weekend of fun

My doctor wanted me to not travel for a few weeks because things were not in the right place in there. After going to the doctor again last week she okayed me to travel so I had to venture home to visit little Eli monster man (and parents and brother and sisterinlaw). I got to spend a lot of time with the little two and a half year old terror and it was so much fun! He's started reading books to you, instead of you reading to him. He is so freaking cute! He read a book to me about animals, telling me what all the animals are and what color they are. He's so good at his animals and colors and shapes, and he's learning counting (right now he always skips 4, and sometimes skips 4,5,6&7). The last time I saw him he only knew 1 and 2. It's been a month and such a huge difference in what he knows. And, whenever you ask him something and he doesn't know the answer he says "I don't know" and it is the cutest thing EVER.

I'm at the 20 week mark now, so I'm halfway done baking the bun in my oven! I went to a used clothing store over the weekend and was able to get quite a few maternity shirts and pants, and all clearance was $1! Such a successful shopping trip! My hair is growing out faster on the left side of my head than the right, so my wonderful sisterinlaw gave me a great haircut over the weekend. It took her a while to even it out my crazy hair, and she also said that my hair was even thicker on the left side of my head, i suppose adding to the whole growing faster thing. She did a great job, despite my head being ridiculous.

So far I feel totally fine, still am not feeling movement but am looking forward to it soon. We had another ultrasound last week, and when Adam would talk, baby would move even more. So I'm really looking forward to feeling baby's reaction to daddy's voice. :) :)

a name for baby

Adam and I haven't spent a whole lot of time thinking about baby names. So many people have offered suggestions, which I listen to none of them. But I have also been told that we need to come up with a name for baby to use in the mean time. I have just been calling baby "Baby", but that is not very creative. I also don't want a nickname that is gender specific. Yet, I keep calling Baby a he, and that really makes me want a gender neutral nickname until Baby comes out. I've loved the ideas that friends have used for their babies, and I need to come up with something as great at theirs!
We have started talking about decorating Baby's room. Adam wants to paint the room blue with clouds and stencil in trees. :)
My hair is growing faster on the left side of my head than the right side. It is making me keep my hair in a ponytail most of the time. It's subtle and probably no one else would notice unless I point it out to them, but I know that it's goofy, so ponytail it is. Hopefully my wonderful sis-in-law can come visit soon and fix this ridiculous problem.

baby news

we had our first ultrasound yesterday. baby was super active, rolling around and not cooperating with the tech at all, and making me laugh quite a bit. when she measured the head, the screen said that the size of the head corresponded to 16 weeks, so I am as far along as I had thought (which the doctor questioned at my appointment on wednesday). The tech showed us baby's feet and legs and arms and hands. When she was looking at baby's head, she was even able to show us baby's brain in there, which was super cool. Baby was opening and closing his/her mouth and waved at us a bit (we got a picture of that!). Whenever the tech went to look at baby' nether regions, she had us look away since we don't want to know the sex of the baby, but I think it's too early to tell anyway. Everyone of my parents generation who finds out what we don't want to know the sex of the baby thinks that's great, everyone of my generation is totally disappointed and a little mad at me (especially my brother) that we're not going to find out. I'm totally entertained by this.

Poppie

My grandfather (my mom's dad) passed away on Tuesday. He was 92. He had fantastic handwriting. He liked to sing, especially Irish songs - I think one of his favorites was "Oh Danny Boy." Whenever anyone offered him another drink (beer years ago, pop now), he would say, "Just one more, then I have to go." Or he would say, "I'll split it with you," and he would split the next one with you too. His favorite drink was a Bloody Mary. He loved to tell jokes, jokes that were so corny they were funny. At Poppie's 90th birthday party, there was a clown at the restaurant making balloon animals. The clown made a balloon hat for Poppie and he donned that hat with such pride, enjoying every minute of his party.
When I told him I was having a baby he clapped and bounced (as much as a 92 year old can bounce), making him the second most fun person to tell I was having a baby (Adam was the first). Everything about him was so sweet and funny. He sent cards for Left Hander's Day (August 13) to the four people in the family who are left-handed, myself included. He would always marvel at my eating, since I used my left hand to do it.
I found my last birthday card from him this morning. It said "Granddaughter, whereever you go, whatever you do.... my love will forever be with you." I'm sure it made me cry a little when I got it, but I immediately forgot what it said. Needless to say, when I read that this morning the tears wouldn't stop.
I will miss him always, but he is finally reunited with my grandmother again, after 26.5 years apart.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/chicagotribune/obituary.aspx?n=fred-a-smith&pid=138554383

how do you like them apples?

