week?: Tara's maroon cowl-neck sweater with Christi's khaki pants that I wore to work on Tuesday
Stretch marks?: nope! (knock on wood!)
Sleep: Sleeping between the body pillow and my husband pillow. Somehow I've been ending up on my belly, though, which isn't good!
Best moment of the week: Spending the day with my parents and getting some amazing deals at a Mother's Market on Saturday!
Miss anything?: My girlfriends and actually seeing them. I haven't hung out with my girlfriends in what feels like forever. Ok, in reality it's been over a month. But still. I miss them, Rachael's brownies, sharing our hilarious stories, and just really "being there" for each other. I hope I can see them soon.
Movement: Hubs, Schlupp and my mom got to feel some baby kicks this past week!
Food cravings: I'm not really a huge beer drinker or anything...but for some reason I could really go for a Blue Moon with an orange slice!
Anything making you queasy or sick: The thought of eating meat off a bone. I don't think I'll be having wings any time soon.
Labor signs: Tuesday morning at about 1:30 a.m. I had the most intense pain in my belly. It felt like the baby had a knife and was slicing her way out. I actually woke up screaming "ow! ow!", scared the crap out of Jason, and thought I was going into labor. Braxton Hicks contractions, maybe?
Symptoms: Falling asleep on the couch by 9 p.m., cramping, and irritability. Fun!
Belly button in or out?: In-between! lol
Wedding rings on or off?: On
Happy or moody most of the time?: Unfortunately, moody. :( There are times when I'm happy; overjoyed actually. But mostly I am just so irritable I'm getting to the point where I am annoying myself.
Looking forward to (aside from the obvious!): Finishing up the painting project in the guest room!

My BFF Jess texted me that she missed seeing me and the bump.
So I texted her this picture so she could see us!
Her response: "Shit just got real!!!!" LOL

List of Gratitude
1. My awesome parents for giving up their Saturday morning/afternoon to take me to the Mother's Market. We got some GREAT deals that I am super excited about! A Snap N Go stroller, lots of little outfits, seat cover for under the carseat, books and a heartbeat listener were some of our finds! If only we had seen the brand new Vera Bradley diaper bag that some lucky lady got for $8, we would have been ecstatic! hehe. On the look-out for a glider at our next Mother's Market!

Baby ballerina socks!

2. A shared sense of humor with Hubs. I have a feeling that everything--relationships, marriage, pregnancy, parenting--is roughly about a million times better if you and your partner have the ability to laugh at yourselves. Our guest room painting project is taking MUCH longer than anticipated. All Jason and I can do is laugh it off...and re-paint the ceiling for a third time.

3. Fall premieres of our favorite TV shows. We were going through some major TV withdrawl, and thankfully a few of our favorites--Parks and Recreation, New Girl, The Office--are back! The TiVo will always be full of stuff to watch in the evenings and this makes me happy!

4. Indulging. Mmmm cheesecake. Thanks for telling me I didn't have to share, Hubs! :)

I'm pretty sure I could feel the fat go straight to my butt after eating this!
Totally worth it.

22 Weeks

22 weeks down, 18 weeks to go!

Bebs: At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, Bebs is starting to look like a miniature newborn! Hers lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. The eyes have formed, but her irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. There is a fine hair (lanugo) that covers her body and the deep wrinkles on her skin, which she'll sport until she adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside her belly, her pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

Spaghetti squash! Yum!

What's going on in there?

Hebs: I'm happy to report that I'm feeling really good lately! Food adversions are pretty much non-existant at this point. If I'm not hungry for something, it's just because of that--I'm not hungry for it! Only the thought of meat on a bone makes me feel a little sick (like a chicken leg), but I think I'm ready to cut into a nice steak sometime soon! (Outback date, Hubs? ;)) Also, I'm back to loving spaghetti. I craved it so much this week I made it for dinner twice and took the leftovers for lunch!

