The End of July

Well Baby, it seems we've made it through the hottest part of the summer. We might have one more hot week in August, but the first 10 days of it appear to be in the 70's and 80's. This is incredible news since I don't like super hot weather to begin with, but with you starting to squirm (yet I can't feel it) I really can't handle hot weather. My appetite is non-existent, I feel very slow moving, and the worst kind of ill. I'm told the sick part should start to subside in about another four to five weeks once I get into my second trimester. I hope "they" are right!

Yesterday I came to the realization that it may be time to start shopping for some new pants. My jeans are fitting all wrong. If I leave them in a comfortable place they show off my crack. Completely unacceptable unless I was a plumber, which I am not. They also make my bottom very saggy like I soiled myself which is not okay. If I pull them up so I erase these two problems, my stomach hurts when I sit. I've heard of the rubber band trick and tried it. I don't find this to be a good solution with these pants.

Stacey, Jeremiah, Owen and Nala (adorable yellow lab) are coming to visit for the whole weekend! They will arrive here sometime after work, probably 7-8ish and stay until Sunday. I see myself going shopping with Stacey who just went through these shopping dilemmas not too long ago. It is just too early to break out the yoga pants.

Rainy Day

Waking up to a rainy day rarely happens here in sunny Colorado. So when it does I feel a little nostalgic from home. I generally want to go hang out in a coffee shop and read, or find a good book store and hunker down for a while. Occassionally, I feel like shopping. It is also cooler out, which I personally favor. I like putting on layers of clothes, lounging around in a hoodie or curling up with a comfy blanket. I know it is still the end of July and it sounds like I'm talking nonsense, but I am genuinely excited for fall and winter!

I am going to get some work done today and probably take another online real estate class to stay current. There is talk of hanging out with Jeremiah, Stacey and baby Owen on Saturday. Owen is now 6 months old and it's been a while since we've seen them.

It still amazes me how tired I am and how much sleep I can get. I remember the days at work when everyone is moving at a snails pace because they were tired, didn't sleep well, went to bed late, etc? I wonder if any of them have ever been pregnant?! You learn a whole new level of tiredness.

Sweet Raspberry

We are into Week 8 and you are now the size of a raspberry! This week you are starting to become more human-like and less alien-like. Your lips, nose, eyelids, legs and back are taking shape. You are starting to have spontaneous movements with your limbs, but I can't feel them yet.

I DO feel incredibly nauseous and tired. It has been nearly a week since I have written, so here is what we're doing out in the world.

Grandma Linda came to visit and she is so excited to meet you! I took her to the Breckenridge Brewery for lunch (don't worry, I didn't have any beer...but the food there is great) before heading up to Aspen. We camped for two nights at Difficult Campground. On Friday I took her to Glenwood Hot Springs Resort and we mostly hung out in the regular pool. I did dip my feet into one of the hot pools but it didn't last long. That night we walked the streets of Aspen window shopping and people watching.

The rest of the trip was very relaxing. We attempted to go to Garden of the Gods but the rain showed and cut our trip there short. We were soaked, so we went home to change and tried to go to a baseball game after it seemed the weather had passed. We were at the game for about a half an hour before another storm system came blowing in, only this one lasted most of the daylight hours.

I am trying desperately to get back into the swing of things, but have been feeling so crummy that I don't last very long. I'm trying to strategize for a better approach and finding ways to break up big tasks into very small ones.

You are now a blueberry

Tuesday was the start of week 7 and you are now the size of a blueberry. You are growing quickly!

We have been enjoying Liz's visit. Monday we drove up to Boulder and took the Celestial Seasonings tour. It was very interesting and tasty. We probably spent as much time in the gift shop as we did on the tour. We enjoyed a nice dinner out near the mall and stayed overnight at the Omni Interlocken Resort. Fun!

On Tuesday we woke up to a very overcast, cloudy and misty day. A little unusual for Colorado, but we took advantage of it and went to Caribou Coffee and to the outlet mall! Later we decided to go to Jack Quinn's Running Club...only we walked...and cheated a little. :) The rest of the night was very relaxing and low key.

This morning I made pancakes, eggs and bacon for breakfast and we rented scooters! We scooted around Manitou Springs and Garden of the Gods. We had a blast! Jon and Liz are now off to visit Susan and my mom is flying in tomorrow.

Autie Liz is Coming!

Today Liz is coming to Colorado for a brief visit before her and Jon fly to Idaho on Wednesday to visit with Susan. We are picking her up from the airport and dashing off to Boulder. I am so excited! I LOVE Boulder and Jon picked up a hotel room at the Omni Resort for tonight. I love their pool. We are going to do a tour of the Celestial Seasonings factory and a tea sampling.

Tomorrow, we are going to rent scooters and zip around Garden of the Gods, Old Colorado City and Manitou Springs. I think we are going to pack a lunch so we can picnic along the way.

Weekend

Saturday Jon and I gardened/weeded for a total of 5.5 hours. My garden is starting to look much better again. I sat an open house and felt very tired all day. I miss having energy!