2009 was a great year for me and my Adam. It started with moving into our house, then I finally finally finished my PhD, then I had so much fun planning our wedding and actually having our wedding and being married. We finally went to San Francisco, a trip we were hoping to take for a very long time and it was so so wonderful. And then we found out we're having a baby! I don't think it would have been possible for 2009 to get any better.

So, what's up for 2010? It goes without saying that we have to get our house ready for baby! We know which room we will use as the baby's room, it's just a matter of figuring out what to do with the desks, book shelf, and futon that are currently in that room. Luckily our master bedroom is big, but it will need some rearranging. We are so excited for the coming months - I'm really really looking forward to the first time my baby kicks me! And I'm looking forward to the nausea that comes and goes so often to stop completely. I have not vomited thoughout my first trimester, making me feel like I'm having a very lucky pregnancy so far, but today Adam drove us from the fort back home and I couldn't look out the window because it was making me feel so sick. And I've never had a problem with motion sickness (I'm one of those weirdos that can read in a car - so often people have been amazed that I could read without vomiting). I've also been dealing with a lot of dizzy issues (which isn't helping with the nausea). I really thought I was done with the nausea, but apparently not. Hopefully I will be soon!

Another pregnancy update - my belly is getting really hard. My pants all still fit, so I'm not really showing yet, but I have a hard belly! Alright, I think that's all for now. Happy New Year!

True Compass

Over Christmas break, I have been reading True Compass: A Memoir by Ted Kennedy. I am not a reader of biographies, but after Kennedy passed away, I watched a few of the shows that were dedicated to the life of him and his brothers. I was intrigued. After waiting patiently for my turn to check out the library book, I got it just in time to read it over the break.
It is FANTASTIC. I've always heard about the tragedy that surrounded the Kennedy family, but to read Ted's feelings during it all made me feel like I was there. A family of 9 children - 2 died in plane crashes, 2 were assassinated, one was mentally challenged and doctors convinced the Kennedy's a lobotomy would help her - leaving only 4 to properly grow old together.
Ted's stories about campaigning for his brother Jack for the 1960 presidential election were great. My favorite was Ted going to a rodeo and convincing the crowd to vote for his brother by staying on a bareback bucking horse for 6 seconds. Reading about the assassination of Jack made me cry. Lyndon Johnson's efforts to pass the Civil Rights Act for which Jack had laid the foundation was amazing to read about, almost made me feel like I was there. It amazes me that it was only passed in 1964 and changed the US so much that we are now living in a different country. A better country. There were so many other bills passed that were part of the Civil Rights Act that I didn't even realize were necessary. States used to be able to charge a poll tax, making people pay to cast a vote, preventing the poor (and often minorities) from bothering to voice their opinion on who they wanted to represent them. Ted spearheaded the passing of that law, preventing states from making people pay to vote. The stories of Ted and Bobby working together in the senate, representing Massachusetts and New York, respectively, were wonderful stories that showed how much fun the two of them had while expressing their LOVE of their country. When Bobby decided to run for president, two major parts of his campaign were ending the war in Vietnam and Civil Rights. Bobby was in Indianapolis the night that Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated. He was speaking to a group of minorities and his advisors told him to not announce the Dr. King had been murdered. Bobby did not agree and told the group the horrendous news. He then championed them to rise above violence and bring about civil rights through peace. Riots broke out all over the country that night, but not Indianapolis. Bobby's assassination two months later really tore Ted apart, making him retreat into his work.
Following the Civil Rights battles of the 1960's, Ted's major cause was healthcare. It is a shame that he is not still alive to see the efforts being made to pass healthcare reform, but he knew that Obama was going to make every effort possible to make it happen.
I loved this book. I recommend.

Big News!

This is my 150th blog post, and I'm going to use it to announce that I am 12 weeks pregnant! My first trimester is almost over, and it's been pretty easy so far. I have certainly had symptoms of pregnancy, but not as bad as I've heard. I've been nauseous at times, but there has been no vomiting, so I am a happy girl. My due date is July 4 (maybe we should name the baby Yankee Doodle :) ?) And we are not going to find out the sex of the baby. I want it to be a surprise! Of course, the betting (with no money) has begun on if we're having a boy or a girl. I just want a healthy baby, boy or girl doesn't matter to me! My sis-in-law Rachel wants me to have a boy because we can get all the hand me downs from my nephew, but she wants me to have a girl because she wants to buy lots of super cute girl things! Adam is starting to think about how we should decorate the baby's room, but I'm just thinking about what I should eat next! We are super excited and I am just working on taking care of myself!