I found this interesting tidbit online about where the "baby weight" really goes:

Baby: 7-8 lbs
Placenta: 1-2 lbs
Amniotic fluid: 2 lbs
Uterus: 2 lbs
Maternal breast tissue: 2 lbs
Maternal blood: 4 lbs
Fluids in maternal tissue: 4 lbs
Maternal fat and nutrient stores: 7 lbs

I think the 5 lbs I gained so far went directly to my butt, though. I'm not sure where that fits into this equation... ;)

Our friend Brian was nice enough to pick up our couch and drop it off for us this week! We absolutely love it! I can't wait to get some art on the walls, some decorative pillows and curtains to tie everything in the room together!

Hubs training Dex to stay off the couch by using a piece of cheese--his favorite!

Hubs and I enjoyed a relaxing, but separate, weekend. Jason went to BeerFest with some friends, while I went out to dinner with my parents. I had the privilege of picking a very drunk Hubs up from BeerFest, though. It was hilarious. He called me his "bestie" the entire car ride home. I love you, too, bestie. :)

Sunday my mom and I went to David's Bridal to order my dress for my brother's wedding. The dress is really pretty! It's a one-shoulder, deep purple, tea-length dress. I was still able to fit into a size 4, and the consultant called over another consultant (who is also pregnant) to see my "little bump" in the dress. It was cute.

Mom and I also stopped in at Babies R Us to put some more things on the registry...and I also bought my first little outfits for Bebs!

21 Weeks

21 weeks down, 19 weeks to go!

Bebs: Baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. HER initial fluttering movements have turned into full-fledged kicks and nudges. In other developments, Bebs' eyebrows and lids are present now, and HER vagina has begun to form as well.

How's it looking in there?

Anatomy Ultrasound: Hubs and I went to the hospital on Friday for our "20 week anatomy ultrasound." In the car ride over, we discussed what we thought Bebs was. I thought Bebs was a boy from the beginning (I have no real reasoning why I thought that!) and Hubs thought she was a girl.

I was actually surprised at everything the ultrasound tech, her name was Tara, showed us. We got to see the two hemispheres of the baby's brain, four chambers of the heart, her two kidneys, bladder, etc. We saw two arms, two legs, two hands, two very feisty feet, and best of all, her face! The ultrasound took a lot longer than I thought, too. We were in there for about an hour!

As soon as I sat on the bed, ready to lay down for the ultrasound to begin, I knew in my heart it was a girl. Even when Tara asked if we wanted to know the sex, I could already tell that there wasn't a penis there and that we'd be hearing "It's a girl!" When Tara told us the news, I was excited, but also a bit sad. This entire pregnancy so far I had been picturing the little wiggly thing inside of me as a baby boy with dark hair and Jason's blue eyes. Hearing something different was a bit overwhelming. Thankfully Tara noticed my "bladder was full" and needed me to pee before she could finish the scan.

In the bathroom I let some tears flow. I can't explain what I was feeling. I think everything just sunk in that this baby is REAL and it is really happening and we will be responsible for a little person for the rest of our lives, and while that is awesome...it's also a little frightening for a first time parent.

Jason was just beaming ear to ear the entire ultrasound, which made me feel relaxed again and we got to enjoy seeing our daughter squirm around on the screen. Jason had asked Tara about coming in again for a 3D ultrasound, and Tara was nice enough to take a few pictures of Bebs' face with the 3D capabilities! I may be a little biased, but she is already the most beautiful girl ever.

Stubborn like her daddy, Bebs wouldn't roll over on her tummy for Tara to get a good look at her back. Finally she moved in the right way so Tara could get a quick picture. Everything with our baby is healthy and happy!

Dr. Kainz: We had our regular ob/gyn check-up with Dr. Kainz on Monday. He reviewed the scan and said that our baby looks great! It turns out I had gained 5 lbs since my initial weight, so I didn't have to see a nutritionist, either, which is awesome. (I'd like to point out that Jason and Dexter also gained 5 lbs!) At our appointment next month I will have to get the flu shot. I also asked Dr. Kainz if it was true I really had to sleep on my side. He said that when I get bigger, sleeping on my back could be a bit dangerous because my belly would push on all my organs and make it difficult to breathe. He suggested sleeping with a body pillow and using another pillow or Jason as a wedge on the other side so I wouldn't roll over. Jason followed this advice a little too closely and sleeps right up against me now, so I have about 3 inches of sleeping space!

