28 Week Update

How the Pregnancy is going so far:

How far along: 28 weeks + a few days

How big is baby: Around the size of an eggplant!

Pregnancy weight gain:   Visiting the states did a number on me thanks to Chipotle, everything in Alabama being deep fried, and the home cooking from the fam in the northeast.  I'm up around 20 lbs now, but thankfully still feeling great!

Sleep:  According to Brian, I'm a "flopper."  I have a tough time getting comfortable before I fall asleep and thus 'flop' around for a while.  I've also started snoring apparently.  None of this I notice, but I pity my light-sleeping husband these days!
Maternity Clothes: After some great shopping while back in the states, I think I'm pretty much set for the summer.  My bff spoiled me with a couple of adorable dresses and tops from a boutique in Chicago, and those are my favorite (read: most comfy) right now.

Best moment of the week:  There are a few:

1. Returning to Germany and seeing Nellie-cat and our friends here at Spang!
2. Another great OB appointment confirming that baby Morrissey is growing just as he should... and that's he's still a boy!
3. Attending my last spouses coffee here.  It was a wonderful farewell from the ladies and it was also my worst moment of the week because I really don't want to leave yet!
4. Selling my car.  Without even advertising it to the public, we found someone who wants to purchase Civvy.  The transaction wont go through for another week and a half, but it's one less thing we need to worry about!

Funny moment of the week:  Getting a RhoGam shot at my OB appointment because I'm RH neg and Brian is RH positive... Brian misheard the MD and thought they were going to give me a Rogaine shot (aka the hair growth stuff)! 

Stressors this week: Preparing for the move.  We've gotten a good amount done in the last couple of days, but there is just so much more sorting to do!

Food cravings : Ice cream, spinach and corn (not combined, thank goodness)

Food aversions: None.  I'm back to wanting to eat everything in the grocery store.

Favorite Recipes/Meals this week: We're trying to clean out the pantry, so meals are getting creative!  Last night was asparagus risotto with shrimp and cauliflower.

 Symptoms:  The heartburn pretty much disappeared when I was stateside, but now it's coming back.  Sore upper back and ankles occasionally, but nothing too bad.  My skin is finally clearing up as well -thank goodness!  Oh, and my belly button is definitely a full "outtie" now.

Movement: All the time!  He's forever practicing his basketball dribbling with my innards.  :)  I'm just waiting for that scene in Alien where a hand pops out!

Gender: It's a boy!!!  They are "certain" this time! 

What I’m looking forward to: Having the move behind me.  I am very sad to be leaving Germany and our wonderful friends and house here, but simultaneously very ready to get settled into our new home before baby boy makes his debut!

What I miss from pre-pregnancy: Doing handstands, sharing a great bottle of wine, using our espresso machine.

Next appt: A couple of days before we leave to go to Korea (in just over 2 weeks).  It will be my last appt in Germany.  Boooo!

Forget the pink... it's a BOY!

First, let me apologize for the several week hiatus.   To say it's been a busy and crazy last few weeks is an understatement!  Between traveling back to the states to see Brian and the family, and getting ready to say a final 'Tschuss' to Germany,  I've been quite preoccupied.  Please bear with me as I try to recollect some of the big events from the last month or so!  Without a doubt, the biggest surprise I received came at my 22wk OB appointment...

I had the appointment just before flying back to the states, to make sure that everything was hunky-dory before getting on a 7 hour flight.  They did my glucose screening early that morning (everything was normal) and I had a 4 hour wait before my 'regular' appointment was scheduled.  Thankfully, they were not too busy, and were able to fit me in for the regular check-up right away, as opposed to having to return to the hospital in 4 hours.  The doctor who was able to see me was not my regular OB, but another very nice German fellow, who also spoke English incredibly well.

I may have mentioned this before, but one of my very favorite things with the care here in Germany, is that you get an ultrasound at every monthly appointment.  This time, the new doctor asked if I'd like to know the sex of the baby.  I told him that a month prior, I had an appointment and Brian and I were told that it was a girl... but that he was more than welcome to go back and check!  Boy am I glad he did!  After a few seconds of moving the ultrasound wand around my belly, he pauses... looks at me... looks back at the screen... and says (in a heavy accent):  "That is definitely NOT a girl!!!"

I looked at the screen and it did not take me long to realize he was right! He said that the crazy gummy bear was probably moving too much during the last appointment to get a clear shot.  I was shocked!  I think I even asked him if there were two babies in there (one boy and one girl)!  He reassured me that there was just one baby, and that we were, without a doubt, going to be parents to a son.