Sunday we were both rather lazy. I was able to make it to the grocery store, and do some light cleaning. I also took a 4 hour nap. :) The rest of the cleaning will have to happen tomorrow morning before we go to pick up Liz.

A rather uneventful weekend, but we have a great week coming up!

You're getting me free food!

Yesterday I was supposed to go for blood work right after my doctor's appointment. I went to a lab where three women couldn't find a good vein, but tried twice unsuccessfully. After have three women stare me down with needles and finding nothing but poking me twice I bounced. I decided to go home, drink a lot of water and try again in the morning.

So this morning I went to a different lab (would you have gone back to the same place??) and waited an hour before a nice man tried to find a vein. He tried where he should've but was unsuccessful as I knew he would be, then went for the most obvious (and painful) vein. The job was finally finished! I hope I don't have to do this very often.

After my second double wamy with the needles, I met up with Jodi, Theresa and April for lunch at the Purple Castle where I was hooked up large by Squidward and Gary. The others had eatten a big breakfast, and I was the only one eatting. I think they felt bad that I had to eat alone so they waved off my $10. It was nice of them since I was feeling queasy all morning and didn't have a huge appetitie anyway. We also stopped by D-n-D Ranch Aromas to visit Michelle and take part in her ribbon cutting ceremony. I absolutely love her candles and her amazing personality.

Aside from my morning, my afternoon was fairly uneventful and I was able to get some work done. I must admit that it has been very difficult to concentrate this week on work between family visits, upcoming family visits, the big news and figuring out how to make everything work.

Doctor Day!

This morning we had our first prenatal doctor's visit with Dr. Diane Ryan. I am already a big fan of hers. She was recommended to me by Kelley who recently gave birth to a boy. Everything was looking good and we got a lot of good information. I am scheduled to go back in two weeks for my ultrasound when we can listen to the baby's heart beat. I am very excited for that.

You're sweet face

Baby, you're face is starting to develop this week. You are no bigger than the head of a nail. (.08-.2 inches) Tomorrow is our big appointment with Dr. Ryan. I have been feeling queasy all day long now for two days. It is especially bad after I start to eat something. We have so many questions for the doctor, and a lot of reading to do.

Yesterday we went to the top of Pikes Peak by the Cog Rail and took an adventurous hike to Dorothy Falls and the punch bowls at Glen Eyrie. It was a very tough day for me, but I was determined to keep a positive attitude for those around me. Later we came back to our house for a delicious lasagna, fresh salad from my garden and garlic bread. I wished I could've had a pint of Jon's homebrew or a glass of red wine.

I can't wait to tell everyone the good news! We are trying to wait until after the appointment tomorrow, and when we can each tell our moms in person next week.

Tough Secret

Baby, you are one tough secret to keep! Jon and I are getting more excited each day. I made my first ob/gyn appointment for Thursday morning. I'm not sure what to expect at this appointment. I have a lot of questions about what I can or cannot do, healthy eatting habits, etc.

We visited Garden of the Gods yesterday and went rock climbing in Red Rock Canyon. I even went...whether I should've or not, we still aren't sure on those rules. Jon took down the rope in a very heavy rain storm while I belayed. We were soaked to the bone!

Later we met up at the Schroeder's hotel and had dinner. It was a beautiful evening so we sat outside and chatted.

You are tiny, but already loved

Week 5. Baby is the size of an orange seed.

Yesterday the Waukesha Schroeders arrived. We walked down the hill to the park where they had a picnic lunch before playing the Bear Creek and helping me weed my garden. I felt awful about them pulling weeds on their vacation, but appreciated the help so much! After they settled in at their hotel, they came back to our place and we had a great roast for dinner. Later, we went for a drive through Garden of the Gods...a fly-by you might say, before hitting the Old Colorado City Creamery for some Blue Moon ice cream.

I've been feeling a little queasy, but it comes and goes. It has been very hot outside so I am trying to stay hydrated and my appetite is low. I feel like I'm moving slower too. My muscles seem more sore with moderate exercise and after telling Jon this we've decided to continue with running club on Tuesday nights and a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise each day. I think this will be a healthy approach to the pregnancy both for myself and baby.

We have our first appointment with Dr. Diane Ryan on Thursday. She is affiliated with a fantastic hospital and came recommended by the Schulers.

I still can't believe I am saying the word, "baby" in relation to myself. We are getting more excited and can't wait to share the news!

Oh Baby

What a surprise you are! We were celebrating many good things through June and early July. I decided to go full time in real estate and leave my job at the newspaper, we celebrated four happy years of marriage, Daddy's barracks project is coming to an end and family is arriving today.

In all of this chaos though, nothing could have prepared me for this daunting thought...and it took a Target run to prove it to me; I'm pregnant.

Since "they" say you shouldn't talk about it much in the first couple of months because of a possibility of miscarriage or complications, I have decided to blog about it. I won't share the address until it is ok to talk about it freely. So for now...you are our secret.