What We're Thankful For

We have a whole lot to be thankful for this year. Michael's mom and step dad have been out this week visiting with us and it's been great. We're going to celebrate the birthdays of Michael and my dad tonight. And, I made my first Thanksgiving turkey which turned out perfectly (with a lot of help and guidance from Emeril, Martha and Lynn Weber).

Today we went to my mom's work -- a medical imaging office -- for a second sneak peek at the baby. Lynn, Rich, my mom and my dad got to see first-hand what Michael and I saw a few weeks ago. The baby's doubled in size since then and is now 9 cm "crown to rump," or about 15 cm stretched out.

We were hoping we might see whether the baby's a boy or girl today, but it wasn't to be just yet. Nonetheless, it was amazing watching the screen and seeing how much more developed the baby is. We all watched as it hiccupped, touched its face, and gulped amniotic fluid. And now you can, too:


Baby Face


Hiccup



Slurp, Slurp


Hiccup Again

Our Baby

Now that my co-workers, friends and acquaintances all know about the baby, people ask me almost daily, "So, how are you feeling?" or "How's the baby?" It's more than polite conversation; they really want to know. Mothers offer unsolicited advice and relate stories of their own pregnancies. A print vendor I know stopped me in the hallway today to say that she saw a pregnant lady and thought of me. She wanted to know if I've been sick at all. I think the day will come once I'm bigger that strangers will ask to touch my belly, as though they want to be among the first to connect with the baby.

I've been thinking a lot about why people I hardly know are taking a vested interest in my well-being and that of the baby. I've realized I always used to do that, too, but I'd never really put much thought into it. I think it must have some evolutionary basis, that humans are naturally predisposed to care for babies and the mothers carrying them. Some sort of "It Takes A Village" thing. (Somewhere Sean Hannity is gagging.)

It's an awesome realization, though, to think how much bigger this whole process is than just me and Michael and our future little family. In a way, the responsibility is a little overwhelming. But in another way, I'm relieved to be bringing a baby into a world where so many people are hoping only the best for it. I know we'll all be surrounded by a lot of love and support, and for that I'm very grateful.

Butterflies in My Tummy

I may not be Ally McBeal, but I am convinced that we're having a dancing baby. It's no surprise, really; Michael and I both love to dance and take every opportunity to hone our "signature moves." It could be a friend's wedding, a night out, or just a great song on a Chrysler commercial. OK, to be fair, he's never danced to a Chrysler commercial. That was me. But he did win a breakdancing contest in high school and can still pop-lock with the best of them.

Our offspring is already starting to bust moves of its own. I began feeling flutters a couple weeks ago. It feels like little butterflies moving around, and it tickles when their wings brush against me. On Friday, I took the baby out dancing downtown in celebration of a coworker's 40th birthday. We were on the dance floor for a good couple hours and it was so much fun. Who needs prenatal yoga when you got House of Pain and "Jump Around"?

Saturday night, we went to see Jersey Boys and had dinner at The Hard Rock Café beforehand. The baby was active all night, though it was partial to "Paradise City" and Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You." I'm not sure Michael's convinced when I tell him the baby likes the music, but when we're watching our kid at the So You Think You Can Dance finals, he'll understand.

You Told the Bartender Before Us?

I went to happy hour at Tower 23 with my two bridesmaids, Jen and Steph, last night. We had a lot of catching up to do since we hadn't seen each other in a while. And, I was eager to break the news to them.

Jen was running late from work. Steph had locked herself out of her house so she was even later. So, I made friends with the bartender while I waited. I ordered a cranberry juice since I knew the girls would assume it was a vodka-cran. I must have looked pensive, because the bartender asked me what I was thinking about. I said it was kind of a secret until my girlfriends arrived, but it was the reason I wasn't having a cocktail. "Oh, well then. Congratulations, I think?" he said. I just smiled and he comped my drink.

The girls finally arrived and we chatted a while about our trips (they just returned from Costa Rica), the fires, friends. I was getting to the bottom of my drink and I was still thirsty. They'd know the second I ordered a non-alcoholic drink. So I told them. It was something like, "Speaking of knocked up..." Steph said, "Wait, who's knocked up?" I just pointed to my belly. That's right; I'm the knocked-up one.

Jen started crying and Steph beamed her megawatt smile and kept going, "What?!?!" They were both super excited.

At the end of the night, the bartender brought the check, smiled and said, "Congratulations, again." I think the girls were a little miffed because I got a, "Wait you told the bartender before us?" I told them that's what they got for being late.

Look What We Did

Because of our trip and the fires in town, my first ultrasound was a little later than most – 10 weeks rather than eight. It was great, because the baby was much more developed than we expected. When the image appeared on the screen, it literally took my breath away. Michael said only, “Whoa.”

I think I was anticipating a little alien or tadpole, but this looked like a tiny human. Michael and I were both totally transfixed by the image on the screen. The baby appeared to be reclining in a little hammock, sucking its thumb and crossing its legs. We could see arms, legs, fingers and toes.

The baby kicked and moved around when we talked. The beating heart looked like a sparkly little ball in its chest. At one point, it looked like the baby had a fit of hiccups. I haven’t had any symptoms (although my skinny jeans are skinnier than ever) so this made it so much more real to both of us. Here is one of the baby’s first portraits. I’m certain it has a future career in modeling.

Of Old Wives and Gray Hairs

So, yes, we will be finding out whether the baby is a boy or girl before it’s born. I can honestly say that neither Michael nor I have a preference. We really just care about having a healthy and happy baby.

I know some people have romantic notions about the moment of surprise in the delivery room, but I guess Michael and I are more practical than romantic. I’m a little overwhelmed by my ever-growing to-do list, and anything I can do to simplify my life right now is a good thing. That includes reducing the name /nursery color options by half.

So, I’m already speculating. Susie Gutschmidt says I’ll just know. I’m not so sure – I really don’t have a clue yet. I guess I’m leaning toward “girl,” but only because of the old wives’ tale that says when you’re pregnant with a girl she steals your beauty. I’m looking in the mirror these days and going, “dang, not good.”

It’s partly because of the growing gray streak at the front of my hair line. I haven’t dyed my hair in about 3 months to avoid exposure to the ammonia. Then there’s the fact that my skin’s like parchment these days. No matter how much cocoa butter I slather, no matter how much water I drink, I can’t seem to keep what seems to be a thin layer of ash from reappearing on my skin. It’s not looking good. I’m glad Michael loves me anyway. And if the old wives are correct, we’ll have an absolutely gorgeous little girl.

Bun in the Oven

We're pretty depressed my sister's going to be out of town for the Halloween weekend and won't be hosting her epic Halloween party. We had the perfect costumes in mind. Michael was going as a baker. I was going to sport this cute little getup.

Don’t Say We Never Take You Anywhere

Our baby’s not even born yet, and it’s already a world traveler. I was about seven weeks pregnant when Michael and I boarded a plane headed for our dream trip to Italy. We spent 14 days traveling across the country, from Rome to Tuscany to Florence to Venice to Milan. It was amazing. It was exhausting. It was delicious. We worked on developing the baby’s gourmet palate and discovered it’s partial to pecorino cheese with honey, croissants with cappuccino, mint-chip gelato, and fresh pasta with arrabiata sauce. Here are some shots of the baby in Italia.

Helping mom get her bearings in Rome.

Basking in the Tuscan sun with mom.

Enjoying the sights of the Grand Canal with mom and dad.