I asked for a print of the picture on the screen (clearly highlighting "the goods") so I could show it to Brian when I got to the states.  I now wish someone, anyone, had been at that appointment with me... the look on my face must have been priceless!  We had spent the past 5 weeks with the mindset that it was a girl.... granted I hadn't bought that many purple outfits and bows, but with the Spring Bazaar on base the week prior, I definitely walked away with a fair amount of stuff that will now be re-gifted to friends or saved for a future baby girl Morrissey.  I'm all about gender neutral stuff for sure, and he can wear whatever he wants, but I'm not going to willingly dress him in a dirndl this Oktoberfest instead of lederhosen!  :)

So that was a huge surprise... it's a boy!  I called Brian at around 5am in the states to tell him the news.... he was obviously shocked as well.  Now that we've had several weeks to let the news sink in (and another ultrasound at 27 weeks to confirm), we're finally adjusted to the idea that it's a boy!  We would be thrilled either way, for sure... so there was no disappointment when we found out--- just lots of surprise!   We've had a great time the last few weeks adjusting the items on our registry and telling family and friends.  The time until he arrives is flying by... it's hard to believe that in a little over two months, our son will be here!

Birthing an Ewok?

So there's an old wives tale out there that claims the more heartburn a pregnant woman has, the more hair her baby will have.  Apparently some sources actually believe this to be true, as there was a small-scale Johns Hopkins University study conducted in 2007 that found women who reported having frequent heartburn to have birthed babies with above-average amounts of hair.  Most medical professionals still believe it's just a myth, and I kind of hope they are right... at the rate I'm going, our baby will look a lot less like this:

And a lot more like this:

I'm crossing my fingers for a happy medium.... a nice head of hair, but not an Ewok.

21 Week Bump Update

21 Week Bump Update:

This photo was taken on Easter at my wonderful friend Annie's house... I was closer to 20 weeks than 21 here.

How the Pregnancy is going so far:

How far along: 21 weeks today (Saturday)

How big is baby: She's about as long as a banana!  Crazy!

Pregnancy weight gain:   Somewhere around 12 lbs so far.  Haven't stepped on the scale in a few days, nor do I care to today.

Sleep: Having a hard time getting to bed at a decent hour, but once I'm asleep it's fantastic.  Still waking up on my back a few times a night and forcing myself to roll onto one side or the other. If I wake up to use the bathroom, I have no trouble falling back to sleep unless it's already light out... Then I'm up.

 Maternity Clothes: Inherited a nice supply of maternity stuff from recently preggo friends out here.  Most of it is still a bit big, but a few things (like the shirt in the photo) fit great!  I can still fit into all of my longer length pre-pregnancy shirts, and a few pairs of pants that don't have a zipper and/or button (see photo again).  Unless they have an elastic waist, I have outgrown all of my shorts... with a trip to Alabama to see Brian in my very near future, I will have to do some shopping ASAP.  Me thinks sundresses will be a staple this summer!

Best moment of the week:  There are a few:

1.  Easter at my lovely friend Annie's house was wonderful.  The food was amazing and the company was phenomenal, as always.  I am going to miss my Spangdahlem family a ton when I'm back in the states, and I dont want to even think about the upcoming move! 
2. Looking forward to the trip home - I'll be heading back to the states in three days for the 1st time in about 15 months.  Can't wait to spend a week with the family in MA and a few weeks with Brian in AL! 
3.  My awesome best friend.  Kelly, the love-of-my-life-in-the-form-of-a-girl,  just booked a flight from Chicago to visit Brian and I in Alabama.  The last time I saw her was 6 months ago when she (and her Brian) came to Germany for a visit.  I feel SO lucky to have a bff who will find a way to see me, wherever I am!
4. Checking major moving stuff off the to-do list.  Brian's car is now being shipped to Korea, a few more essential baby items have been purchased (and a huge array of awesome baby-girl items and bathtub were donated to us by a wonderful friend here!), and I'm pretty much packed for the upcoming trip!
   

Stressors this week: Getting everything done before leaving for the states.  The to-do list is never-ending because of the upcoming move.  Setting up moving stuff with Brian gone requires me to have several different powers of attorney and lots of associated paperwork... I still have lots to do on Monday (between two Doctor's appointments), but I'm confident it will all work out a-ok!  Also, I'm a little anxious about dropping Nellie off to be a "castle cat" for 5 weeks.  My fantastic friend Michelle, who will be watching her, is absolutely awesome, and Nellie likes her a lot... I just know how upset our fur-baby is when she's outside of her typical environment and I hope the change of scenery isn't too stressful for her. 