Registering: For those of you who read my wedding planning blog, you know that I do not enjoy registering for things! Our wedding registry made me overwhelmed and stressed and I may have bawled my eyes out in Bed Bath and Beyond in the towel section.

However! Registering for baby was SO MUCH FUN! I was a little nervous that Hubs wouldn't want to register for anything overly girly or pink, so I kept trying to find the "gender neutral" option. Finally Jason asked me what I was doing; he wanted to register for "pink things for his princess!" So if you look at our registry on Babies R Us and see anything that is obnoxiously pink (like the pink whirlpool "spa" bathtub, for example) it's because Daddy picked it out. :)

Crib bedding we registered for! The blue creature *kind of* looks like a guinea pig! hehe

Sugar and spice...

Sugar and spice

and everything nice

that's what little girls are made of

 

Sunshine and rainbows

and ribbons for hair bows

that's what little girls are made of

 

Tea parties, laces

and baby doll faces

that's what little girls are made of

 

WE'RE HAVING A BABY GIRL!!

 

Mommy, Daddy, and big brother Dexter!

 

Hubs and I decided (last minute, of course!) to have a gender reveal party. We already decided that we would find out the gender privately, as a family, at the doctor's office. We just had the party to tell our parents and friends whether Bebs was a little miss or a little mister!

 

Please enjoy some pictures of our pink- n' blue-wearing friends and family!

 

Napkin "diapers" that GiGi made! They are filled with 3 "3 Musketeers" candy bars!

Cake pop treats made by MiMi! Blue on the outside, pink on the inside!

Dex sports a mustache because he thinks Bebs is a boy!

"Almost time to see! Which one will it be? A bouncing little he or a pretty little she?"

Team Boy: Kyle, Kalee, Dom, Airam, Rob, MiMi, Hubs, Tom, Rachael, Ron, Brie & Brian

Team Girl: Jeff, HK, Schlupp, Jess, Steve, Kelly, Raechel, Hubs (again), Hebs, Diddy, GiGi, David & Debbie

I wrapped up a baby picture of myself and had the grandparents open it to do the "reveal."
I told them there was something in the box that was obviously boy or girl for them to find out!

Is it a Baby Heather or a Baby Jason?

Baby Heather!! It's a GIRL!

Gery, Ebersole and Paradis families

"I <3 Mom" and "I <3 Dad" onesies that GiGi made!

dom5 ladies: Schlupp, Brie, Hebs, Rachie Poo & Jess

The boys bought Jason pink strawberry cigars to celebrate!

Since my brother Ryan and Caroline weren't able to be home, they sent us a gorgeous bouquet with a note saying they couldn't wait to be an Uncle and Aunt to their niece or nephew! We were able to skype with them later during the party. :)

 

*Majority of the pictures were taken by the very talented Jeff! Thank you so much! :)

 

Check back a bit later on today for my "21 Weeks" post! :)

20 Weeks

Ohhhh oh! We're halfway there...

Bebs: Baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. S/he's also around 6.5 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against the torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of the head to his/her bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, s/he's measured from head to toe.) Bebs is swallowing more these days, which is good practice for the digestive system. S/he's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in the bowels, and we'll see it in his/her first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

What's going on in there?

Hebs and Hubs: We went out shopping this past weekend to take advantage of some Labor Day sales. We were on a mission for a new couch for our upstairs awkward living room (not the room the TV is in). We found an awesome red couch at Ashley Furniture! Hopefully we are able to pick the couch up this weekend and can bid adieu to the flowered couch, AKA "the pee couch." Unfortunately Dex has marked his territory one too many times on that poor couch. He won't be allowed anywhere NEAR our new red couch!

Hubs on the couch! (No, those pillows will not be coming home with us!)

After our couch find, Jason and I headed to Ikea. OMG! Have you ever been to an Ikea? It was an airport! There was even a cafe and a child care center! We could not believe how huge it was. We looked at some of the living room furniture before making our way to the baby furniture. Adorable, functional, affordable...we were in love! We found a crib, changing table, and two dressers that we'd like to get for the nursery!

Crib and changing table we liked!