Food cravings : The major avocado craving I've had for the past 2-3 weeks seems to have subsided.  This week I can't seem to get enough corn on the cob (the frozen ones-- I cannot wait for fresh sweet summer corn!).  Also, filling my water bottle with 3 parts sparkling water to 1 part pomegranate juice has been nice and refreshing. Oh, and my splurge has been chocolate soy milk... I've definitely gone through more than a gallon this week! 

Food aversions: Nothing major, except that the post-dinner heartburn has stepped up a notch this week for sure.  I've been eating a much more bland (ie boring) diet in lieu of popping tums every hour.

Favorite Recipes/Meals this week: Nothing too exciting on account of the heartburn. Last night was tilapia, spinach and corn on the cob.  A few nights earlier I made a (faux) crab and muenster sandwich and sweet potato fries.

 Symptoms:  Sore shoulders and upper back the past 3 days.  I've tried changing up my sleeping positions but it hasnt helped much.  I may need to bribe Brian for a back rub when I see him!  Other symptoms: the aforementioned heartburn, mid-day fatigue, and occasionally bleeding gums.  On the whole, I still feel good... just bigger!

Movement: Ninja baby is definitely getting more active!  She was having a dance party yesterday as I had the apple-tv on while I packed.  Her favorite music so far (as determined by the frequency of her karate chops): The Flaming Lips, Jimmy Eat World, and U2.

Gender: They tell us she's a girl!

What I’m looking forward to: Going to the states!!!  Can't wait to see everyone.  I miss the family so much, and I miss my husband terribly... these past few weeks have gone by so very slowly!  I also am REALLY looking forward to warm weather and sunshine!!! It's been hovering around 50 degrees (F) here the past two weeks and I am ready to up that temperature by about 20 degrees!

What I miss from pre-pregnancy: Fitting into all my clothing.  Sleeping through the night.  Coffee that isn't icky decaf.  Clear skin. 

Next appt: I have two on Monday  - my glucose test (to rule out gestational diabetes) and a regular appt/ultrasound.  Looking forward to seeing what the gummy bear looks like this time!

A place for her to sleep

 

One thing that's become apparent since becoming pregnant has been the difficulty in obtaining a variety of baby products from America while being stationed overseas.  In the years past, we've run into occasional APO shipping difficulties, but it was seldom for products that were truly needed.  For example, our wine rack cubes couldn't be shipped here directly from the manufacturer so we sent them to Brian's folks and they, in turn, sent them to us... same with a few other items that we definitely wanted to have, but weren't essential.  It was an occasional frustration, but never that big of an issue.

Now that our family is expanding, it's a different story.  Baby Morrissey will need a place to sleep.. and a stroller, and  a car seat, etc.  Thankfully, some websites are far better than others and will ship things to APO addresses without much hassle.  If it takes 8-10 weeks to arrive, so be it... I'm just thankful it can get here.  We had wonderful luck recently when we ordered and received our stroller and car seat within two weeks!  I was pretty amazed- usually it takes longer than that for a simple letter to get here! 

Unfortunately, the one instance where this is not the case is with cribs.  There are virtually no baby stores or websites in the states that will ship a crib here (or to Korea for that matter).  The large base BX "mall" at Ramstein, which is an hour away, carries a few cribs, but the ones that they currently have in stock are very poorly rated by both consumer reports and Baby Bargains (a phenomenal resource book for all things baby gear related).  They also can order a few different (and higher rated) cribs, but they take 4-6 MONTHS to come in.  Not only will we we living in Korea by then, but the baby will have been born!  Our next option was to check the local German baby stores.  The Germans actually have some awesome (and adorable) baby furniture, but the crib dimensions are not the same as the states, so when we leave here and discover we need a replacement crib liner, or sheets, etc. we would need to order it from Europe and have it sent to wherever we are.  This is an option, but not a very economical one seeing as the products here are already quite expensive with the dollar/euro conversion rate, even before shipping. 

Since there is no BabiesRUs for us to duck into out here, we had one last hope...

 

Thankfully, the one chain that there is no shortage of out here is Ikea.  Now keep in mind that their stuff is no frills, and you have to assemble every last piece yourself, but we certainly weren't looking for a $700 sleigh crib, and Brian likes a good construction project so this seemed like a viable option.  Thankfully, it was!  We found a cute, highly rated crib that will look great in our nursery and will also convert to a toddler bed when the munchkin is toddling.  I promise I'll post a picture of it, along with some of our other nursery purchases in an upcoming post!  Until then, it is just a big relief to me that we found somewhere for our gummy girl to sleep.  

1/2 Way There!

This week, just before Easter,  marked the 1/2 way point of the pregnancy!  20 weeks down, 20 more to go.  Honestly, the past two months have been so easy, that the nastiness of the first few weeks almost seems like a distant blur... almost.  The time is going by incredibly fast now, and with a trip back to the states to see family, and the upcoming move on the horizon, I doubt it will slow down enough for me to catch my breath.  Speaking of catching my breath, I miss being able to do that in general.  I'm not winded after climbing a couple of flights of stairs or anything, but I'm just more tired and lethargic overall, and the dreary weather here hasn't helped.  Mid-day naps that I might have scoffed at in the past are now becoming a staple.  

Here are some other things I miss from the days before the gummy bear took up residence behind my belly button:

Sushi.  Yes,  I know I can still have a California roll or a cucumber roll, but I want full up raw fish on a little pad of rice... or an oyster on the half-shell, or smoked salmon on a bagel.   The funny thing is that none of these were a regular part of my diet pre-pregnancy, because, let's face it, fresh fish isn't exactly what Germany is known for.  So maybe it's just a sub-conscious psychological wanting-what-I-can't-have type of thing.  All I know, is that come September, we'll have found the best sushi spot in Seoul guaranteed.

Spicy Food.   Okay, so this one isn't off limits to me from a medical perspective, but it might as well be.  I still tempt fate and indulge in the occasional spicy curry or pad thai, but the heartburn that follows is miserable.  I see this as being a bit of an issue when we get to Korea, land of mouth-burning kimchi.

 Surfing.   This one was just added to the list.  Brian is in AL for work, and one of our good friends who is currently deployed has been awesome enough to let Bri use his house in Florida for the weekend.  On Saturday, Brian went surfing.  It hit me that when I'm down there in a couple of weeks, this won't be on my to-do list.  I can't even lay on my stomach and read anymore.  Grrrrrr.

 Handstands.  Kind of goes along with the surfing thing.  Not safe.  It's really too bad.... how cool would a big preggo belly handstand shot be?  Maybe that's just me.

Wine.  Or a Guinness.  Is an explanation really necessary?  

My mind.  Specifically my memory.  Now granted, those who know me well can attest to the fact that I'm always a bit scatterbrained, and, as Brian often says, my "rememberer" is broken.  Top that with this recently acquired head in the clouds pregnancy brain, and it's a recipe for disaster.  Last week I locked my keys in the car while taking it to be repaired, I went grocery shopping and came home with lots of stuff, but absolutely nothing for dinner, and I had to email myself a to-do list for the week, because I think I inadvertently threw the original away. 

The good news is that all of these complaints are minor, and (hopefully) quite temporary!  :) 

Learning to Embrace the Color Pink

When we announced to the facebook world that we were expecting, we both posted pictures of mini-vans.  Brian's call sign is VAN, so we enjoyed seeing which of our friends would figure out the pun.  About a month later, I changed my photo to a purple mini-van.  Yup-- the mini-Morrissey is going to be a girl!

I was a bit of a tom-boy growing up.  Next to the dresses in my closet were the bike shorts I wore to climb to the highest limb of the tree in our front yard.  Amongst the dolls and My Little Pony collection was an admirable set of He-Man action figures.... You get the point. Anyway, these were the thoughts that ran through my cranium the 1st time I went browsing through the racks of baby stuff after learning that the gummy bear was a girl.  Then consumer reality hit.  Everything was a sea of cotton candy PINK.  Even here in Germany!  Ugh.  I really don't care for that color.  Neither does Brian.  

The more I think about it, the more I realize that maybe it's not the color itself... maybe it's the negative connotation that it stirs up in my mind; tiaras and princesses and a holier-than-thou sense of entitlement.  Maybe it's the gender stereotyping in general-- will wearing something frilly and pink perpetuate the idea that she's 'delicate' and cant dig in the mud with the boys?  Honestly, probably not.  If she's anything like her parents, by the time she's old enough, there will be grass stains and dirt on whatever color she's wearing.  In the meantime, she's just going to be a baby... squishy, needy and not yet able to express her preferences.  So, my new resolution: I won't pass up a perfectly adorable outfit, just because it's the shade of bubble gum.  We will, instead, try to have a big variety, teach our daughter that she can wear whichever colors she wants, and that she can grow up to be whomever she wants to be.   Even if it's a girly-girl... god help us.