Jason and I went out for dinner with my grandparents, Nana and Pop-Pop, this past week, too. They spoiled us and gave us gifts: a changing table, boxes of diapers, and even a breast pump for me! I think we may keep this changing table downstairs (to make it easier on us), and then have another changing table in the baby's nursery. I've been reading on my birth board that a lot of moms don't feel the need for one, but a changing table was one thing I was weirdly looking forward to! So I plan on having two. :)

I also hung out with my parents this past weekend, too, while Jason was at his fantasy football draft. We went to Olive Garden for lunch (yum!) and then looked around Babies R Us for awhile. After wrestling with it and reading the instructions, we figured out how to collapse and re-position the stroller I wanted to register for. I also found the carseat I liked. Bonus: the carseat will fit into the stroller! Once we knew what we were doing, it was very easy to manuever. :) Then of course, we had to check out the adorable little outfits! Thank you for an awesome afternoon, Mom and Dad!

Pug keychain for the diaper bag and beanie baby pug for Bebs!

Hebs: I cannot believe that I am already 20 weeks! I feel like the first 20 weeks just flew by, which makes me hopeful that the next 20 weeks will fly by! Well, they can start flying on by AFTER the nursery is painted and decorated. ;)

The morning sickness and headaches seem to have stopped--knock on wood! Feeling my skin stretch around my belly has been weird, but usually lotion helps. I'm still having skin issues, which is incredibly annoying. I'd like to know when the glowing phase starts? I thought pregnant ladies were supposed to glow?! My face is breaking out worse than when I was a teenager, my already thick hair is basically now a bush growing on top of my head, and I already feel like I am waddling a bit! Ah, pregnancy. :)

Exciting News: Hubs and I are able to find out this Friday what the gender of Bebs is!!! We cannot wait! Ever since I took the pregnancy test, and it was positive!, I've been so sure that Bebs is a boy. If it is a boy, we already have a name picked, nursery theme idea, etc. We are totally set. If Bebs is a girl, we will still be ecstatic, but will need to get moving on nursery ideas and a name!

While I've been picturing Bebs as a boy this entire time, the many times I've dreamed about the baby, it's always been a girl. I have a very vivid recurring dream of Jason, Dexter, and a toddler girl (wearing a teal jacket, pink hat, and pink pants!) playing in the leaves in our backyard. (The backyard is also fenced in, which ours isn't now, but we'd like to do it in the future). I'm watching them play from the deck and then I yell "Jason! *girl name!* Time for dinner!" and they come running in. The girl has blue eyes like Jason and thick, wavy hair like me. Weird? Cool? Foreshadowing what is to come? I don't know. I definitely like having that dream, though. :) Oh, and it is totally true what they say about your dreams being incredibly more vivid during pregnancy!

Gender Reveal: Hubs and I decided to have a small get together Friday night for our parents, siblings (that are in the area!), and a handful of friends to tell them Bebs' gender! We asked everyone to wear pink or blue to show their guess, and I made a few props as well. I will definitely post the news and pictures after we're able to call the rest of our family to tell them the news! :)

Introducing a new segment....
At our yoga class, the instructor told us about keeping a "gratitude journal," where we just jot down things at the end of each day that we were thankful for. They can be little things, silly things, big things, important things...it doesn't matter. I think it is a good exercise in helping me keep in mind that pregnancy and the little banana inside of me is a miracle and that each day I have so many things to be thankful for that sometimes are taken for granted.

List of Gratitude

1. My parents and grand-parents. They have been a huge support emotionally and even financially, by purchasing some baby things for us. They do it out of the goodness of their heart and I wish I could express just how much I love my family and what they mean to me.

2. Jason. I know I've been super irritable lately, especially about my appearance, but I appreciate that you still tell me I'm beautiful and that you love me. I appreciate that you also have been helping me a great deal with housework and taking care of Dexter when I just don't have the energy.

3. My home. I'm beyond thankful that I am able to live in a beautiful home and have people willing to help us make it even better by moving furniture, painting, doing yardwork, etc. It's just a huge weight off of my shoulders that we have wonderful friends and family who are willing to help us.

***A big CONGRATULATIONS to our friend Jeff on becoming an uncle! His sister Lisa and brother-in-law Steve welcomed their daughter, Lily, into the world this morning! Happy Birthday, Lily!***